Dear Mr Bankier

Readers may be aware that the group Fans Without Scarves have written to Celtic urging them to seek a review of Scottish football (See here)
On the back of that laudible effort, I have been persuaded to publish a letter I sent to that same board over a week ago (on 8 November)
At the time of publication, I have received no acknowledgment.  Some organisations are like that, of course. (I put it down to the inferior quality of the social upbringing of their boards rather than concern for their postage bill)

The following is the text of that communication;

Mr I Bankier,
Chairman,
Celtic Football Club plc
Celtic Park, Glasgow G40 3RE

08/11/2018

Dear Mr Bankier,

“Resolution 12”

You will, of course, recall as clearly as I that, at the Celtic plc AGM in 2013, the Resolution bearing number 12 on the agenda was not formally debated and voted upon, but was adjourned indefinitely.

I understand that over the intervening years (!) a number of conversations and discussions have taken place between the Board and the immediate proposers of Resolution 12 (among whom, I should perhaps say, I was not numbered in 2013 and am not now numbered).

As an eventual outcome of those discussions and conversations, as again you will recall, Celtic plc in September 2017, shortly before that year’s AGM, entrusted to the Scottish Football Association [SFA] the task of undertaking a thorough investigation into the circumstances under which the Union of European Football Associations [UEFA] granted a UEFA-competitions licence to the then Rangers Football Club in 2011.

Unfathomably, it was not until May of this year that the Compliance Officer of the SFA referred the matter to the Judicial Panel Disciplinary Tribunal [JPDT]

In that same month of May 2018, evidence emerged that appeared to cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of the award of the UEFA licence to Rangers Football Club in 2011.

In late June 2018, and following careful consideration of that evidence, the legal representative of what is known as the ‘Res.12 Group’ informed both the SFA and Celtic plc of these doubts, passing to those bodies copies of the evidence which gave rise to those doubts.

In July 2018, The Rangers Football Club Ltd challenged the reference to the JPDT, arguing that the appropriate authority to which any such reference ought to have been made is the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS]

This challenge has apparently and inexplicably frozen all action by the JPDT.

To my eye, as a small shareholder, it appears that the Board of Celtic plc have been and continue to be at the very least dilatory and lukewarm if not yet totally remiss in looking after the interests of their shareholders.

It is now November: the reference by Celtic plc to the SFA was made over one year ago. Even by reference to the civil Courts let alone to the internal disciplinary body of a not very large sports governance body such as the SFA, that is an unconscionably long time for a reference not to have been acted upon. I now feel obliged to ask the following questions:

  1. Have the Celtic Board pressed the SFA to say what action they have taken vis-vis the challengemade to the legal powers of the JPDT to investigate the circumstances surrounding the award of the licence ?
  2. If they have not done so, would they care to give their reasons why not?
  3. If the response from the SFA was that the matter of the jurisdiction of the JPDT has been referred elsewhere (to UEFA or to the CAS), are the Celtic Board content with that response and prepared to take such subsequent monitoring action as may be necessary?
  4. If the SFA have not referred the question of jurisdiction elsewhere, have the Celtic Board ascertained at what stage the JPDT’s investigation is at, or even whether it has yet begun?
  5. If the Board have been told that the JPDT has stalled, perhaps indefinitely, what does the Celtic Board propose doing to ensure that the investigation that they were assured would be undertaken will indeed be undertaken by the JPDT as a matter of priority, with a timetable for completion?
  6. Does the Celtic Board actually trust the SFA/JPDT to investigate thoroughly, honestly and deliver true judgement? Is it not time that a vote was taken to pass ‘Res 12’, based on what is now known by Celtic plc, and the matter formally referred by Celtic plc to UEFA to investigate as thoroughly as was done in the recently reported cases of the Albanian, Serbian and Kazakhstan national associations?

The Celtic Board must keep in mind their obligations to shareholders. This would be especially so where there may be grounds for suspecting chicanery on the part of others, in consequence of which Celtic plc might have been denied an actual, defined sum of money and the opportunity potentially to compete for much more in ‘prize’ money.

In such circumstances it would not be at all for the Board on its own authority simply to ignore the possibility of chicanery and dismiss the matter.

There are sufficient grounds for me to believe that the award of a UEFA licence to the then Rangers Football Club in 2011 may have been made in the knowledge that that club was absolutely not entitled to that award.

In my opinion, the granting of a UEFA licence to the then Rangers FC in 2011 is not merely a ‘sporting’ matter, but one which might conceivably, in the absence of acceptable responses from the SFA/JPDT, require reference to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The failure to date of Celtic plc to insist that the SFA take urgent action to fulfil the commitment they made that a thorough, independent investigation would be undertaken urges me to make such reference on my own initiative as a citizen who suspects that a crime may have been committed.

However, before taking such a step, I think I will await your replies to the questions above if you would be good enough to provide such.

Yours sincerely,

name and address

This entry was posted in Blogs, Featured by Trisidium. Bookmark the permalink.
Tom Byrne

About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

630 thoughts on “Dear Mr Bankier


  1.  slimjim 15th December 2018 at 10:55

    What about the bottle ? I think that's what was of interest to UEFA .

    From the Bears Den .

     

     

    Arsehole 1, arsehole 2, fecking idiots

    By j1mgg, December 5 in The Bears'

     

     

     

    Posted December 5

    These are the two that have caused our club to be bought up on two charges in front of uefa, hope they both get lifetime bans.

    How fucking stupid must you be to throw a glass bottle at someone.

    Changed to suit the snowflakes who think individuals are above the club.


  2. bordersdon 14th December 2018 at 11:56

    Portbhoy

    Nae luck Celtic, they were just the better team on the night.

    ———————————————————————

    You may want to review the first part of that sentence?

    ————————————————————————-

    And maybe delete the last 3 words?

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

    Some things just have to be said about Celtic's so called 'luck' the other night. 

    Firstly there can be no doubt they were beaten by a far better side, who managed to take 18 points out of 18 from the group. Ahh…the group, the mini league where each team gets six games, and where Celtic amassed 9 points compared to Leipzig's 7. The same Leipzig who are fourth in one of the world's best leagues, only two points behind Bayern Munich. That's the way a league works, and it is ridiculous to suggest Celtic qualifying was simply down to luck. However if you want to think that way carry on, because as the great Jock Stein once said 'people say we're lucky…well in that case it's better to be lucky than good!’

     


  3. @ClusterOne

    The cashless society and cryptocurrencies in general are a bankers dream which is why they should be avoided like the plague. In the past 100 years the banks have actively removed all value from our monetary system to allow them to create currency at will and without any checks or balances or restriction.

    In 1918 our coinage was 92.5% silver (sterling silver) in 1919 those coins were replaced with 50% silver coins although they looked identical in every way. In 1946 they were replaced again but this time the silver was removed completely .Silver being a rare and precious metal is what gave the coin value. Would you prefer 14 grammes of silver or 8 grammes of silver or 10 grammes of copper, zinc and tin. This was replicated on a global scale , In the NL for example the silver content was reduced from 94% to 72% and then the size of the coins were reduced  further reducing the amount of silver in your possession . In the USA it went from 90% to 0 in 1965. The $ which by then was the world reserve currency was temporarily removed from the gold standard by Nixon in 1971 when the French who no longer trusted the $ was backed by adequate gold supplies demanded gold bullion in exchange for their paper tokens . It is interesting to note that the last full audit of Ft Knox was carried out in the 1950s. That "temporary" withdrawal of the $ from gold exchange is still in force today. Forcing bankers to have gold in order to print currency kept them on a leash , today with fractional reserve banking and a host of other tricks at their disposal banks can create as much currency as they want . Replacing notes with digits on a screen removes the visual aspects of hyperinflation however our national debt shows we are on the way to that destination. Gold and silver have been money for 6000 years because man trusts them more than any banker or tally stick or cowrie shell or Zimbabwean style economics.

    This year alone bitcoin has gone from $19500 to $3200 for what is just a digit on a screen created from solving a sum nobody needs the answer to. We must be wary not to give control of our monetary system to those who can exclude us from that system with one press of a button . As Amschel Rothschild said " give me control of a nations monetary system and I care not who makes the laws"  We must educate our children in the difference between money and currency .

    gold is the currency of Kings ,silver is the currency of gentlemen ,barter the currency of peasants, debt the currency of slaves and paper the currency of fools.

    digits on a screen ? No thanks.


  4. From DR today;

    "The reasoning behind Steven Gerrard's Rangers move in the brutal game of management snakes and ladders – Duncan Castles

    Gerrard 's strategy was the more dramatic. And the braver. A respected academy coach at Anfield following his retirement as a player, Gerrard knew a huge section of Liverpool's support would push for him to be the club's next manager. The problem was that Jurgen Klopp didn't look like leaving any time soon.

    …"

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

    I thought this Duncan Castles must be a 'fan' giving his opinion, but apparently he's a 'journalist'.

    "…braver…respected Academy coach…club's next manager…"

    Hmmm

    The version the Bampots read was rather different.

    The U-19 coach was so respected that Gerrard was offered a Club Ambassador role.

    Manager of LFC was apparently not on the cards for him either, "anytime soon".

    So, someone's obviously writing p!sh.  


  5. StevieBC 

    15th December 2018 at 15:28

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

    I read that earlier, it was like the sort of thing you would read in a fanzine. 

    "Gerrard 's strategy was the more dramatic. And the braver. A respected academy coach at Anfield following his retirement as a player, Gerrard knew a huge section of Liverpool's support would push for him to be the club's next manager."

     

    "I had probably as many as eight other opportunities to be a manager, to be a number two, to be a coach, which presented themselves since I came home from Los Angeles,” explained Gerrard. “But I never got the right feeling from them. When Rangers came it was a game changer.”


  6. Timtim 15th December 2018 at 14:31
    14 0 Rate This

    @ClusterOne

    The cashless society and cryptocurrencies in general are a bankers dream which is why they should be avoided like the plague.
    ……………………….
    A great informative post, thanks for that.
    And sorry for the late reply.
    My earlier post to a reply was more tongue and cheek, hence the crossbar challenge way to make a few quid.
    But i am always happy to be pointed in the right direction.


  7. Homunculus 15th December 2018 at 16:31
    4 0 Rate This

    StevieBC

    15th December 2018 at 15:28

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

    I read that earlier, it was like the sort of thing you would read in a fanzine.

    “Gerrard ‘s strategy was the more dramatic. And the braver. A respected academy coach at Anfield following his retirement as a player, Gerrard knew a huge section of Liverpool’s support would push for him to be the club’s next manager.”
    ……………..
    Reads more like a warburton you snooze you loose. Article.
    https://mobile.twitter.com/ClusterOne2/status/1074009006069424133?p=v


  8. Cluster One 15th December 2018 at 18:36

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

    Mark Warburton apparently had an almost 66% win rate with Rangers.

    Am I not right in saying that Steven Gerrard's is under 50%.


  9. Homunculus 15th December 2018 at 19:05 Am I not right in saying that Steven Gerrard's is under 50%. …………………. Gerrard must get up at Noon.angry


  10. From James Forrest;

    https://thecelticblog.com/2018/12/blogs/did-the-sevco-social-media-hate-mob-force-the-departure-of-an-anfield-loanee/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

    "…Because following his last game, the young Anfield loanee [sic] was the subject of a torrent of racist abuse on social media … from the Peepul he was there to play for. Yes, from his club’s own fans, and that does tend to sever any connection, any bond, a player might have made with them…"
    /////////////////////
    A young player returning to Liverpool to share his experience of Scottish football with his team mates, family and friends.

    The reputation of Scottish football is damaged – yet again – by the team playing out of Ibrox.

    Why would any individual with self-respect now choose to sign for – or go on loan to – this deviant club, [unless they were just desperate?]

    The sooner they die – permanently – the sooner the rest of us  can move on "for the good of Scottish football."

    angel


  11. sickofitall 16th December 2018 at 07:47

    '…Have they complied with the court orders yet'

    ___________________________

    Patience, sickofitall!

    The deadline was 5.30 pm on a Friday. The Court of Session is not open for business for another 19 hours or so as I write.

    So Lady Wolffe will not officially know whether the TOP has confirmed that King has done to their satisfaction what she ordered him to do.

    And I'm with eJ in his observation that Lady Wolffe made it abundantly clear to King he has to pay heed, and careful heed, to the terms of the order.

    If Lady Wolffe does not tomorrow morning have written notice from the TOP that King had by 5.30 pm on last Friday met to their satisfaction the terms of the order then King is in soapy bubble.

    Absolutely.

    But my fear is that the TOP itself might too readily accept some token compliance, rather than nail the guy. Remember, the TOP is made up of guys who are themselves 'money men' operating in the market: and a bit like, say, the members of the SFA, will not want to push 'principle' too far. 

    I came across this quite interesting piece

    https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/business-law-blog/blog/2018/06/enforcing-takeover-panels-decisions-panel-v-king-2018-csih-30

     


  12. Politics are in a dry spell currently so it is encouraging to see actual football become the talking point ?????


  13. That was an early one at Easter Road today…

     

    …less than forty seconds on the clock & Ian Crocker mentions TRFC!


  14. This comment was posted by Auldheid after the most recent Celtic AGM.

    In summary:
    ·       Why have Celtic from the beginning chosen to eschew direct UEFA involvement?
    ·       Why are they not now taking the new information into account in respect of that choice and reviewing it?
    ·       Given the time it has taken the SFA to decide that CAS should be involved (for unclear reasons) are Celtic willing to wait an undetermined period until the SFA are able to progress the matter or will it be all over by ST Renewal time next April?
    ·       Would it be possible for shareholders representatives to meet the SFA Compliance Officer and CEO before Christmas to ascertain progress, to be able to provide assurances based on clarity to those they represent?
    ·       Can we have answers to those questions confirmed in writing please to send to signatories of Resolution 12?

    Is it possible to have information about the response, if any, that there has been to these questions – if not in detail, perhaps even a general indication of where things have now reached? 


  15. joes11 17th December 2018 at 09:27

    '….Is it possible to have information about the response, if any, that there has been to these questions – if not in detail, perhaps even a general indication of where things have now reached? '

    ___________________________

    Somewhat related to your post, here am I in Australia, joes11, wishing to ask whether Mr Bankier has replied to my letter to him. I am conscious of the possibility that he may have replied since I left on my travels, and his reply may be lying on my hall floor as I write, so I would like to know for sure. 

    But, by geez, these guys don't half make it hard to communicate with them: there is no email address given on the Celtic plc website even for any PA  that Mr Bankier may have, never mind an email address for the  Chairman himself. 

    So I cannot simply email to ask whether a reply has been made, and if so what were the terms of that reply: and if not, whether I am to be favoured with a reply at all!

     

     

     


  16. It's what, half-past one-ish p.m in Edinburgh? 

    Lady Wolffe will presumably by now have been informed by whoever keeps the diary of 'deadline' dates as to whether King has obeyed her order to the satisfaction of the TOP.

    When will we, the 'public', hear whether the Court has been given the two fingers or whether King's legal bods have prevailed upon him to obey?

    I am agog with excitement!!!. 

    No, really, I expect some fudge, some work-around, some 'arrangement' will have been reached under which King will have generously agreed to accommodate Lady Wolffe and the TOP in the interests of moving on, having made his point etc etc etc.

     


  17. StevieBC

    "SingingCaleyGoAllBigoted. They Really Are Atrocious!"

    ———————————————————————–

    Can you expand??


  18. John Clark 17th December 2018 

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

    John I have DM'd you.


  19. A poster on another site has said he phoned the TOP at lunchtime and they confirmed that no cash convertor had been nominated to this point in time.  He seems genuine enough.


  20. John Clark 17th December 2018 at 13:44

     

    It's what, half-past one-ish p.m in Edinburgh? Lady Wolffe will presumably by now have been informed by whoever keeps the diary of 'deadline' dates as to whether King has obeyed her order to the satisfaction of the TOP. When will we, the 'public', hear whether the Court has been given the two fingers or whether King's legal bods have prevailed upon him to obey? I am agog with excitement!!!. No, really, I expect some fudge, some work-around, some 'arrangement' will have been reached under which King will have generously agreed to accommodate Lady Wolffe and the TOP in the interests of moving on, having made his point etc etc etc.

    ________________________

     

    I'd suggest that if King has complied then we will hear nothing until the next deadline when Laird have to make the offer ie 11 January 2019, and that if he hasn't complied, it'll all depend on how quickly the court care to deal with the announcement which might be delayed by the court breaking up for Xmas holidays.


  21. Allyjambo 17th December 2018 at 18:30

    I'd suggest that if King has complied then we will hear nothing until the next deadline when Laird have to make the offer ie 11 January 2019, and that if he hasn't complied, it'll all depend on how quickly the court care to deal with the announcement which might be delayed by the court breaking up for Xmas holidays.

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

    The 14 December date only related to the appointments of a legal advisor and a cash confirmer. The 11 January date is only for having the transfer of funds cleared by SA exchange control.  The public cash confirmation statement should come shortly after that happens.

    King is not required to make an offer until 25 January, and it will be up to four weeks after that before we find out if the offer is unconditional (hits the 50% threshold).

    You are correct about the potential for delays in the court processes (if required) over Christmas and New Year.


  22. Looks like the good people of Glasgow dodged a bullet when one of the cheeks failed to qualify for the Europa knock-out stages .With both being unseeded , we would have had a 17.55 ko on a Thursday , followed by the other at 20.00 , as has happened with Arsenal and Chelsea . And all on Valentine's Day .

    Might be why Police Scotland were happy to have the League Cup semi-finals played back to back at Hampden – a wee trial run for a potential occurrence .


  23. Broke again ? When I get home , you'll be waiting . To paraphrase .

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