Untenable position for SFA president as drama unfolds

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Campbell Ogilvie’s appointment as president of the SFA was always controversial.  As general secretary and director of Rangers, Ogilvie was the club’s chief administrator during the final 11-year period they refused to employ Catholic footballers.  In many other walks of life, this background would make him an embarrassing relic of a former era, but in Scottish football it was enough to see him promoted to the ultimate honour position.

He remained in position at Rangers long after the new regime of Sir David Murray arrived and set aside the decades-old sectarian employment policy but left the club in 2005, joining Hearts as operations director two months later.  All of this puts the SFA president in central position regarding the on-going tax tribunal, which is charged with deciding if Rangers illegally evaded tax from a period starting in 2000 and going on well beyond Ogilvie’s departure.

If the First Tier Tribunal finds against Rangers the SFA must ask for Ogilvie’s immediate resignation.  The association cannot have a president embroiled in a tax evasion scam which, even before a verdict has been decided, has already caused untold harm to his former club and the reputation Scottish football.  The scale of the damage to public finances has yet to be definitively established but it will not make good reading.

The SFA has just embarked on its first proper investigation into whether directors of a football club, in this instance Rangers, are fit and proper persons to hold such a position.  Office holders at the association cannot exercise power over the game if they are not subject to the same standards they demand from clubs.  Pending this investigation, and the outcome of the tax tribunal, Ogilvie should temporarily step aside.  Scotland is not yet a banana republic, public bodies must have robust ethics and must not allow the shadow of contagion to be cast over the body charged with ensuring legal and moral standards are adhered to.

The SFA has some enormously important months ahead.  Its president is currently in a position to influence which course it takes and, if the tribunal verdict falls against Rangers, could be implicated in the scandal which precipitated the crisis.  While I am sure Campbell Ogilvie will be shown to have acted with impeccable ethical standards, the SFA must quickly establish a structure clear of contagion.

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917 Comments

  1. 'crushed nuts?' 'Naw, Layringitis!' on

    Dazzler: We’re getting ahead of ourselves at this moment in time, Celtic fans would be delighted if ranjurz went bust or ended up in the third! It’s only speculation

     

    at this moment in time they’re second in the league

     

    Gleeful Delahunt: could be third on Sunday!

  2. Paddy Gallagher on

    News Flash

     

     

    Kate Eadie’s agent says no to interview with Craig Whyte from somewhere behind enemy lines.

  3. Thank God it was the Scottish Media who conducted the “fit and proper” scrutiny of Fergus.

     

     

    Who knows what we would have got if the SFA did it!

     

     

    Read earlier that Craig, like Alistair, doesn’t do “walking away”.

     

     

    Unlike Walter.

     

     

     

    I posted on RTC last night along the lines of:-

     

     

    It’s not what HMRC do.

     

    It’s not what the SFA/SPL do.

     

     

    It’s what Celtic do that will determine the future of Scottish football.

     

     

    Acquiesce or Resign.

  4. Vmhan Supporting Lenny! says:

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:20

     

     

    I’ll have you know , I have the ass of a young Rudolph

     

    Nureyev…………………………so I am told…….by my wife.

  5. DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY on

    Kojo…..

     

     

    Be interested on what Alyss view is on stagflation, when she is under the Atlantic City board walk with her Nambarrie tea leaves??

     

     

    Yer pal,

     

     

     

    DBB

  6. Celt55

     

     

    What is the difference?

     

     

    Not much but regardless the thread exists nevertheless.

  7. 'crushed nuts?' 'Naw, Layringitis!' on

    Nakagod says:

     

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:17

     

     

    Terrible day for us :(

     

     

    CW admitting he will walk away, even though he quotes Sally by saying he doesnt walk away…couldnt make the stupidity of it up

     

    gggggggggggggg

     

     

    he’s not walking away, he’s taking a step back!

  8. 'crushed nuts?' 'Naw, Layringitis!' on

    Dead and Loving it says:

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:04

     

    Does anybody know the furthest point in the world from Ibrox?

     

    fffffffffffffffffff

     

     

    Top ‘o’ the SPL!

     

    Champions League!

  9. pedrocaravanachio67 says:

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:22

     

    Thanks for that . I thought for a minute that i had missed the sale.

     

     

    HH

  10. Now that Whyte who does not do walking away just flying away is in a country with no UK extradition treaty, I guess we can slightly forget about him until he gets summoned.

     

     

    Maybe more focus on Minty would not go amiss he has a few questions to answer about his deal with Whyte

     

     

    I have one question for Minty

     

     

    Were you aware of the sale of the season tickets to Ticketus by Craig Whyte prior to your sale of RFC…?

  11. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    voguepunter says:

     

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:25

     

     

     

    I’ll have you know , I have the ass of a young Rudolph

     

    Nureyev.

     

     

    Jeez, it must be in tatters :- )

  12. Dead and Loving it says:

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:04

     

    Does anybody know the furthest point in the world from Ibrox

     

    ————————————————————————-

     

    The real World

  13. Don’t listen to Clyde often at all, but just caught a bit of that call just finished, Alan I think.

     

     

    Excellent call, whoever you are Alan.

     

     

    hh

     

     

    bjmac

  14. For the older poster:

     

     

    Where’s Sir David Gone?

     

    Where’s Sir David Gone?

     

    Where’s wee Craigie Gone?

     

    Where’s wee Craigie Gone?

     

    Where’s your money Gone?

     

    Far far away

     

    Far far away.

     

    Woke up this morning and Rangers were bust

     

    Etc etc

  15. Larsson and McStay on

    Has a week gone by since they went into administration…..time really does fly when you’re having fun.

     

     

    This past week feels like the last week of the long summer holiday when you were a schoolkid in terms of how quickly it has passed , but even as a carefree child I don’t think I laughed as often as I have this last week.

     

     

    From mad CW , to Duff and Duffer , and not least you guys on here , the laughs keep coming .

     

     

    I’ve just checked my diary and it says British Summer Time starts on 25th March 2012 , might be the perfect day for a barbecue with jelly and ice cream.

     

    If , as I now expect, the league is won a week or so before this date , will this be the first time the championship has been clinched in winter ????

  16. RalphWaldoEllison-is Neil Lennon Season 2011-12 on

    Bjmac

     

     

    For this of us who can’t tune in, can you summarize what Alan said.

     

     

    HH

  17. NatKnow - "We welcome the paper-chase..." on

    philvisreturns @ 19:24

     

     

    “I’m wondering though, is there an animal we could ascribe to Craig Whyte?”

     

     

    I think there will be plenty of people who would delighted remove his nuts by the end of this week.

  18. Celticbhoy says:

     

    21 February, 2012 at 19:32

     

    For the older poster:

     

     

    That post was so middle of the road! :-)

     

     

    HH

  19. Paul67 et al

     

     

    “Sir” David Murray. Walked away!

     

     

    Walter Smith. Walked away!

     

     

    Craig White. Walked away!

     

     

    Ally McCoisty. Ally doesn’t walk away!

  20. Paddy G

     

     

    LMAO at that bud .

     

    I was at college with a guy who played guitar on that song and l remember the hun sing about Charlie Nic leaving us to go to Arsenal using that song so revenge is sweet.

  21. DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY on

    Jimmy Sanderson will be turning in his grave listening to the modern Snyde “pundits”.

  22. bjmac

     

    Re Alan call on, RC, DAZZLE WIS IN A DIZZY just listening to him,lOAST completely,(at this moment in time ) and beyond whit a Chancer.

     

    Awerabest PJ

  23. Huns now bleating about the Poppy Banner and allleged pro IRA chanting – Delahunt rightly tells him write a complaint to PL :-)

  24. Let’s get some ideas going on this fine site regarding songs to sing at Ibrokes on 25th March

     

     

     

    We love you Craig Whyte

     

    We do

     

     

    We love you Craig Whyte

     

    We do

     

     

    We love you Craig Whyte

     

    We do

     

     

    Oh Craig Whyte we love you

  25. Hun on snyde bringing up the poppy banner.

     

    How long ago was that?Right enough they are

     

    still going on about a wee skirmish at a river

     

    in Ireland ,all those years ago.