I loved the Newco statement from yesterday evening, it betrayed the reality that they’ve lost their nerve in the face of panic among fans and a complete lack of knowledge of what to do about History overtaking them.
They cited that the SPFL had a conference call on the subject of the Court of Session Oldco EBT ruling, but quickly got onto the subject that “our Club’s (sic.) history, including its many successes, is beyond debate”.
Those of us who supported another team during the EBT decade know well that history is beyond debate. We paid money to see those competitions and there will be no denying what happened.
At a stroke Newco took a debate, which was hitherto the exclusive domain of fan comment and the occasional journalist repeating the words of well-paid Newco and Ladbrokes SPFL PR team, that there was “no appetite” for title stripping, and made it a subject football people could legitimately be drawn on. In short, they made Rangers historical successes THE debate.
I’ve spoken to Celtic on various potential public statement matters over the years. They don’t always get it right, but they know when to shut their mouth and win support for their objectives, at the cost of taking flak for not making grandstanding public comments.
Tommo Blog.
While many paid to inform us were repeating paid PR as news, Channel 4’s Alex Thomson had no qualms calling-out the cheats in his blog yesterday: Rangers cheated at football: the fraudulent silverware must go. And that was just the blog title.
Oh Mr Black! The Rangers v HMRC First Tier Tribunal was held in private, with witness names given anonymity in the written report. Mr Black, the name of a key figure at Rangers, who signed and sold up to 400 footballers, and, I guess, took a senior role from late 1988 until 6 May 2011, provided damning evidence against the former football club at the Tribunal.
Thomson writes:
“Why did this powerful but busy character introduce a scheme of wholesale – and now proven to be unlawful – avoidance of NI and income tax?
Why – so the club could gain advantage on the pitch, of course: sporting advantage. By attracting and keeping players they otherwise could not afford. How do we know?
Because the powerful but talkative “Mr Black” was good enough to spill the beans to the Tax Tribunal: “Mr Black did not consider the Trust as a means of tax avoidance, but rather as a means of retaining and rewarding loyal employees. So far as Rangers was concerned it enabled the Club to attract players who would not otherwise have been obtainable.”
Sporting advantage.”
““Mr Black” didn’t see it as a tax wheeze at all, he said, but a football wheeze. Sadly for him if you’re now found to have been cheating the taxman you’re also cheating football – so now his unfortunate admission is a smoking gun
There is more: “As for Mr Black, he denied that the scheme was for tax avoidance in cross-examination, though he went on to describe the scheme as ‘a method of us acquiring, especially football wise, better players in a more cost effective manner than we would be able to do so’; that the club had been ‘very ambitious at that time’; and ‘it was seen as a correct and proper way for us to proceed’; that Rangers ‘have been very successful, because we’ve been able to attract players of a certain standard that, perhaps, we may not have been able to otherwise’.”
One more time: “especially football wise better players in a more cost effective manner”. Sporting. Advantage.”
“It is time Campbell Ogilvie explained his conduct – the man who played a part in the tax avoidance and personally benefited before going on to be SFA President.
It is time Sir David Murray – the conductor of this disastrous orchestration, by overseeing EBTs at Rangers – is similarly held to account for what he did and now, why Rangers did it for advantage on the field: cheating.
Above all, it is time the SPFL members came out from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and beyond to denounce cheating as cheating and take action as fans from Kelso to Thurso are begging them to do.
All the titles and silverware from all the years Rangers cheated at football, as they cheated at tax, must be null and void and wiped from the record.
Let nobody try and tell me it isn’t the same club – I have always said it is and now Rangers have to take the consequence of that reality right on the chin.
Turnbull Hutton RIP – how your godforsaken Scottish game needs you now.”
‘Mr Black’ really has dropped Sir David Murray in it. I hope he stays away from Charlotte Square. This situation reminds me of that scene from Blazing Saddles, where the sheriff turns his gun on himself. Alerts in advance for the use of racial pejoratives, appropriate for the environment, in this clip:
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Tony never walks alone.
Off to bed.
A day will come soon when rangers were an ancient myth, and our great great great grandweans will be doing a dig to show a car park with Edwardian red bricks, and died goats were here once.
Keep it lit
DELANEYS DUNKY on 11TH NOVEMBER 2015 12:24 AM
Saint Stivs
Sorry. It was Brian Docherty. A gentleman who could box like feck. We all used to drink in ex Rangers Jimmy Miller’s pub in Leith. The Rangers legend and gentleman treated us west coast Tims like Royalty. My favourite ex Ger beside my pal Colin McAdam RIP.
—————————–
Was the the Annfield dude?
st,stivs@11.44…who runs the taxis in greenock ?..
Natknow
Sorry pal don’t know.
Lefthand
Same guys who run the airport taxis and used to run Sevco?
Running taxis.
The anthill mob
Saint Stivs
Running Taxis. Burning Buses and Ibrox.
Good Movie title. :)
I haven’t yet read all the way through so apologies if my thought has already been posted.
Ref Paul Lambert and others.
How will the presence of MkII Rangers make us a better team?
Last game we met, which I was at home for but didn’t attend, the difference between the sides was longer than London Road.
We didn’t need to get out of second gear and they looked like a lower league side. Which of course they are.
For heavens sake, they failed miserable to overcome the second bottom team in the SPFL.
Not that you need reminding they lost 6-1, but I like the sound of it.
St Johnstone, SPFL high flyers, chastened them 3-0.
So where is the logic that competing against them will improve us and hone our young side for European competition?
As poor as they re on the field, they are even in worse state off it.
Court cases, legal fees sucking them dry, rights disputes, fines unpaid, stadium in disrepair, an HMRC target on their backs, unpaid loans, doubts whether they can be a going concern.
I could go on and on but I’ll content myself by finishing with the label of
CHEATS & LIARS
They will be derided at every stadium they visit, not welcomed back.
And this bunch will make us better?
If you think that is the case, I know of a nice young lady who will pay you handsomely to help her get her father’s amassed fortune out of Nigeria.
Hearing Ashley is taking the SFA to court over them passing the glib&shameless one fit &proper anyone else hearing this
Before certain people pass out with hysteria and we’re suddenly back in the Blackadder witch trials, one thing we all can agree on – whether you’re pro or anti PL and his board – is that they are savvy.
And being savvy, and knowing how to run a business in this climate with longevity and no begging bowl, be sure that Celtic will say NOTHING until the appeal deadline has passed. And may continue to say NOTHING until a final appeal has been heard, should BDO launch a futlie appeal to prolong the misery.
It might grate with some but let’s be honest – Celtic rolling out the cannons and taking a few verbal shots will look feckin’ stupid if the verdict continues to hang in the balance another few months. It will also blunt our (if any) conclusive action when the legalities are done.
All Peter Lawwell needs reminded of – constantly – is that we spent thousands of pounds per head per fan over a decade at least watching rigged competitions. He might find it wise to prepare for an assault upon the Hun history when the time is ripe, or consider the recompense due to thousands of Celtic supporters for tickets he sold us in full complicity with a corrupt Ibrox regime.
Rock and a hard place, Peter. Be a stand-up Tim; keep that powder dry but get it ready to blow.
Big Phil’s up ….http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/being-calm-before-the-storm/
‘GG on 11th November 2015 12:54 am
I enjoyed that.
:-)
Sandman on 11th November 2015 12:57 am
I enjoyed that too.
Sorry old post from Phil no wonder I don’t post much & mostly lurk goodnight all Tim’s & godbless
BOABYEVANS on 11TH NOVEMBER 2015 1:03 AM
Sorry old post from Phil no wonder I don’t post much & mostly lurk goodnight all Tim’s & godbless
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Still interesting,pal
Sleep well.
Macjay
Apologies for the errors.
I was too enraged to properly check.
And I was told today I had to remain calm.
My nephrologist particularly warned me from watching soccer, as she calls it.
Fortunately its international football week.
Errors? Didn`t notice any.
It`s the tone I like.
Justifiable anger is fine in my book.
Channel it ,if poss. I would love us to be united,rather than directing our angst toward our own people even if they are shown to have been negligent.
We`ll probably know in time.
Meanwhile,put me in touch with the Nigerian lady.I could do with a bung.
:-)
Financial,I mean.
“…Lance is the inevitable product of our celebrity-worshipping culture and the whole money-mad world of sports gone amok. This is the Golden Age of fraud, an era of general willingness to ignore and justify the wrongdoings of the rich and powerful, which makes every lie bigger and widens its destructive path.”
Reed Albergotti, Wheelmen: Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France, and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever
This quote applies to so many actors and institutions in Scottish Football. Banks, media, administrators, executives and shareholders.
I do not believe there should be a Boycott. I believe a more relevant and symbolic response from Scottish Football Supporters should be an organized, regular attendance paying respect to Turnbull Hutton. That would highlight the need for Sporting Integrity that PL most presciently referred to back in 2008 fixture fiasco.
As a means of injecting a bit of levity into the situation….there has to be a movie in this debacle…..anyone want to give us a title or 2? (hehe)
Perhaps “All of Ogilvies Men” or “EBT’s and The Extraterrestrials”
Anyone?
Imatim
E.T.`s been done.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 11TH NOVEMBER 2015 3:11 AM
Imatim
E.T.`s been done.
………………………………………….
By whom? The dirty sod <:-)
Imatim
How about a board game
Cluedo the Bluedo Version.
Who killed Mr Black? (Obviously after his testimony to HMRC)
Mr Red on the marble stairs with an EBT?
Mr. Bomber Brown in the shredding room with “ra deeds?”
Mr Whyte in the board room with the Arsenal Shares?
Mr Green in the dressing room with his big hauns?
Good Morning Timland.
Big Mike eh!!!!!
“set a thief to catch a thief”
Have a great day cqn.
Morning all.
James Forrest’s latest…..
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/no-justice-no-moving-on/?
Top of the morning to you all from a still-dark Fife.
The MSM are all running the story of how Gordon Strachan is coming up with a masterplan to save Scottish football before the year is out.
I gave GS respect when he was manager with us but can’t say I was a fan.
His effortless move to the SFA, together with other things, ex-BB, gets job with Walter as Ladbrokes ambassador etc tells me he is a Mason so we can expect him to come down on the side of Sevco on the pretence that we need a strong Rangers…..
In fraternal loyalty to his current employers at L̶o̶d̶g̶e̶ ̶H̶a̶m̶p̶d̶e̶n̶ SFA HQ, he will no doubt also tell us that we should forget all about this cheating malarky, sure everyone’s at it, and move on.
You can bet on that.
H.H.
Dear John Lewis,
I already own a lovely LG tv and even have a sound bar. The fact that bother were purchased from your good selves with a free 5 year warranty only last year, makes me wonder why you are bombarding me with a great offer on another tv.
Am I to understand that my current set is no longer fit for purpose?
Is there something I should know?
Please advise as soon as possible.
PS Whilst I am here, can you tell the half witted people at Ladbrokes that there is no such thing as a free bet.
voguepunter on 11th November 2015 7:06 am
Morning all.
James Forrest’s latest…..
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/no-justice-no-moving-on/?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/tommo-fraudulent-silverware-must-go-blazing-saddles-comes-to-scottish-football/comment-page-12/#comment-2716692
………………………..
Good article.
Big Mike might be about to blow the SFA out of the water.
‘GG on 11TH NOVEMBER 2015 4:07 AM
Imatim
How about a board game
Cluedo the Bluedo Version.
Who killed Mr Black? (Obviously after his testimony to HMRC)
Mr Red on the marble stairs with an EBT?
Mr. Bomber Brown in the shredding room with “ra deeds?”
Mr Whyte in the board room with the Arsenal Shares?
Mr Green in the dressing room with his big hauns?
……………………………………….
Excellent idea….how about……a brotherhood of MIB on the circle with their EBT’s
Murray’s evidence in future Craigy boy trial has certainly taken on a whole new dimension hasn’t it? I would have thought that Craigy’s lawyer should have a field day if he is any good at his job.
RWE
That’s useful. I’ll repost on SFM to see if it attracts comment.
Who is it exactly that can request the Court of Arbitration for Sport delves in to a particular matter?
Anyone know?
Morning all.
A tad brighter weather-wise down here. At the moment, it isn’t wall-to-wall downpour, as it has been for the last couple of days.
Heard an excerpt of thon Roger Mitchell’s contribution to the deid team’s cheating. “Much ado about nothing” quoth he. Then he somehow conflates it with Hearts, Motherwell and Livingston overspending. And that UEFA had brought in FFI(?) to combat this. Nothing at all about the ineligibility of playing players on EBTs. Utter and total nonsense. Only in Scotland would he be given an opportunity to spout such arguments and only in the defence of 1 team and it is dead.
Is Mitchell aware of the non payment of tax for 10yrs if so another in a long line of people I would not trust or take his comments seriously now we are going to get two fans point of view ,radio off,r adio scotland still lobbying on behalf of rangers 1872-2012 the influence is extensive of the dead team,why?
Burnley78
Hope you read Big Nan’s post about WGS just there, as you seemed to be giving him a pass as you set about Martin O’Neill (at least spell his name correctly, he did win 5-in-row after all) last night. This despite WGS having already called for gerrymandering of the league divisions to get ‘Rangers’, er ‘back’ in the top flight.
And, have I got this right? The failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the CL was down to Martin, but all the titles, cups, Green And Whitewash, and Seville run was down to Henrik?
Remind me, how many trophies did we win when Henrik had Venglos as his manager for a season?
Might it be that Martin O’Neill helped make Henrik even better by providing top partners for him up front in Sutton and Hartson, people to take some of the burden off his shoulders? Recognising that a talent like Henrik had to be looked after, not left to do it all unsupported.
The title you say he failed to win without Henrik ( he ‘lost’ one with him too) was down to being cheated that season, as in the previous 4, 3 of which he still won, 2 by wide margins.
By all means disagree with what the Daily Rectum report him as having said about the stripping of titles, get angry at him even, but don’t denigrate the greatest spell our Club has had since Stein, our first period of domestic dominance since that era, and the restoration of our European reputation.
I’m disappointed too that he doesn’t seem to feel the same as us about the cheating, but I’ll not be forgetting all of the above, nor the joyful, miracle 36 point turnaround of season 2000-2001 whilst up against financially-doped, improperly registered cheats.
In an ole welcome reversal of fortune,wee Lance Armstrong has been announced as the latest winner of the Crossbar Challenge.
Breaking news :second rangers look to play in Russian league as they would feel more at home there
More later
ParkheadcumSalford- I found it very depressing that someone who has been appointed to a senior position in sport ,even if only the SPL, seemed to have so little regard for the concept of sporting integrity.
I was at the game last Thursday; call me ole fashioned but I didn’t enjoy it , however we were beat by the better team on the night and I can accept that.
Sport has to be [basically] honest if it is to survive; if not there are other things I can do with the money.
12 days without The Hoops.
Its way too long but at least theres nae chance of getting bored on this international break!