Journey’s End?

It has taken a year longer than predicted, but a critical appraisal of  TRFC’s progress through the lower leagues must include recognition of the improvements on the playing field made under the new manager Mark Warburton. SFM usually precludes lengthy discussion on subjective issues like relative abilities of players and managers and referees, but on this subject, and by any objective standard, that is a given.

It is therefore right that he and his players should receive the congratulations of us all at SFM.

It has to be said that, despite the pitfalls, man-traps and honey-pots that remain to be successfully negotiated by the Rangers board, they have implemented their own stark version austerity, contrary to their rhetoric, whilst managing the expectations of their supporters. Perhaps some of what we have come to term “reasonable” Rangers fans would argue that the lack of humility still evident in the demeanour of the TRFC board is an essential part of managing those fans whilst imposing the austerity package on them.

Much like a political party conference, a football board has to play to it’s core support as well as the rest of the country.

How that will pan out is anybody’s guess, just like the random bagatelle that is the “TRFC in Court” saga.

There is also the existential problem to deal with. Many TRFC fans bought into the ‘same club’ myth at the outset, not because they actually believed it, but because it suited them, and because it served as an understandable GIRUY to the rest of us. With the passage of time, the suspension of disbelief, even in that constituency, is now complete and arguably irreversible. The problem for them is that the rest of have not subscribed to that rather bizarre set of contradictions. No other club has to have the “company that operates” prefix. Nor does any other club compel observers to skirt around the facts and search for a form of words acceptable to both sides of a mutually exclusive argument.  In short, and existentially, the new Rangers don’t fit into the same kind of comfortable groove that other clubs do.

All of these problems for the new club, and many more, will exercise our minds to a greater or lesser extent moving forward, depending on how sensitive our outrage thresholds are to the various legal and Jungian issues. However we at SFM need to focus our sights on those whose maladministration of football gave rise to those problems in the first place – the SFA, SPFL, and by extension, the clubs – all of them.

Here are some facts;

  1. The SFA award clubs a licence to participate in UEFA competitions.
  2. The licence is only to be awarded if the applicant club has no unpaid tax debts.
  3. Both the club and the SFA have responsibility to notify UEFA of any debts (belt and braces routine in case the club ‘forgets’ to notify the SFA).
  4. In 2011, one club applied for and was awarded a UEFA licence.
  5. That club had accepted debts to HMRC – which were outstanding and overdue.
  6. These facts have been in the public domain since 2012,and were brought to the attention of ALL clubs in Scotland as well as the SFA.
  7. Nothing has been done by any club, or the SFA, to investigate the claim at #5
  8. SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan, when asked by an SFM member what he would do if these claims could be substantiated, said; “Nothing!”
  9. All clubs will be within a few weeks, issuing season ticket renewal forms.

The story contained in points 6 and 7 above is a lengthy and protracted one.

From sources inside two clubs I have been informed that the problem here is subversive and obsessive fans, who don’t represent the vast body of fans generally. On points 1-5, my sources refused to comment. Conversations with SFA officials and print journalists yield the same reaction, with the addition that it is “just Celtic fans obsessed with Rangers” making the claims.

The lesson, if there is one worthy of the name, is that the bearers of the message need to attacked, and the message itself ignored. We could speculate why that is, but that would be to fall into the trap, taking our eye off the ball.

Perhaps I am being naïve, but my inference is that the SFA and clubs have no intention of doing anything about what was at best incompetence on an unbelievable scale, or at worst corruption. A source at Celtic Park  was complaining in victim-like fashion to SFM that many Celtic fans were threatening to close their season book accounts over this issue, and that Rangers might have 45,000 SBs next season whilst Celtic could be down to as low as 20,000.

It had never occurred to him that actually supporting an investigation into SFA malpractice would add another 10,000 to the SB takeup.

Overall, the clubs and the SFA want us to believe that an investigation into this licensing issue is a Celtic or Rangers thing. It is neither of those.

An investigation, even if finds that corruption or incompetence has taken place cannot harm Rangers – old or new. There are no titles to strip here. The licence has been used and thrown away, so it cannot be “un – awarded”.

The only people who have anything to lose out of this are those individuals who allowed it to happen – those who our clubs seem so keen to protect.

More importantly, an investigation may be the catalyst for changes in procedures at the SFA to ensure that rigorous accountability is enforced -accountability that the clubs are eager to avoid.

Are we wrong? I hope we are not foolish enough to imagine that everything we believe is set in stone. I am confident that we are correct in our assumptions and in our interpretation of the facts, but please, let’s hear the counter-argument. Thus far, not one word of rebuttal save the usual invective reserved for the messenger has been uttered.

So what do we do? For me it is simple. If we really love our sport, and do nothing, the sport is lost to us completely and irrevocably.

If our view that sporting integrity has been killed off by those in charge of the game is correct, we lose nothing by embarking on a season ticket boycott. However by doing so we may awaken those in charge to the realities of our power as fans and prioritise in their minds the need to listen to what we say.

My view? if they ignore us, they can take their industry that they pretend is sport, and put it somewhere away from my reach. I neither want it nor need it.

If enough of us feel the same way, we WILL get a clean game. If we are as few as the MSM claim we are, at least we will have freed ourselves from a bent one.

I won’t be buying any more season books until I see these issues addressed. It certainly is tough love, but it is the only way for me.  And it is driven by love – a love of the game I spent decades supporting, thinking that on the whole it was played on a level playing field. Certainly not driven by a sneering disregard for truth and integrity and a worship of acquisition.

Maybe it’s not just the end of Rangers’ journey then. Certainly if it’s not the end of ours, we find ourselves at a crossroads. The fans, the clubs, and Rangers too. The decision we make over the next few months may determine the future of our clubs, our sport, our Saturday afternoons.

I can tell you this though. Even when the dark facts are laid before us starkly as this, and when football is at the mercy of those who really do hate sport for its own sake, it is worth mentioning the common thread of decency and purpose we have all shared here on SFM, the friendships we have forged, and the love of football we have demonstrated.

This entry was posted in General 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.

1,108 thoughts on “Journey’s End?


  1. Reiver,

    BP is away for a day or two. What is it that awaits his approval?

    .. and can I echo the thought so other posters by thanking you for your stellar efforts in attempting to raise awareness of these matters.

    I think I can say with some certainty that unless the clubs address the genuine grievances of potential SB holders, we WILL have an organised boycott.


  2. Trisidium

    You will see from the poster that I have used SFM as a place where fans can go to increase the level of info that they have. I don’t want to put that in the final documents unless it is OK with you guys.


  3. REIVERAPRIL 15, 2016 at 16:59
    I’m with JEAN7BRODIE on this one 
    Thanks for all your hard work Reiver, it is much appreciated by me. When they are ready to go I will print off and do my best.04
    just tell me when


  4. ReiverApril 15, 2016 at 18:05
    ‘…You will see from the poster..’
    _______
    That’s a pretty good job you’ve done there, Reiver.
    Like Cluster One above “When they are ready to go I will print off and do my best.just tell me when”.02


  5. torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958)April 15, 2016 at 13:38 
    Talking of Tax Avoidance schemes,here’s someone the SFM has discussed before: http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2440891/former-rangers-adviser-charged-over-film-scheme-tax-fraud Sorry,Just seen this is actually from January. On another note,am I the only one having problems loading pages & getting “script” messages?.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Can I just say that there are certain Rangers and mainly Celtic players  I am aware of who “did” Film Scheme Tax Avoidance in the past. I won’t name them because that would be a bit unfair.

    I say unfair because of the systematic evasion that goes on at the wealthy level in Glasgow. They just wanted to be part of it to make sure their families went to the best schools. Who can blame them?


  6. Bogs DolloxApril 15, 2016 at 23:23
    ‘..Can I just say that there are certain Rangers and mainly Celtic players I am aware of who “did” Film Scheme Tax Avoidance in the past. ‘
    ________
    That may or may not be the case, Bogs Dollox.
    But it is the case that no Rangers or Celtic player systematically lied , as did the majority shareholder of a now liquidated club, to the Football Authorities , to his fellow league club owners, and to Scottish Football in general, and in knowing breach of the SPL and SFA rules, about the amounts of money he was paying covertly in order to try to achieve sporting advantage.
    The fact that that meant he was lying to the taxman is neither here nor there in the context of Sporting offences.
    His non-disclosure is the ‘crime’, even if the Supreme Court were to rule in his favour.
    The SMSM made great store of the ‘fact’ that his tax dodge was ‘legitimate’. BUT, Even if it were, his deception of and  lies to the Football Authorities are what nail him as a cheat.

    And,sadly, our Football Authorities are nailed as accessories.


  7. Getting vv tiresome article’s about hard done too fitba figures going to be chased by big bad Hector.
    In short eat it.
    When the oligeneous creep from which ever “tax experts” you took advice from signed you up you may not have heard him say “at your risk” , as you were so astounded at how much you would make. Well sorry that’s your fault not his.
    You see you were so thick you really thought free money existed.
    Should you loose everything. Tough luck pal.
    It was your agreement with Hector. Not the advisor.


  8. Ii can also see an out for CW in his wee stushie with the Scottish court in previous ECJ stuff.
    What if he believed a scam was ongoing and chose to terminate it?


  9. ianagainApril 16, 2016 at 00:17
    ‘…You see you were so thick you really thought free money existed.Should you loose everything. Tough luck pal.’
    _____
    Oh, you’re such a hard, unforgiving man, ianagain!02
    But you’re absolutely right.

    My private hope is that not a few ‘agents’ will be kicked in the proverbials if their ‘clients’ are done for back taxes on account of the ( avariciously self-seeking)  advice they were persuaded by.

    But, of course, it’s the responsibility of the individual taxpayer ( or non taxpayer!) to ensure that he’s upfront and honest with HMRC.


  10. John
    There’s going to be a screed of litigation after the definitive rejection of the film llp appeal to SOC.
    If as some say they have a wee bit of paper “proving” it was legal I anticipate a shower of cases quoting the immortal words “without prejudice” (inserted by a wise owl which as we both know means I can change my mind). 


  11. John ClarkApril 16, 2016 at 00:15 
    Bogs DolloxApril 15, 2016 at 23:23 ‘..Can I just say that there are certain Rangers and mainly Celtic players I am aware of who “did” Film Scheme Tax Avoidance in the past. ‘ ________ That may or may not be the case, Bogs Dollox. But it is the case that no Rangers or Celtic player systematically lied , as did the majority shareholder of a now liquidated club, to the Football Authorities , to his fellow league club owners, and to Scottish Football in general, and in knowing breach of the SPL and SFA rules, about the amounts of money he was paying covertly in order to try to achieve sporting advantage. The fact that that meant he was lying to the taxman is neither here nor there in the context of Sporting offences. His non-disclosure is the ‘crime’, even if the Supreme Court were to rule in his favour. The SMSM made great store of the ‘fact’ that his tax dodge was ‘legitimate’. BUT, Even if it were, his deception of and  lies to the Football Authorities are what nail him as a cheat.
    And,sadly, our Football Authorities are nailed as accessories.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++

    It is the case John. I can name them. Don’t try and devalue my contribution from a point of no knowledge. It makes you no better than Jackson, Johnstone & Co.

    I accept your insistence that we should focus on the role of the SFA and SPL and the evasion by Rangers I’m not trying to knock that.

    But you shouldn’t try to jump to the defence of Celtic players avoiding tax by means of deflection. We should be condeming all cheats. No?


  12. It has been pointed out on here before Bogs Dollox. There is a world of difference between an individual and a company.
    EG. I employ you to clean my lavatories, a job you conscientiously and assidiously perform to the best of your abilities.
    I pay your wage and PAYE and NIC as required. You now have funds of your own to dispose of as you see fit, and foolishly invest in a  tax efficient manner as advised by your accountant.
    Any individual caught up in tax evasion should be dealt with as the law demands. This is however a world away from an employer engaging in a scheme so obviously perfidious and ultimately illegitimate  as Rangers did and well you know it.
    Take your whataboutery elsewhere.


  13. BOGS DOLLOXAPRIL 15, 2016 at 23:23Can I just say that there are certain Rangers and mainly Celtic players  I am aware of who “did” Film Scheme Tax Avoidance in the past. I won’t name them because that would be a bit unfair.
    I say unfair because of the systematic evasion that goes on at the wealthy level in Glasgow. They just wanted to be part of it to make sure their families went to the best schools. Who can blame them?
    ==============================

    I have no sympathy for anyone who tries to dodge tax and gets caught. I don’t care which team they play for.  The only thing that annoys me about the recent reporting is Jackson & Co appear to be trying to level things up. The Celtic players paid Tax and N.I from their earnings with the club. The club would not have it any other way. That has to be recognised by Jackson & Co and it isn’t. 


  14. Great work REIVER. I admire your indefategability. I’m up for distributing your leaflets.


  15. The debate on tax here on this board is not one of individuals making bad choices out of unadulterated greed db: I personally have no sympathy with those individuals but of the conduct of the clubs, the legality of their behaviour and their adherence or otherwise to the rules of football.
    However, I do think the prevalence of such schemes, and the frenzy amongst the already super rich to avoid taxes and to deem themselves an entirely separate society from the rest of us can explain the fundamentally different reaction of the Authorities, the ex footballer community, the political community, and the SMSM – and the ordinary fan.
    The great and the good see tax avoidance and greed as ubiquitous and universal. They therefore view Rangers as being unlucky and unfortunate, as many of them as individuals have indulged in schemes of tax avoidance. What we mere mortals see as despicable cheating tantamount to theft, they see as normal behaviour.
    What the Pajama papers reveal sadly is that these individuals with this selfish, egotistical, greedy mindset are also those who run our businesses, governments and institutions.
    Hence, I think, the entire lack of morality, decency or fairness in any of the decisions taken by those in power in Scottish football. They see the world very differently from most of the rest of us. Their moral compass is not governed by decency or fairness or abiding by the rules, but is instead governed by the principle of what you can get away with, without getting caught.


  16. wonderful typo Pajama should of course e Panama. Napping on my smartphone! In my pyjamas!?


  17.     Count me in Reiver to print and distribute 04. Just give me the nod when you are happy with the finished article. I think they’re fine as is btw. 
        Best of luck to Hibs and Dun U. today. A wee bit of me wants to see a green and white final, but other than that, my only skin in the game is the hope to see an exciting semi, played out in good old fashioned gentlemanly conduct and mutual respect. Go to it lads.  


  18. DB. My personal view of people systematically avoiding tax is not a positive one. ‘Tax planning’ from my perspective is a euphemism for cheating the public.
    However our remit, notwithstanding our distaste for such individuals, is to see football cleaned up. Personal tax arrangements, whilst often detestable, have no bearing on the outcome of football matches, although it does contribute to the prevailing spiv culture.
    Institutional tax avoidance is of far more interest to our narrower view through a football prism. I don’t think we are collectively avoiding condemnation of individuals who are cheating us all, but that is a much wider, societal thing.
    The effect of the avoidance and evasion of tax on sport, and how it affects it’s very nature is what we have been arguing about.


  19. Just getting round to posting a quite incredible statement I heard from Gerry McCulloch on Radio Clyde last night. He said “…even the Hibs and Dundee Utd fans only care about the o*d f*rm game. They’ve only sold 20,000 tickets for the game tomorrow”. On the scale of incredible statements from the media this has to be a new record.


  20. You are all sacked!

    Call yourself proof-readers(what do you mean you don’t?), I have just found incomplete sentences in my text. 20

    I think that is me happy with the layout now and I have uploaded them to –

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_X7aVh2s6qcQTA5X0t5b1lwQ0U

    Thanks to Auldheid for his input and apologies to him for dropping the Res12 reference. I reconsidered using it as I want to keep this non team specific.

    Anyone who wishes to spread the word with the handouts can go ahead and print them out on plain paper but, if we wish to have this looking better, can I suggest you nip along to the Pound shop and get some printer card. Remember to check whether it is compatible with your type of printer. If there are any really affluent contributors out there can I suggest that they laminate them. That way, if you are using an inkjet printer, the ink won’t run when it rains.

    Finally, can I ask that you are considerate about where and how you affix the posters. It will be counter-productive if we upset anyone.

    Finally, finally don’t take any risks. Stay safe.

    Oh, and Finally, finally, finally. This does not mean that the petition is no longer important. We still need it

    https://www.change.org/p/scottish-football-association-return-integrity-to-football-administration-in-scotland-94421b40-2d6b-4d4b-9cff-912c9849478f

    Thanks


  21. Looking at the likes of the BBC website and I’m sure it’s reflected in the papers you would think the only semifinal that matters this weekend is the one of Sunday. I’d be well pissed off if I were a United or Hibs supporter. 


  22. Bit late to chip in on the REIVER project but a couple of ideas:
     
    Why not send to Regan before releasing. He either has to correct the assumptions or he indirectly confirms legitimacy.
     
    Secondly seems like it could be part of series directed at different targets.
     
    Could answers/ factual origins be on other side – or could the questions link to answers on  this site?
     
    Do we not need to progress the timeline idea at the front of this site to give folk an easier access to the detailed discussion in the pages?
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


  23. Thanks BillyJ.

    I didn’t notice that (obviously), probably looking for the small things and missed the obviois.

    I toyed with making excuses for it. Like, I wanted to see what Regan was like with a tutu but the vision upset me too much.

    Anyway, it’s fixed now.


  24. CO.

    Yeah, it really tempted me to get my old goalies jersey out of the glory hole and start touting myself around the clubs. I believe there is a team in Glasgow looking for cheap players. I wouldn’t even ask for an EBT.

    I tell you one thing though. That guy look a lot better than who has been between the sticks at ER up till now.


  25. “Finally, can I ask that you are considerate about where and how you affix the posters. It will be counter-productive if we upset anyone.”

    OK Reiver, I promise I won’t shove anything in anyones face…but I’ll be certain to make sure it’s read! 08


  26. Alexander

    Not going to send it to Regan as I already sent him the full documentation. It is here if you are interested.

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_X7aVh2s6qcS1hhamJ0czlkdVU

    Turn this into a series? Gies a brek. Do you not know it is spring and I’ve got veg to grow? 02

    The question and links to the answer idea is a non-starter because it would be too much work for the reader to type the link in and they would lose interest. One of the hardest parts of what I’ve put out is finding the shortest search text that made a modicum of sense to the reader.

    The timeline one is something I have looked at after Auldheid(if I remember correctly) suggested it. It all takes time though and would be easier if more people got involved with the work. You could volunteer if you haven’t got onions to plant.22


  27. Riever,

    Mods have no problem with your posters. Very macabre, but no more so than the twisted scenario played out over the last few years 🙂


  28. Was in two major bookmakers today(just to put the scottish national on honest)
    In the first i saw the football coupon for tomorrows march, and surpise,surprise it was not headed Old Firm, but rangers v celtic.
    This is why i walked along to the other major bookmakers to see their coupons for tomorrows match.In this one i was expecting an old firm headed coupon, but it also had just rangers v celtic.
    The reason i post this is because before coupons were headed old firm


  29. Given the potential hatefest tomorrow, I’ll take an overweight goalie having a Hollywood scripted game as my footballing highlight any day of the week!!
    A lot more to do with what sport should really be about.


  30. A wee touch of insomnia tonight ( or this morning).

    So, sitting at the keyboard wide-a-feckin-wake, I thought I’d post the email I sent on 15th April to Mark McDougall of the DR.

    He has not replied, of course.
    Perhaps he’s on leave or otherwise has not seen it and therefore could not be expected to have  replied yet.

    Equally, he may think it’s beneath him to reply.
    Or, even, he might not have a truthful answer to give.

    These guys assault us daily from a kind of privileged position. They are not all that ready to take us on when we challenge them, are they?

    “Dear Mr McDougall,
    Was it indeed, as I have heard, you who asked Sounness the reason why he received a payment under the EBT arrangements set up by RFC(IL)?

    If it was, may I ask whether it was a planted question, engineered to let Sounness give the appearance of replying honestly and straightforwardly [ but actually putting his foot right in it, with his admission that it was in fact payment for services rendered]?

    And, again, if it was you who asked, why did you not follow up even on that point, let alone ask questions about the propriety of the manager of one club accepting payment from another club for ‘scouting’?

    Yours sincerely,
    [me]”


  31. Insomnia post No 2

    Going into an important game towards the end of a season.
    1st call striker out with long term injury, still having to rely on Kenny Miller putting in yet another good shift.
    New signing (No 1) out with a fracture
    New signing (No 2) cup tied
    Loan signing cup tied
    Potential goal scorer in Josh Windass unavailable due to only being able to obtain him on a pre-contract.
    (The other pre-contract AC’s crooks seems to be crocked since last month).

    A cup tie is a cup tie so anything could happen at Hampden.

    However the serious question is will Warburton’s supposed liking and preference for a small and tight squad really see T’Rangers through to the end of a heavy and more challenging SPFL season?

    Much talk of five or so new faces coming in but surely five or more (including ‘high earners’ Law, Clark, Shiels, Templeton etc must be heading out the door at the same time). 


  32. WOTTPIAPRIL 17, 2016 at 05:54 
    Insomnia post No 2
    Going into an important game towards the end of a season.1st call striker out with long term injury, still having to rely on Kenny Miller putting in yet another good shift.New signing (No 1) out with a fractureNew signing (No 2) cup tiedLoan signing cup tiedPotential goal scorer in Josh Windass unavailable due to only being able to obtain him on a pre-contract.(The other pre-contract AC’s crooks seems to be crocked since last month). 
        —————————————————————————————————————-
       Can they not just field whoever they like?  Trialists, loanees, Hibs goalie, Barcelona players on a busman’s holiday?.
    A wee letter from Duff & Phelps in return for a lighter sentence, could swing it…… Surely they don’t all have to be registered……. That’s so unfair ! !   0721 

       Scottish fitba needs to move along, and stop kicking the the poor guy on the deck. 


  33. Cant wait for Wednesday.
    Game over, three days of post-match non-analysis, no more non-articles by Sounness, Smith,McLeod, McAvennie, Johnstone,Johnston,Konterman (is that enough?)).
    Pure bliss.
    Purgatory = a replay and the whole charade starts all over again.


  34. A small intervention,if I may.On the BBC website I have just applied to be in the audience for the leaders debate to be televised by the BBC on Sun 1st may prior to the elections for the scottish parliament.
    There are a few details to complete,you are then asked what question would you ask;I stated something regarding the difference between legal tax planning and illegal tax evasion and why tax evasion on an industrial scale at a certain “institution ” has been virtually ignored whilst we seem to be obsessed with the tax affairs of certain politicians.
    You also have a 2nd question;this detailed the publically funded sfa and why has their conduct in the last 10-15 years not been investigated.
    I am not anticipating an invitation but I wonder if you all would consider similar type applications,which we know WILL be read by someone at the BBC,which at least may give them pause for thought if nothing else.


  35. bordersdonApril 17, 2016 at 12:59
    ‘.Very quite on here! Surely you are not all at the game or watching from behind the sofa? ‘
    _____
    Ha Ha!
    Nope, this  member of a group disparagingly described by Celtic as the ‘integrity soviet’ simply does not recognise the new club while it is treated as being the old Rangers, nor the other club whose board condones and encourages the underlying dishonesty of  Scottish Football Administration.
    Whatever may be taking place at Hampden, it is not by any stretch of the imagination a ‘sporting’ event but rather a false reassurance to dishonest men that their wrongdoing might pay off.
    In my opinion.


  36. Congratulations to your team, Ryan.
    A thoroughly deserved win.

    Going into the game, I fully expected Celtic to win.
    Five minutes into it, I knew they weren’t going to turn up.


  37. You can’t say Sevco deserved to win – because for a multitude of reasons they just shouldn’t be there. But when you are dealt the cards you need to play what your dealt – like Motherwell did last season (after failing to turn up in a league cup tie a couple of seasons before)
    However the clubs and authorities have failed to take the appropriate action, make the necessary noises, speak out or campaign against it.
    Lawwell’s Celtic are part of the culpable list. This result today will be a huge embarrassment and a probable crossing of a line for many in the Celtic support. Everything that they predicted could happen due to his falling asleep at the wheel has come home to roost in spectacular fashion.
    Failing to deal with rule breaches, questionable performance in the transfer market, questionable team selections (including today), failure to get the team ‘up’ for big games.
    I don’t know where this will go for Lawwell and Deila.


  38. On a lighter note, I believe Glasgow’s youngest club may be on the verge of achieving yet another world record. If they triumph in the final, it must go down as the least distance travelled by any team in order to win a national cup competition. 

    Eddie Izzard covers more in a day than they have to get to the final!

    C’mon the Hibees!


  39. Wildwood,

    The existential irregularities aside, there were two teams on the field today, and only one of them dealt with the occasion. I think it would be churlish to deny the Rangers players credit for their performance.

    It is understandable that there is a lot of sentiment out there which begrudges the new club success, but this was a football match – not a behind closed doors meeting ripping up the rule book.

    I thought Rangers played as well as they could. Celtic certainly didn’t. The awarding of brownie points from objective onlookers should reflect that I think.


  40. While obviously disappointed that my team got beat today I can’t help but think that it was a good result for both teams .
                           TRFC now have a Grandstand finish to their season to look forward to against their arch rivals for the past 2 seasons . Hibs too will be boosted by the, now possible, inclusion of the 2 Celtic loan players Henderson and Stokes .
    Celtic were beaten by the least embarrassing method – a penalty shoot out . But beat they were and their deficiencies exposed for all to see . This was a real wake-up call for Peter Lawwell and the Celtic board . Celtic will go on to win the Title but they must now strengthen for next Season – quality striker , quality central defender and above all a new Management Team .
    Both teams in our National Final from the lower division , must be good for Scottish football too .


  41. Paradisebhoy,

    And either the breaking of a 110  year hoodoo or a three-in-a-row Virgin Scottish Cup win !


  42. To be fair to Celtic, even though they lost by a narrow margin in the end, they did show enough to suggest they could provide us with a serious challenge next season.


  43. Ryan
    It will not be just Celtic you need to overcome however. There are a few other teams that have emulated that feat this season and maybe more to come.
    Don’t make that your benchmark. You might get more than a few surprises.


  44. RyanGoslingApril 17, 2016 at 16:23 3 2  Rate This 
    To be fair to Celtic, even though they lost by a narrow margin in the end, they did show enough to suggest they could provide us with a serious challenge next season.

    ___________________________________________________
    I can’t comment on anything other than the final score but…Euphoria and drink taken Ryan?. There is obviously no need now for a ‘warchest’ of any kind if this squad stays together they will canter to the premiership title and after disposing of Hibs in the final then Euro glory awaits does it not ? Mibbees. I hope your team wins the cup btw.


  45. BIG PINKAPRIL 17, 2016 at 15:28 
    I thought Rangers played as well as they could. Celtic certainly didn’t. 
    ================================

    My view too. Rangers were as good as they can be, but ultimately only drew 2-2. Celtic had the better chances in the game. Penalties are a complete lottery. 

    Change will surely come at Celtic now though. 


  46. I think we should cut Ryan a bit of slack today folks. He is entitled to expect that he can have some fun with the Celtic contingent given what he’s put up with here.

    On another front, for my own sanity, I have had to unfollow a Rangers blogger on Twitter who, until today I had thought of as quite sensible. His breathtakingly un-self-conscious and ironic Tweeting and blog after the game in the DR proves that things are not always as they appear to be.

    Ryan on the other hand, is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kinda guy. Then again, he isn’t trying to forge a career for himself in the MSM 🙂

    Ryan? RYAN???

    14


  47. Gunnerb,

    Haha, no drink but plenty of euphoria. And while it was a good result, the fact that we couldn’t even name a full bench shows how threadbare the squad is. I know fine well there is no war chest, but there will need to be some good work done in the transfer market to make the most of any funds that are spent if we are to finish top six next year.


  48. And thanks for that Big Pink – I fully expected my first post to be pulled so I appreciate the slack. 

    And for the record, I am not now, nor have I ever been employed in the media sector! 


  49. RyanGoslingApril 17, 2016 at 17:01 

    Good man Ryan, enjoy your win, hope you and others of a similar mindset prevail.


  50. I was surprised how well Rangers played and how honking Celtic were.
    Thats football though and penalties are just a lottery.
    Not often I praise a Scottish ref but I thought he had a good game and seemed to let the game flow.
    incidently I watched the game in a pub with my son and a mate. At 1.30 all three TVs were switched over to the Leicester game! Took a bit of persuasion for them to put the semi final on in the snug for us to watch.


  51. Bill I’m taking it that was in or near the Granite City?  If so it makes a bit of a mockery of Regan, Doncaster and even ex SPL CEO Roger Mitchell’s contention that Scottish football needs Old Firm (SIC) games for tv exposure


  52. Tris has managed to noise up all Dons fans on Twitter. ByTheMinAFC not best pleased.

    Anyone out there want to take over the Twitter duties? 🙂

    @thesfmonitor


  53. Tykebhoy
    i watched the game in north west England.
    There was no real interest in the game till the penalty shoot out


  54. Bert Kassies normally reliable Euro qualifier tables show Cup winners in Europe.

    23 Scotland 17.900 —————————————- CL1= (ch/Q2) CW= (eu/Q2) EL2= (eu/Q1) EL3= (eu/Q1)
    (league 33/33 + playoff 0/5, next Apr 23, last May 15, wiki, sw, uefa, bbc)(cup sf Apr 17, final May 21, wiki, sw, sfa)(Celtic, Aberdeen, and Hearts FC qualified for European football)


  55. The feeds that are on my social media are such that I  realise that I must unfriend some people who like comments made which I find really offensive. God I hope Hibs turn up on the day and I’m not looking foward to next season if what I see and hear today is anything to go by , that lot have got worse.


  56. I’m happy to admit that I haven’t seen anything of the two semi finals (barring a tweeted video of Jason Cummings’ “Panenka”).

    With no Hearts game yesterday I continued my travels round Scotland’s football grounds with an excursion to deepest “berry picking” country to take in the first half of Blairgowrie v Newburgh and a short hop at half time to Coupar Angus to catch the second half of their game against Forfar Albion. I’ve now visited 95 current Junior grounds (in addition to all 41 senior grounds).  I’ll try to get to the 100 mark before the end of the season

    If you are tired of senior football, then try your local Junior side. It makes for a cheap day out without most of the histrionics and cheating that blights the game at the top level.

    Today I went to Riccarton  to watch Hearts U15s play Kilmarnock, then returned home to watch Scotland’s Anthony McGill beat Shaun Murphy in the Snooker World Champs.

    It’s made for an un-stressful weekend.

    Looking forward to the Hampden final it should be a good game in the Youth Cup on 27 April between Hearts and Motherwell U20s, particularly if Hearts choose their strongest eligible side.

    As an aside, and with regard to the semi final results, well done to both Hibs and Rangers and I don’t really mind who wins. As much as Hearts enjoy the bragging rights over Hibs re their cup record since 1902, if you keep on getting finals, then you at least have a chance of winning it. If they do go on to win it, then good luck to them. I know how much I enjoyed Hearts cup win in 1998, 42 years after the previous win.  If Hibs don’t win, then I’m afraid the bragging rights will continue, with the milestone of 1,000,000 hours since their last Scottish Cup final win due to be reached on 24 May. There’s an incentive for you. 


  57. I noted on Radio Scotland today on at least three occasions it was mentioned that Rangers could now qualify for Europe. Reading UEFA FFP rules they clearly don’t meet the criteria given the level of their losses. Is there any checks UEFA do or will they simply accept the SFA’s word for it, should they win the cup?


  58. Only managed to catch today’s game on the Radio. Fair play to T’Rsngers and Warburton. Both have been given pelters on here but today it was all about the football and they seemed to be up for it.
    As discussed on my early morning post, in a cup tie anything can happen. The real test is, however, how T”Rangers
    fair over a whole season..
    While tonight one is on a high and the other less so, looks like there is lots of work to do in both south and east side of Glasgow in the off season. 


  59. SHUGYour comment is awaiting moderation. APRIL 17, 2016 at 19:06 6 4  Rate This 
    Well no point in hibs turning up for the final seems like nowt has changed goal number 2 for sevco comes from an overruled throw in that should have went the way of Celtic. I have to assume that sevco 2012 is already inscribed on the cup however celtic were sh==e.

    What’s with the awaiting moderation for the above post.

    Nothing in it that isn’t true celtic were sh==e sevco’s second did come from a throw in that wasn’t theirs and as for the rest of the post prob 95% on the button as i been getting told for weeks the FIX is in.


  60. WOODSTEINAPRIL 17, 2016 at 23:11
    upthehoopsApril 17, 2016 at 20:28 This might help,http://www.uefa.com/community/news/newsid=2064391.htmlParagraph 6)
    =======================

    Yeah, I read that earlier Woodstein. What I’d like to see is evidence that the club accounts have to be submitted to UEFA. If it’s just a case of the SFA saying ‘we’ve checked, and it’s fine’ then I fear history will repeat itself. It seems clear given Rangers published accounts they don’t qualify for a licence. The media should be all over this now, as they most certainly would be if it was any other club. The fact it is them who keep talking about Rangers playing in Europe tells us much though. Sadly, we will be able to talk about it on here and elsewhere online as much as we like, but if the mainstream don’t mention it then it’s a free run.


  61. I’d suggest paragraph 4 is the more relevant one for any club who fails to initially comply with FFP regulations. Exclusion is not automatic and a number of measures are available to UEFA to punish the clubs. 

    The document also states that of the 53 clubs that have been excluded from competitions on only one occasion has this been for failure to comply with break-even requirements. 

    I think this would be where Rangers might struggle to comply, perhaps Leicester also, so will be interesting to see what happens there. 

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