A Lie for a Lie

The “Lawwell Letter” is trending everywhere this week. To elucidate, it is email sent to (among others) Peter Lawwell and Eric Riley of Celtic on 26 July 2012 by SPL CEO Neil Doncaster.

The email came with an attached copy of the Five Way Agreement (hereafter “5WA”, the deal between Sevco, Rangers, the SFA, the SPL and the SFL). Now that it has been made public, it seems safe to speak openly about what it all means for us as folk who believe in sporting integrity.

I would preface my comments with a caveat though. On the face of it, the Celtic Chief Executive appears to have misled the gathering at the recent Celtic AGM. He was asked by a shareholder if Celtic were involved in the Five Way Agreement. Lawwell replied, “No”, and gave same “No” response to the follow up question, “have you seen it?”

Given that a copy of that email was in the possession of a few folk before that AGM, I have to admit to being surprised by that answer – although even more surprised at the apparent lack of due diligence implied by the lack of knowledge of its content.

We have attempted to contact Mr Lawwell to ask him if he would like to comment on the apparent discrepancy between the evidence and his answer (and I am sure we are not the only ones to have done so). To date, we have received no response. Given the complete lack of acknowledgement of the existence of this anomaly in the MSM, we should perhaps assume that none will be forthcoming.

Perhaps there is an explanation (yes I know), but Celtic should know, like Rangers old and new have come to realise, that silence on these matters breeds deep suspicion and distrust.

Assuming for the minute that Occam’s Razor applies here, there may be an uncomfortable truth emerging for Celtic fans – that Rangers (old and new) do not have a monopoly on dishonesty. There is also an uncomfortable truth that should emerge for Rangers fans too – that as we have said all along, this has never been about just Rangers, but about the governance of the game.

If the Celtic CEO did lie to the AGM a few weeks ago what are the consequences? He broke no laws as far as I can see. One insider I spoke to said simply this,

“So he lied. So what? What happens now? It’s irrelevant”

That is of course absolutely true. As long as controlling shareholders are happy that Resolution 12 is buried, and that no deep inquiry into governance is held into the workings of the game in Scotland, the lie is nonpunishable, though it would be a mistake to believe that accountability is confined only to the corporate rules governing Boards and shareholders; the corporate veil of “I was only following company policy” can be readily challenged in the court of public opinion, which has no statute of limitations.

What all this demonstrates of course is that Celtic have been saying one thing to their fans and shareholders, nodding agreement in private meetings about how appalling Rangers behaviour was, tut-tutting over how amateurish the authorities were, and wringing their hands in frustration at what a sham the LNS inquiry turned out to be.

At the same time, they have done nothing, allowed small shareholders to spend not inconsiderable suns progressing the matter, and quietly hoped that the “appetite” for justice would diminish so they could get back to whatever it is they and the rest do when subject to little or no scrutiny.

Whilst ten in a row is on the table of course, they can get away with it. To Celtic fans right now, understandably, nothing else matters. But what if TIAR is derailed? Not a stretch to imagine that the Parkhead kitchen could get uncontrollably hot in that circumstance. And when the TIAR squirrel finally ends its scurry, in either success or failure, where will the fans attention be diverted?

Perhaps the arrogance that permits making (allegedly) false statements to a general meeting, and (allegedly) misleading shareholders over Res 12 is borne of the knowledge that the parachutes are ready to be deployed when either of the above scenarios come to pass? If TIAR is achieved or goes south, are they already prepared for an emergency exit?

Celtic have two major shareholders whose combined holding is over 50% of the club’s shares. Dermot Desmond and Nick Train. Desmond is now in his eighth decade and Train is reportedly having some business difficulties. Both may well be moved to get out anyway, but fan unrest would make their decision a whole lot easier.

And Lawwell himself is – if you believe the MSM – on the wanted list of nearly as many top clubs as Alfredo Morelos.

The foregoing of course is extremely “Old Firm” centric, and as the two biggest clubs in the country they certainly have the biggest impact on the game, culturally, socially and financially. However there is no get-out clause here for others.

We KNOW there is evidence of fraud surrounding the licencing issue in 2012. We KNOW there is evidence of a cover up over that, and the EBT-related registration issues for Old Rangers. We KNOW that the Five Way Agreement was signed by football authorities in the knowledge that it would rob their own rules of judicial authority with regard to compliance by RFC prior to 2012.

We also know that NOT ONE club has taken a meaningful stand against any of it.

Clubs are saying one thing to supporters and doing their best to derail those supporters’ efforts on the other. We can also infer (not unreasonably) that the folk who run the clubs think that we as fans have no right to interfere in how they run their operations.

As I said earlier, Celtic can do what they like whilst TIAR is live, but afterwards, however it ends, the fans and shareholders involved in Res 12 will still be asking questions. Celtic in particular know how fatal it can be to alienate their own fan base – a fan base that has flexed its muscles with devastating effect for the boardroom in the past. And it is the wrath of the fans of all clubs that will eventually see the charlatans get their just desserts.

Our job as fans is to continue to hold those who care little for the honour and beauty of football to account, to continue to press them on their refusal to deal with arguably the biggest sporting scandal in Scottish history.

The bottom line (which is of course what the folk in boardrooms care about) is this. They need us far more than we need them. As fans of different clubs, the sensibility of those of us at SFM recognises that the real battle, the real war, is not between rival fans or rival clubs, but between the arrogant, self-entitled clique who run our game; who lie for fun, who cheat and belittle the sport; and the good folk who make it possible for the game to prosper.

Resolution 12 is not just about Rangers – nor is it just about Celtic. It deserves to be embraced by every true football fan in the country. The Res 12 franchise needs to widened

Sooner or later the fans will demonstrate their unhappiness with the money men. They did it in 2012, and they will inevitably do so again.

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John Cole

About Big Pink

Big Pink is John Cole; a former schoolteacher based in the West of Scotland, He is also a print and broadcast journalist who is engaged in the running of SFM . Former gigs include Newstalk 106, the Celtic View, and Channel67. A Celtic fan, he is also the voice of our podcast initiative.

2,251 thoughts on “A Lie for a Lie


  1. Probably stating the bleedin' obvious here…

    It may have happened in the past – but I'm not aware of any weather-postponed Scottish league match being rearranged for the next day.

    Logistics alone (policing, security and catering staffing, etc) would suggest a date several days ahead would be needed.

    The inconvenience to the fans would be considerable.

    It would likely take a monumental effort to organise the management of a major sporting event (with up to 50,000 attendees) in the 2 hours that it took today.

    Policing and staff costs for today will need to be paid… and again tomorrow, whether or not it goes ahead. But, is there any greater likelihood of a match being played tomorrow? It's possible, but the forecast is not particularly favourable.

    Why take the chance when the weather for Monday is forecast to begin to ease off?

    Why take this Hail Mary of trying to get the game played tomorrow?

    Is it to do with TRFC's deal with its season ticket finance company- I think, "Premier Credit"?

    If the ST money is only released on a game-by-game basis, a home match is likely to bring in around £1m to the Ibrox club. It makes no difference (to the release of the ST monies) whether the fans turn up or not.

    Assuming I am right, why would one day make a difference?

    What needs to be paid on Monday that is so pressing that  it dictates that they must try to play the game tomorrow?

    Interesting times…

     


  2. … just to add.

    If I am right, today says that the spfl are "in the loop" wrt TRFC's apparently dire financial constraints.


  3. How much turnstile cash do they take in at an avg game ? I think they sold 47k STs so minus the 800 spaces for away fans and the seats taken up through segregation there must be less than 2k seats available for sale which equates to less than Jermaine Defoes weekly pay packet. Not sure how the rest of the income is accounted for ,catering , programme sales , advertising etc or what the profit margins are on them but every game also has associated costs ,policing,stewarding, turnstile operators and other game day employee wages so the amount of extra cash generated will be negligible . Of course playing the game will release the ST funds that are being held and released on a game to game basis . I believe they will be struggling to pay this months wage bill especially if Close have called in their loan as is being suggested elsewhere . 


  4. As far as I know the Close loan is secured  so failure to pay it may not trigger administration as Close would initially take the assets in lieu of payment, it would however alert all other creditors to the situation and certainly restrict their ability to raise funding . It may lead to an attempt to ring fence any cash which would if granted tip the scales towards administration. The problem this time is that a large chunk of the money owed are footballing debts that would have to be honoured in full . Is a Third Rangers* even viable ? Are there any Real Rangers* men left , would the fans have the stomach to fund it all over again , would Murray be interested , would he be allowed , would the rest of Scottish football tolerate another 5 way fix ? Fool me once as the saying goes. We live in interesting times.


  5. We've beeb at this a while of course, but Tartan lal-La-Land has seldom seen as bizarre a fortnight as the last one.

    Morelos, PIs, suspicious wives, Kenny McIntyre and Darryl B having a stroke on-air, BBC making up new broadcasting standards rules (taking their lead from the SFA no doubt).

    Traynor being mugged by muggers who apparently read out a statement before the mugging to considerately appraise the muggee of why the mugging is taking place. Traynor sustaining an injury and no photo in the tabloids? Aye right.

    So I'm thinking Jabbagate is maximum acid flashback, but wait, here comes the SPFL in LiviGate.

    Its like the genie is now out of the bottle wrt how twisted and corrupt everything surrounding our game is. Consequently they no longer require their actions to be plausible. Full ahead maximum Tonto.

    How blessed we are to live in these times. How fortunate that the authorities and the media are run by serious professionals.


  6. Timtim 16th February 2020 at 00:43

     

    As far as I know the Close loan is secured  so failure to pay it may not trigger administration as Close would initially take the assets in lieu of payment, it would however alert all other creditors to the situation and certainly restrict their ability to raise funding . It may lead to an attempt to ring fence any cash which would if granted tip the scales towards administration.

    I suspect ALL of the creditors are on high alert. As well as the SFA & SPFL.

     

    The problem this time is that a large chunk of the money owed are footballing debts that would have to be honoured in full . Is a Third Rangers* even viable ?

    ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

    This is crucial. Last time round the entry of Sevco 5088 Ltd and, by way of a waiver Sevco Scotland Ltd, into the SFL was only allowed if it took on the football debts of Rangers FC (of the 1872 variety).

    They were not significant in terms of the cash raised in the AIM Listing soon afterwards.

    As far as it can be ascertained those football debts are around £25M. To retain league status would those debts not have to honoured post Admin? I say Admin I mean liquidation and starting again.

    If TRFC were to be purchased by an Oligarch/Billionaire or similar they would need to invest £98M in year 1.

    £25m to clear the football stuff, £20m to sort SDI/Hummel/Elite, Est £10m to get rid of other debt, £25m to get the ground up to standard and increase capacity by 15k to increae income streams and future viability, £20m to sign some quality players, £5m to improve scouting and youth system because at present it produces nothing, £3.5m to take the best players from the likes of Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Hibs but probably not Hearts to prevent points leakage.

     

     


  7. I’ve now finished reading Craig Whyte’s book.  I didn’t think there were any new or startling revelations in it.

    Obviously, it portrays a picture of Whyte himself being the fall guy for all that happened to the club. Whyte does believe that it was ultimately SDM who was responsible for the financial collapse of the club, primarily because of the EBT schemes.

    The bits that I found most interesting were the early chapters about how money could be made by restructuring companies in distress and the latter chapters about his arrest, trial and the epilogue. There wasn’t very much about his time in charge of the club.

    He is scathing about a whole host of people including SDM, the Oldco Board, the Police, the media, the Crown Office, Duff and Phelps, Charles Green and HMRC. I won’t offer any opinions about what he says about the conduct of the Police and D&P because of ongoing court cases.

    There are inaccuracies and contradictory statements in the book, but having been so close to the story I did find it a worthwhile read over the last couple of days.

     


  8. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 02:05

     

    I’ve now finished reading Craig Whyte’s book.  I didn’t think there were any new or startling revelations in it.

    Obviously, it portrays a picture of Whyte himself being the fall guy for all that happened to the club. Whyte does believe that it was ultimately SDM who was responsible for the financial collapse of the club, primarily because of the EBT schemes.

    The bits that I found most interesting were the early chapters about how money could be made by restructuring companies in distress and the latter chapters about his arrest, trial and the epilogue. There wasn’t very much about his time in charge of the club.

    He is scathing about a whole host of people including SDM, the Oldco Board, the Police, the media, the Crown Office, Duff and Phelps, Charles Green and HMRC. I won’t offer any opinions about what he says about the conduct of the Police and D&P because of ongoing court cases.

    There are inaccuracies and contradictory statements in the book, but having been so close to the story I did find it a worthwhile read over the last couple of days.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Are there any personal insights?

    Like if he was to find himself in the same position today. Would he do anything different? Anything at all.

    What about the Switcheroo from Sevco 5088 Ltd to Sevco Scotland Ltd which cut him right out of the riches he had planned? Anything?

    It's not all come out yet. Has it?


  9. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 02:05

    I’ve now finished reading Craig Whyte’s book.

    I didn’t think there were any new or startling revelations in it. Obviously, it portrays a picture of Whyte himself…

    ========

    Well done eJ… and I won’t have to buy his book now!

    IF Traynor was to write a book too, I think it would be similar: containing nothing significant that the Internet Bampots didn’t know already – and portraying Jabba as an effective PR ‘expert’, and/or ‘victim’ of some sort.

    And as BP mentions above, it’s getting a bit mental with all the PR generate nonsense stories, and I’m starting to lose track – as each story is overshadowed by the next, crazy story!

    If Jabba had any PR awareness, then – absolutely! – a photo of a sad looking Traynor – with a visible injury – would have written 1,000 words: job done.  It might have even elicited some sympathy?

    But he didn’t, because it’s just more of his [alleged] PR p!sh, fake news. He’s just not trying these days…  enlightened


  10. Do I detect some scepticism or cynicism anent the gravity of JabbaGate?

    Surely any of us having sustained the reported vicious assault (bigoted seemedly) would respond in the manner reported?

    When lying in extremis what need have ye of a Physician or a Man of the Cloth or your Nearest and Dearest? No, the most pressing thing is to have a chat with Gary Ralston of the Daily Record so he can get it out there. Time was it would have been Keef but those days have gone never to return (unless it suits one/other/both).

    I thought the quickest way to get up to speed would be to consult the staunchest of staunch sites; FollowFollow but when I did it looked like there had been a Stalinist rewriting/deletion of history. Not so; JabbaGate has slipped to the third page of long lists of subjects close to their black hearts. You know you're not very good at this PR malarky when you can't even get a story about yourself front and centre. Still, I did learn the rain and the wind is controlled by the Vatican.

    I await a Statement: On the basis that he who is without sin may cast the first stone Jabba would have to wait an eternity before he became eligible to cast his stone. Held to different standards…Up with this we shall not put…Take heed and take notice…Auntie Mary Had A Canary…


  11. Going by the BBC (I know) weather app the Weather Gods have not smiled on Rangers* today. There is a 60% chance of rain and winds predicted in excess of 50 mph in Glasgow between 12.00 and 17.00 hours today. The sun will be shining over Pittodrie but there are winds predicted of over 50 mph for the duration of the game. I think there could be an argument for a winter break for Scottish football. ?


  12. Bogs Dollox 16th February 2020 at 02:50

    Are there any personal insights?

    Like if he was to find himself in the same position today. Would he do anything different? Anything at all.

    What about the Switcheroo from Sevco 5088 Ltd to Sevco Scotland Ltd which cut him right out of the riches he had planned? Anything?

    It’s not all come out yet. Has it?

    ==============================

    I found his pre Rangers life story more interesting than the period thereafter, as most of what happened once he got involved with Rangers is well documented, and pretty accurate.

    He does admit that with hindsight he should have put the club into administration the day he took over and done a pre-pack to rid themselves of the debts, tax liabilities and onerous contracts.

    The switcheroo was a case of Green shafting Whyte, but it seems to read that Green probably did have the power as sole director of Sevco 5088 to do what he did.  Whyte asked for £1m and 25% of Green’s and Ahmad’s shares to go away, but was only offered £500k, which he turned down.

    I had hoped that more would have come out abut the wee tax case, but there is little reference to it, with a contradiction of having accepted the liability but still disputing it when the club went into administration.   


  13. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 10:17

    Thanks for the not unexpected update that there was nothing much new in Whyte's book, saves me buying it now, though I was never going to buy it anyway

    While it may be nothing new for us, though, it does put it's content out there in the mainstream of published works and has already created an awakening amongst some journalists of the events surrounding the cheating and eventual demise of Rangers.

    Personally, I've never liked biographies/autobiographies as they can only ever be one man's version of events and will always be weighted one way or the other, regardless of the subject matter, and I am certain CW will have omitted much that might paint him in as bad a light as his detractors would like to paint him themaselves. There will also be somethings, I am sure, that he will have omitted about others involved in the scandal because that too might make him look bad.


  14. StevieBC 16th February 2020 at 07:48
    If Jabba had any PR awareness, then – absolutely! – a photo of a sad looking Traynor – with a visible injury – would have written 1,000 words: job done. It might have even elicited some sympathy?
    ……………..
    Jim White was not available for a bedside interview.


  15. Big Pink 16th February 2020 at 01:31

    =========================

    No way do I want to minimise racism, but isn't it strange how we are now being asked to believe Morelos is being racially abused at every game? No hard evidence is ever offered, but the media always scream about a 'Police investigation'. Opposition Managers and players are then asked about it, condemn all racism, then more headlines are generated about something we don't even know actually happened. 

    I have no doubt at all that Morelos, along with every black player playing in Scotland, has had racial abuse shouted at him at some point. In my view Scotland is far from the welcoming Nirvana of tolerance the Scottish Government claim it to be. Probably best summarised by my Kilmarnock supporting friend who pointed out that his club's support are being deemed as racist by some fans who spent Wednesday night belting out several racist and sectarian chants of their own, with hard evidence to prove it. Therein lies the problem though. Anti-Catholic sectarianism and ant-Irish racism is okay in Scotland. Well it must be, because the media constantly ignore it, but are happy to create banner headlines about alleged racism against one player where no evidence exists. The Police never investigate it either. 

    One Scotland, many cultures – don't make me laugh! 

     


  16. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 10:17

     

    He does admit that with hindsight he should have put the club into administration the day he took over and done a pre-pack to rid themselves of the debts, tax liabilities and onerous contracts.

    =====================================

    Is that even possible.

    If it is why would anyone ever pay debts, including but not limited to tax.

    In a pre-pack don't the business and assets have to be sold to a new owner. 


  17. Homunculus 16th February 2020 at 11:36

    Is that even possible.

    If it is why would anyone ever pay debts, including but not limited to tax.

    In a pre-pack don't the business and assets have to be sold to a new owner. 

    ==================================

    It is possible.

    Most pre packs involve a sale to an existing director who thinks he/she can run a company on their own, or a major creditor who will take ownership of the company's assets in return for a complete write off or partial write down of a debt.

    What he didn't say was how the football authorities would act should he have gone down that road.  The book tells us that he spoke to Neil Doncaster about administration in October 2011 and Stewart Regan a couple of months later.

     


  18. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 11:56

    ==============================

    Yes but even if the limited company buying the assets had a common director it would be a new legal entity.

    I believe the business and assets also have to be sold at "fair value", not like paying £1 to buy existing shares. That money being used to satisfy debts, at least in part.

    In addition the prospective purchaser has to be able to demonstrate that the business will be viable when they take over.

    I just don't wear this idea that people can sell their business to themselves for a nominal sum and the existing creditors can just whistle for their money. 


  19. Homunculus 16th February 2020 at 12:58

    I just don't wear this idea that people can sell their business to themselves for a nominal sum and the existing creditors can just whistle for their money. 

    ——————————————————————–

    Whyte's rationalisation for this is that he kept people in jobs rather than everyone losing out. He doesn't however mention the implicit financial benefit to himself from the use of this tactic.

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  20. Sometimes Peter Lawwell & Dermot Desmond annoy me with their priorities but when I compare them to the Ibrox supremos Murray, Whyte, Green and King, I feel blessed!


  21. redlichtie 16th February 2020 at 14:50

    I presume he doesn’t mention, either, the people who lose their jobs as a result of the non-payment of the debts that took his various distressed companies into administration in the first place.

    I think, though, that we can take it as a certainty that Craig Whyte, and his ilk, never give one tiny thought to the jobs he is either destroying, or, by an unintended occurrence, saving.

    And, of course, with a pre-pack administration the creditors have no say in what happens to the debt, and it will, almost in every case, receive closer to a zero dividend than to something that they might have considered acceptable for a CVA.

    I do wonder, though, if going down the administration route, whether pre-pack or not, whether they’d escape any financial penalties meted out at a later date from an ongoing court case(s). For one thing, I doubt the lawyers would be very happy to see their costs go down the swanny! And if there is a real danger of losing out on monies due to them as the result of a pre-pack admin, then surely MA/SDI would be taking action to snuff it out*. 

    *Edit. Of course, for all I know, they may have already done so.


  22. redlichtie 16th February 2020 at 14:50

    Whyte's rationalisation for this is that he kept people in jobs rather than everyone losing out. He doesn't however mention the implicit financial benefit to himself from the use of this tactic.

    ==========================================

    I take it he is ignoring the tens of millions that other people lost when he makes this ridiculous claim.

    Including the entire country with the unpaid tax … after he had taken over. Remember it's the tax Whyte himself didn't pay which contributed massively to the club going into administration. It's also that debt which allowed HMRC to block a CVA and led to the club being placed into liquidation. 


  23. Allyjambo/Homunculus. 

    I've never been comfortable with pre-packs. Smacks too much of insider dealing for me with those who have got a company into trouble often the ones who manage to protect themselves and come out smelling of roses.

    Whyte's character is clear from the book – he has no regard for any interest apart from his own. What attracted and continues to attract such people to Rangers*?

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  24. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 10:17

    '….I found his pre Rangers life story more interesting than the period thereafter.'

    ____________

    Has it ever been explained how it came about that Whyte even thought of 'buying' RFC ? 

    Did SDM know him via the 'used metal' business that Whyte's old man was involved in?

    Whyte was so small-time an operator that I find it hard to believe that he could have (despite our Keef's assessment!) even thought in terms of raising the readies that SDM was looking for, without having some 'introduction' as a potential purchaser, from some reasonably heavy-weight backer?

    Did SDM really believe that a wee tyke like Whyte had the readies? Was SDM so feckin stupid as not to learn in 5 minutes what Whyte's business record was?

    I feel there must have been some kind of back-story.

     


  25. Not one for doing much online research I was intrigued enough by claims that the Dave King 'robbery' was only covered by the SMSM to do a search on Bing and, lo and behold, the only non-SMSM references I found were from the Times, MSN and a site called The World News. The Times claim it as their own report, though remarkably worded like all the others, while the other two credit the DR.

    I even tried using ZA to see if that would bring up better results, and it did! It brought up a few results about Dave King, but not that he'd been the victim of a crime; oh no, it was various versions of that old story where he was the criminal found guilty of mugging a whole country for a lot more than he had in his walletmail


  26. Dave has been particularly unlucky on the laptop front.

    The men who held a gun to his head stole his laptop, the men who broke into his house less than a week later stole another laptop.

    It's so bad that he has had to borrow one – "I'm having to borrow a laptop from a friend just to see my emails twice a day."

    Don't they have Curry's in South Africa, I reckon I could replace a laptop in an hour or so. 


  27. John Clark 16th February 2020 at 17:35

    Has it ever been explained how it came about that Whyte even thought of ‘buying’ RFC ? 

    Did SDM know him via the ‘used metal’ business that Whyte’s old man was involved in?

    Whyte was so small-time an operator that I find it hard to believe that he could have (despite our Keef’s assessment!) even thought in terms of raising the readies that SDM was looking for, without having some ‘introduction’ as a potential purchaser, from some reasonably heavy-weight backer?

    Did SDM really believe that a wee tyke like Whyte had the readies? Was SDM so feckin stupid as not to learn in 5 minutes what Whyte’s business record was?

    I feel there must have been some kind of back-story.

    ================================

    There is no suggestion that the Whyte family had any prior business arrangements with SDM.

    Whyte became aware that Rangers was for sale around October 2009 when Rangers notified the stock exchange of a potential sale. He was also aware from that announcement that Andrew Ellis was interested. One of those involved in setting up the Ellis deal was George Cadbury (part of the chocolate family).  At the time Whyte was involved in a separate deal with Cadbury, who first mentioned it to him. Whyte had said that if he needed any help then come back to him.

    Cadbury did come back a few weeks later after the Ellis financing had fallen through. Whyte then got involved with Ellis.   

    Interestingly, Ellis was alerted to the Rangers situation by a David Gilmour who was based in Guernsey and helped administer Rangers EBT scheme. The message was that SDM was desperate to sell.

    Whyte said that his wealth was in eight figures at the time, so couldn’t finance a £30m quoted price on his own so would have to raise funds elsewhere.  Phil Betts, who worked closely with Whyte, was asked to see how much he could raise. Betts used one of his contacts called Nigel Farr who put them in touch with Octopus (Ticketus).  Whyte was already aware of Octopus’ connection with Rangers, as Rangers had previously disclosed their involvement with Ticketus as part of their dealings with Ellis and Gilmour. 

    Whyte actually knew about Octopus as a source of funding having met one of their reps a year or so earlier, with the indication that Octopus was always looking for good investment opportunities.

    SDM was so desperate for a sale that he wasn’t interested in where the money came from. (as was later made clear about his deal with Lloyds to salvage his metals business)

    And so a deal was born.

    That’s why I said earlier that I found Whyte’s life story pre takeover more interesting than his time following the takeover, which most of us are all too familiar with.  

    I was interested in how he started in business, how he made his money, how such deals are structured, where the profit comes from. 


  28. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 18:30

    I take it this is Whyte's version of events, or is it something you have pieced together yourself. 


  29. Homunculus 16th February 2020 at 20:23

    easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 18:30

    I take it this is Whyte’s version of events, or is it something you have pieced together yourself. 

    ===============================

    Yes, that’s taken from the book.  I wasn’t overly familiar with the pre takover wheeling and dealing.

    Whyte could of course have dressed some of it up, but I don’t see the benefit of him doing so. However, I can see the benefit to him in mis-representing what happened post takeover.


  30. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 18:30

    '…There is no suggestion that the Whyte family had any prior business arrangements with SDM.'

    Homunculus 16th February 2020 at 20:23

    'I take it this is Whyte’s version of events,'

    _____________

    Thank you, eJ, or that information. 

     I vaguely think I remember reading somewhere something that suggested to me that SDM via Octopus was a shareholder in  a  Venture Capital Trust which had connections with Ticketus. 

    And lurking in my perhaps 'overly suspicious in ignorance' mind was a half-idea that conceivably the Ticketus wheeze might have been a suggestion emanating from someone in the metals industry who knew about Ticketus first hand. 

    I have not been able to trace my suspicions to their origin. Perhaps the wish was father to the thought!

    That was years ago, before I even knew that such a thing as Companies House even existed!broken heart

     

     

     


  31. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 20:57

    ==================================

    Well he's a lying fantasist who has a history of fraud, asset stripping, gratuitous alienation, being banned as a director and pretty much every other version of corporate cheating that it is possible to imagine.

    So I would take anything he says with a hefty pinch of salt. 


  32. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 20:57

    "Yes, that’s taken from the book.  I wasn’t overly familiar with the pre takover wheeling and dealing."

    ————–

    A formative Charlotte Fakeovers tweet credited Andrew Ellis and Chris Akers with orchestration of the Rangers shenanigans.


  33. Castofthousands 17th February 2020 at 00:37

    A formative Charlotte Fakeovers tweet credited Andrew Ellis and Chris Akers with orchestration of the Rangers shenanigans.

    =================================

    I wish I had retained a copy of all the documents posted by Charlotte Fakes. I did keep a few that I thought might be important down the line, but it’s an incomplete record of events.

    Whyte claims in the book that William Stevenson (Charlotte Fakes) tried to blackmail him if he didn’t provide him with a copy of the final version of the 5 Way Agreement. That was before an intermediary acting on behalf of Dave King paid him £20k for the hacked documents (that was also disclosed in court some time later).


  34. I know it can sometimes be slightly difficult to find Celtic highlights on the BBC Shortbread website (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/scottish) [and what is that all about, BTW] … But is anyone else able to find a (Shortbread) link to the highlights of yesterday's Aberdeen v Celtic league match … ?


  35. Dunderheid 17th February 2020 at 10:55

    I know it can sometimes be slightly difficult to find Celtic highlights on the BBC Shortbread website (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/scottish)…

    ===

    I clicked on that BBC link, and the following headlines were displayed side by side;

    "Late Ajer goal clinches scrappy Celtic victory over Aberdeen"

    "Rangers maintain 10-point gap behind Celtic with Livingstone win"

     

    Having watched both games live yesterday, the wording / emphasis of both headlines appears curious to me: Celtic 'struggled' whilst Rangers 'preserved'.

    The weather conditions did not help, and neither game was pretty to watch.  Both matches were certainly 'scrappy' affairs. 

    But, the headlines could also have been;

     

    "Arfield goal clinches scrappy Rangers victory over Livingstone"

    "Celtic maintain 10-point gap above Rangers with Aberdeen win"

     

    I don't think that BBC Scotland is even aware of any subtle, subconscious bias in their Sports reporting.

    …and I don't think that BBC Scotland even cares… indecision


  36. LUGOSI 17th February 2020 at 11:10

    They can't both be accurate.

    Either there was a mini crime-spree two hours apart targetting wee, fat, baldy, speccy, elderly men or the time has been Lost In Translation.

    =============

    With all the CCTV on our streets – nevermind dashcams – Shirley they'll catch the, erm, culprits?

    Apparently, one of them should be quite easy to identify.

    He's a tall, incredibly thin man – who is believed to have been spotted recently, underneath a Lamborghini sports car in Glasgow.

    enlightened 


  37. So Craig Whyte published a book. Despite containing nothing new the sales of the book topped the charts. The following is a quote from Etims. 

    “Craig whyte has got his book out, which contains little that is new, and provides a neat deflection for anything else that might harm the larger brand.. He’s put himself forward a second time to play the fall guy…”

    The fall guy for whom one can’t help wonder?

     

     


  38. So Mr Gerrard is watching the situation regarding possible title stripping of Man City for financial jiggery pokery. Didn't you get the memo Steven ?


  39. Timtim

    He did but he thought it was a film about an animated fish 


  40.  
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51528427 

    Manchester City V UEFA and the Omer Riza case. 

    “The ECHR said that, in terms of a fair trial process, having a disciplinary body that also appoints the panellists who carry out the decision-making means there isn’t sufficient distance between the two.”

     

    Who chose the panellists on Lord Nimmo Smith?

       


  41. It just seems like yesterday when everybody and their dog, reckoned that LNS came up with the answers that the Hampden gurus wanted.  Surely not?   Well it seems the European Court of Human Rights thinks that in similar circumstances that is exactly what might happen!

    Especially when evidence, witnesses and timelines are provided by the disciplinary body’s cohorts.
    What’s a panellist to do? Ask Questions? No thanks. We can only deal with what is front of us.


  42. I remember mentioning on here a couple of years ago, Judge John Deed would not settle for critical evidence being withheld at a trial, especially when it was public knowledge.  Why Nimmo Smith or one of the other panellists did not ask further questions about the wee tax case is shameful.  The timeline was doctored and they knew it fine well. To treat it the same as the big tax case was a falsehood from my POV.

    I wouldn’t let Nimmo Smith preside over a shoplifter’s trial if he were still ‘working’.


  43. tony 17th February 2020 at 13:00

    Timtim He did but he thought it was a film about an animated fish

    ==========

    :groan:

    tony, sorry but that's a straight red! 

     

    WRT the Man City situation. 

    On the face of it, I wouldn't be surprised if City have the ban reduced to 1 season.

    [Both sides 'win'.]

    But, the whole idea that UEFA can hold any other organisation / team accountable for improper conduct is just laughable.

    City will have access to the best / most expensive legal teams to keep UEFA busy forever.

    And, if the ban is imposed then what to do about PSG, Real, etc?

     

    There do seem to be a few parallels here with our very own Scottish footy.

    Since 2012 the 'normal' footy fans [i.e. us indecision ] have wanted 'sporting integrity' to prevail – but we have all witnessed how Hampden bypassed its own rules to ensure that business and money trumped all.

    Yet now, we have UEFA trying to ensure Financial Fair Play – via a 'more level' spending playing field – by trying to control business and money within European football.

    It's all messed up!


  44. jimbo @14:51

    Indeed.
    The shoplifter would have been acquitted immediately.
    The Bryson Principle would have clearly shown that, if asked to pay at the time of the 'transaction' then the shoplifter would undoubtedly have done so, therefore no real 'goods acquisition' advantage had accrued.


  45. Strangely there was no mention of Man City being fined €30 million, being banned from UEFA tournaments for 2 years and potentially losing EPL titles won through contravening FFP on ClydeSSB this evening. It’s a real mystery so it is


    • I regretfully give you this
    • Julie Candy <julie.candy@hes.scot>

      To:john clark

      17 Feb at 12:48

      Dear Mr Clark

      Thank you for your email.

      I’m sorry for not responding sooner.

      We considered your request, but remain of the view that we will not make any amendments to the listed building record. We have nothing further to add beyond our original email to you of 24 December 2019.

      Best wishes

      J.Candy

      Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925
      Registered office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1SH
       

      and I even more regretfully give you this:

      •  
      •  

    • john clark 

      To:Julie Candy

      17 Feb at 20:48

      Dear Dr Candy,

      Thank you for your reply.

      I note that you remain intransigent, and in that intransigence are prepared to let a clear factual error remain to mislead persons who might regard the HES website as a factually honest site which can be relied upon generally. 

      I regret to say that I believe that that does not say an awful lot  for standards of professional integrity in the HES or for the rigorous care for truth that  might reasonably  be expected  of a public body.

      I certainly shall view anything emanating from HES in the future with  distrust as to its accuracy as to facts and its attitude to Truth.

      Yours sincerely,

      John Clark


  46. Can I suggest that we refrain from comparing whatever it is that Manchester City did to breach FFP regulations with Rangers use of EBTs. I believe that the money Man City used to finance their squad was actually from a legitimate source, that is, the club's owners own money, while Rangers used money that was not from a legitimate source, and wasn't their own money, belonging to HMRC who were unaware that it had been withheld from them. Obviously using your own money to finance your own football club to give your club an unfair advantage is far worse than using money that should have been paid to HMRC to give your club a similarly unfair advantage. And I bet Manchester City didn't even have the decency to deliberately misregister their players to hide the unfairness of their advantage.

    So please give the SFA and the SMSM a break (Rangers don't need that break because they're not around anymore) and don't mention the war (oops, sorry, wrong comedywink)

    As has been said on many an occasion, if you're going to lie, lie big, and similarly, if you are going to cheat, cheat big, as you've got more chance of getting away with it in both cases. And didn't Rangers* prove that to be true by both lying and cheating hugely!

    *Rangers 'got away with it' right up to the moment the club fell into stasis while awaiting liquidation.


  47. easyJambo 16th February 2020 at 18:30
    Whyte became aware that Rangers was for sale around October 2009
    ………………….
    John Clark 16th February 2020 at 23:12
    ……………………..
    Sorry for the late reply.
    Ellis. I took Craig whyte to meet SDM in the south of France and that’s when talks began.
    ……………….
    A couple of things to read from the Time.
    https://twitter.com/ClusterOne2/status/1229520140439519232/photo/1
    https://twitter.com/ClusterOne2/status/1229521021524414464/photo/1


  48. Allyjambo 17th February 2020 at 21:24

    ===================================

    Can I suggest we compare Manchester City to this Rangers, rather than the last one. That was just out and out fraud, not breaking football's rules.

    This Rangers have spent more than they were earning in every year of their existence. With owners, directors and their associates putting in money to make up the difference and keep the business trading.

    This season for example, they spent about £10m on players (Kent and Helander) whilst at the same time predicting a shortfall for the season of a similar amount. 

    A more blatant example of spending money the club isn't making, in breach of Financial Fair Play, to buy "success" would be more difficult to imagine.  


  49. Cluster One 17th February 2020 at 21:41

    A couple of things to read from the Time.

    ==========================

    Both articles appear to back up Whyte's account in his book of how he got involved in the deal.


  50. john clark

    To:Julie Candy

    17 Feb at 20:48

    Dear Dr Candy,

    ===============

    Good for you JC.

    You are right and she is wrong.

    …and nobody needs a PhD to come to that conclusion either…


  51. Mr Gerrard has opened a can of worms , I did consider it just to be the latest squirrel but on reflection I will put it down to his desire to achieve a league title by any means possible . It has though rubbed salt into an open wound . A reminder that Charles Green "bought those titles" , the question is who did he buy them from ? and what club* now has no titles as a result ? (thanks to @rightupya on twitter for pointing that out) What's worse is that even after the Supreme Court ruling the SFA refuse to asterisk them . The rewriting of history is they didn't die and all honours are rightfully theirs . The reality is those titles were won through cheating and are claimed by a different entity as their own . Gerrard and Rangers* are very well suited . 


  52. Homunculus 17th February 2020 at 21:48 Allyjambo 17th February 2020 at 21:24 =================================== Can I suggest we compare Manchester City to this Rangers, rather than the last one. That was just out and out fraud, not breaking football's rules. This Rangers have spent more than they were earning in every year of their existence. With owners, directors and their associates putting in money to make up the difference and keep the business trading. This season for example, they spent about £10m on players (Kent and Helander) whilst at the same time predicting a shortfall for the season of a similar amount. A more blatant example of spending money the club isn't making, in breach of Financial Fair Play, to buy "success" would be more difficult to imagine.

    _______________

    You can, of course, suggest this, and it would be an excellent suggestion.

    I was obviously trying to be sarcastic in my previous post and not really suggesting we don't compare the two cases, though I think the comparison should be made more with regard to the way the authorities (UEFA versus SFA) handle financial chicanery/cheating than the actual offences, themselves. The overall level of cheating was clearly far greater in Rangers case than City's despite the disparity in the millions involved. We must wait to see what action the FA take, too, before a complete comparison can be made, and I doubt they'll act until after the UEFA driven action is done and dusted.


  53. Timtim 17th February 2020 at 22:28 Mr Gerrard has opened a can of worms , I did consider it just to be the latest squirrel but on reflection I will put it down to his desire to achieve a league title by any means possible . It has though rubbed salt into an open wound . A reminder that Charles Green "bought those titles" , the question is who did he buy them from ? and what club* now has no titles as a result ? (thanks to @rightupya on twitter for pointing that out) What's worse is that even after the Supreme Court ruling the SFA refuse to asterisk them . The rewriting of history is they didn't die and all honours are rightfully theirs . The reality is those titles were won through cheating and are claimed by a different entity as their own . Gerrard and Rangers* are very well suited .

    ________________________

    A very good point, TT. As I've said before, if the 'same club' dreamers were right, why on earth did TRFC have to 'buy' the titles/history of a club they claimed to be one and the same with?

    There's more than a hint of some sort of deception should someone, or company, ever suggest he/it has bought an asset, tangible or not, from himself/itself.

    _____________________


  54. In 2018 false allegations were made that me & @SNPdavid
    personally intervened to prevent Rangers FC using a community facility in the Ibrox area as a fanzone. We have now been fully exonerated by the Standards Commission of any such action & complaints against us dismissed 1/
    …………………….
    https://twitter.com/SusaninLangside/status/1229477335159758852


  55. Allyjambo 17th February 2020 at 22:49

    '..There's more than a hint of some sort of deception should someone, or company, ever suggest he/it has bought an asset, tangible or not, from himself/itself.'

    ____________

    Yes, there is complete absurdity in the attempt to deceive, Aj!broken heart

    I don't know whether I was more offended by the dirty cheating of hubristic SDM over so many years or by the suggestion by the SFA that a new club they had so newly admitted into Scottish Football was one and the same club from which they had to whip away its SFA membership when it lost its share in the SPL through the insolvency event of 'Liquidation'.

    At a pinch, I could see and understand where a panicky SDM had been coming from as the kind of businessman that is that kind of businessman;

    but when it comes to the SFA trying to kid us all that the new club that they themselves had to newly admit is somehow the identical club as the club from which they had to take away membership of the SFA, that really set new standards (infinitely worse and more despicable than those of SDM) of betrayal of trust , betrayal of Sport, and betrayal of Truth.

    And that the liars should have thought we would roll over and accept such an absurdity  is beyond belief, and insulting in the extreme.

     

     


  56. One of the most desperate acts to justify what was happening then (and now) was the media resorting to mocking the term "sporting integrity " as if it was something we shouldn't aspire to . It was almost as if those who were demanding that were a burden to the progress of our sport.

    the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change

    Personally I think without those principles then there is little point , without those principles the game is dishonest and immoral. When people like Chic Young and James Traynor were mocking "sporting integrity" they were really just exposing themselves as part of the corrupt cabal that have poisoned our sport for years . I know it can get boring repeating ourselves over many of the same issues but our silence is what they crave most. The truth will only out if we keep telling it how it is.


  57. Homunculus 17th February 2020 at 21:48

    =======================

    The predicted £10m shortfall at Ibrox this season was in their last accounts. Since then there has been no share issue, and no news of a funds injection. There has been no significant player sale. So how do they get to the end of the season? They are not a listed company, but would they still have to report somewhere which is publicly readable if a loan is taken out, or funding is obtained from another source?  


  58. “Going for history making records, world class names under career threatening pressure, brakes being cut, club officials beaten up. Fake news translations. Sky reported to OFCOM. Reporters censured. Fans up to high Doh! It’s magnificent. Tune in everyone. This is Gangs of NY.”

    The above is from a Roger Mitchell tweet. I assume he’s going for a humorous take on recent events.  


  59. Regarding my last post. There’s no need to mention the common denominator is there?


  60. Now finished the CW book. Like previous comments not a lot new. Suspect legal review has removed much we would have liked to read about. (Despite that review I spotted a number of typos though!)

    Talking about the SFA trying to fine him :

    "..we went to court and said we would call Stewart Regan and others as witnesses.Their response was to walk away."

    EBTs (and blind eyes) :

    "They were complete clowns. They had a lot to say about me at the time., but did they say anything about the EBT case? A club effectively cheated the game for years and no sanctions were taken against any of the individuals involved……but many of the guys who were there when the problem started are still there – yet still the SFA do nothing about that."

    Further on cheating and titles (and OC/NC) :

    "…Rangers cheated for years under David Murray and the previous board. I have no love for the tax authorities, but there should be a level playing field in sport and Rangers did not adhere to that by using the EBT scheme to sign players they would otherwise not have been able to bring to the club. That was unfair on the other teams…..I can understand fans of other clubs being aggrieved that the new business retains the titles of the old business. I'm not sure that is a valid claim."

    And why the SFA behaved as they did…

    "The SFA and the league want a strong Rangers. It is part of their selling point when they are trying to get sponsors that they need to have these two big clubs that are well supported."

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  61. redlichtie 18th February 2020 at 10:40

    At least we can see that Whyte used the best sources of research for his book: SFM, RTC, PMGB, the Clumpany, at the very least. But as I said previously, at least he's putting these truths out into the mainstream, hopefully enlightening a few who remain (wilfully?) unaware of the truth of cheating and death. And aware, now, that they have been lied to.


  62. Over on Jambos Kickback there's a fresh thread on Michael Stewart's continued suspension by the BBC and someone posted how it was alright for Stewart to slaughter on air Craig Levein, a man he was known to have personal grievances with, and Austin McPhee. So, what are these 'guidelines' he's supposedly crossed? Have they only recently been put in place, and at whose behest?

    Of course, as well as possibly ending Stewart's media career, the BBC have sent out yet another message to their 'journalists' and presenters that 'Rangers' and it's allies are not to be messed* with.

    *'Messed with' as in 'exposed to the truth'.


  63. upthehoops 18th February 2020 at 07:12

    =================================

    There was a lot of talk re "major investment" in January. Alex Rae was the main cheerleader for that. 

    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/alex-rae-rangers-investment-claim-20940333

    He said on Clyde 1's Superscoreboard: "Now it is my understanding at the turn of the year there will be another share issue done, which will provide considerable money.

    "And there will be major investment coming into Rangers."

    Host Gordon Duncan probed Rae, saying: "We have heard this stuff quite a lot though, haven't we?"

    Rae added: "I've heard it from a very high source in Ibrox so I would prefer to believe that instead of anybody from Twitter."

    ==============================

    From what I can see no such thing has happened, there were no significant sales of player registrations, they are taking Elite to Court in order to get c£2.5m they claimed to be owed. Cash must be very tight (for a business which admits to operate on a cash basis). 

    The business is simply not viable without continuing to break the Financial Fair Play rules. The question is, for how much longer will people be willing to throw good money after bad. 


  64. Allyjambo 18th February 2020 at 11:16

    They dropped Michael Stewart, one of the best and most honest football pundits Scotland has seen for years, and replaced him on Sportscene with Malky MacKay.

    Perhaps Michael should have been a racist, sexist, anti-semitic homophobe, rather than describing a bully as a bully. He has clearly been poorly advised.


  65. 18,000 + have now signed the petition to have Michael Stewart reinstated at the BBC.

    Jimbo posted the link on page 5.


  66. easyJambo 17th February 2020 at 00:54

    “I wish I had retained a copy of all the documents posted by Charlotte Fakes. I did keep a few that I thought might be important down the line, but it’s an incomplete record of events.”

    I have a cache on the hard drive retained from my last computer but they aren’t immediately accessible. I recalled from memory (eventually) the Andrew Ellis/Chris Akers production strapline but the tweet in question said little more.

    It would however appear that what you have lost on the swings you have gained on the roundabout since you have faithfully played out a thread through the labyrinthine perambulations of this saga which provides this blog and its affiliates with an indelible corporate memory of events.

    My long absence from the blog leaves huge gaps in my knowledge that your response reveals. 

    At the time Charlotte Fakeovers first emerged much conjecture was bandied concerning motives. I was going to ask you for a brief summary of CharlotteFakes motives but realised I should be doing my own research based on the information you have provided.

    I stumbled across this document at the very threshold of my inquiries. I suspect it is not particularly significant but I haven’t sufficient knowledge to make that judgement. It may however be found interesting by you.

    https://www.aidanearley.org/tortious-interference-report/


  67. Castofthousands@14.19

    I followed the link on your post. This caught my eye on page five. 

    The plan was to provide £3m of the working capital to Rangers secured by a robust first charge over the almost £100m of audited gross assets owned by the Club and by assignment of the Lloyds debenture to the pension fund, providing that the interest and bullet payment eliminated the pension deficit.


  68. Castofthousands 18th February 2020 at 14:19

    I stumbled across this document at the very threshold of my inquiries. I suspect it is not particularly significant but I haven’t sufficient knowledge to make that judgement. It may however be found interesting by you.

    https://www.aidanearley.org/tortious-interference-report/

    ====================================

    I kept an eye on the Aidan Earley website when he first launched it, so I was aware of the "tortious interference" allegations from some time ago. I haven't kept up to date with it for the last 18 months or so.

    The part that I was interested in was the claim that Worthington had over the Oldco.  That was settled "out of court" by a payment by BDO of £962,500 around the middle of last year.


  69. I see RTC on Twitter  with information against  Andrew Dickson and SKY with his input to Morelos interview. 


  70. valentinesclown 18th February 2020 at 18:05

    I see RTC on Twitter  with information against  Andrew Dickson and SKY with his input to Morelos interview. 

    ================================

    Dickson has responded to RTC by denying any involvement whatsoever.

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