The SPFL— the case for revolution, evolution and a case of the Hamilton Whackies !

Good Evening.

As we ponder the historic vote to create a new Governing body to oversee Scottish League football, I cannot help but wonder what brilliant minds will be employed in the drawing up of its constitution, rules, memorandum and articles of association?

Clearly, Messrs Doncaster, Longmuir and even Mr Regan as the CEO of the SFA will be spending many hours with those dreaded folk known simply as “ The Lawyers” in an attempt to get the whole thing up and running and written down in the course of a few short weeks.

In truth, that scares me.

It scares me because legal documentation written up in a hurry or in a rush is seldom perfect and often needs amendment—especially when the errors start to show! The old adage of beware of the busy fool sadly applies.

It also scares me because the existing rules under which the game is governed are not, in my humble opinion, particularly well written and seem to differ in certain material respects from those of UEFA. Even then, adopting the wording and the approach of other bodies is not necessarily the way to go.

I am all in favour of some original thought– and that most precious and unusual of commodities known as common sense and plain English.

Further, the various licensing and compliance rules are clearly in need of an overhaul as they have of late produced what can only be best described as a lack of clarity when studied for the purposes of interpretation. Either that or those doing the studying and interpreting are afflicted with what might be described as tortuous or even tortured legal and administrative minds.

If it is not by now clear that the notion of self-certification on financial and other essential disclosure criteria necessary to obtain a footballing licence (whether European or domestic) is a total non-starter — then those in charge of the game are truly bonkers.

Whilst no governing body can wholly control the actions of a member club, or those who run a club, surely provisions can be inserted into any constitution or set of rules that allows and brings about greater vigilance and scrutiny than we have at present—all of course designed to do nothing other than alert the authorities as early as possible if matters are not being conducted properly or fairly.

However, the main change that would make a difference to most of the folk involved in the Scottish game – namely the fans— would be to have the new rules incorporate a measure which allowed football fans themselves to be represented on any executive or committee.

Clearly, this would be a somewhat revolutionary step and would be fought against tooth and nail by some for no reason other than that it has simply not been done before—especially as the league body is there to regulate the affairs of a number of limited companies all of whom have shareholders to account to and the clubs themselves would presumably be the shareholders in the new SPFL Ltd.

Then again to my knowledge Neil Doncaster is not a shareholder in The SPL ltd– is he?

I can hear the argument that a fan representative on a league body might not be impartial, might be unprofessional, might be biased, might lack knowledge or experience, and have their own agenda and so on—just like many chairmen and chief executive officers who already sit on the committees of the existing league bodies.

Remember too that the SFA until relatively recently had disciplinary committees made up almost exclusively of referees. I don’t think anyone would argue that the widening of the make up of that committee has been a backward step.

However, we already have fan representation at clubs like St Mirren and Motherwell, and of course there has been an established Tartan Army body for some time now. Clubs other than the two mentioned above have mechanisms whereby they communicate and consult with fans, although they stop short of full fan participation– very often for supposedly insurmountable legal reasons.

As often as not, the fans want a say in the running of their club, but also want to be able to make representations to the governing bodies via their club.

So why not include the fans directly in the new set up for governing the league?

Any fan representative could  be someone proposed by a properly registered fan body such as through official supporters clubs, or could be seconded by the clubs acting in concert with their supporters clubs.

Perhaps a committee of fan representatives could be created, with such a committee having a representative on the various committees of the new league body.

In this way, there would be a fan who could report back to the fan committee and who could represent the interests of the ordinary fan in the street in any of the committees. Equally such a committee of fans could ensure that any behind the scenes discussions on any issue were properly reported, openly discussed, and made public with no fear of hidden agendas, secret meetings, and secret collusive agreements and so forth.

Is any of that unreasonable? Surely many companies consider the views of their biggest customer? This idea is no different.

Surely such a situation would go some way towards establishing some badly needed trust between the governing bodies and the fans themselves?

If necessary, I would not even object to the fan representatives being excluded from having a right to vote on certain matters—as long as they had a full right of audience and a full right of access to all discussions and relative papers which affect the running of the game.

In this way at least there would be openness and transparency.

In short, it would be a move towards what is quaintly referred to as Democracy.

Perhaps, those who run the game at present should consider the life and times of the late great Alexander Hamilton- one of the founding fathers of the United States of America and who played a significant role in helping write the constitution of that country.

Hamilton was a decent and brilliant man in many ways—but he was dead set against Democracy and the liberation of rights for the masses. In fact, he stated that the best that can be hoped for the mass populace is that they be properly armed with a gun and so able to protect themselves against injustice!

Sadly, Hamilton became embroiled in a bitter dispute with the then Vice President of the nation Aaron Burr in July 1804. Hamilton had used his influence and ensured that Burr lost the election to become Governor of New York and had made some withering attacks on the Vice President’s character.

When he refused to apologise, the Vice President took a whacky notion and challenged him to a duel! Even more whacky is the fact that Hamilton accepted the challenge and so the contest took place at Weehawken New Jersey on the morning of 11th July 1804.

The night before, Hamilton wrote a letter which heavily suggested that he would contrive to miss Burr with his shot, and indeed when the pistols fired Hamilton’s bullet struck a branch immediately above Burr’s head.

However, he did not follow the proper procedure for duelling which required a warning from the duellist that they are going to throw their shot away. Hamilton gave no such indication despite the terms of his letter and despite his shot clearly missing his opponent.

Burr however fired and hit Hamilton in the lower abdomen with the result that the former secretary to the treasury and founding father of the constitution died at 2pm on the twelfth of July.

The incident ruined Burr’s career (whilst duelling was still technically legal in New jersey, it had already been outlawed in various other states).

In any event, in Hamilton’s time full and open democracy in the United States of America would have met with many cries of outrage and bitter opposition. Yet, today, the descendants of slaves and everyone from all social standings, all ethnic minorities and every social background has the constitutional right to vote and seek entry to corridors of power.

In that light, is it really asking too much to allow football fans to have a say and a presence in the running of a game they pay so much to support?

 

4,181 thoughts on “The SPFL— the case for revolution, evolution and a case of the Hamilton Whackies !


  1. There are very strict rules on how a PLC is funded
    You can’t just hand over a pile of cash, but I suppose you could stand as guarantor to a bank
    However, as we have been told they have no debts, and no bank facility, I can’t see this happening
    My own view is that they are burning the IPO cash, and hoping the ST money will make everything alright


  2. Just a quick update on Rizvi’s Trust …. Bunny Foundation Trust

    They are ultimately registered with Portcullis TrustNet ……
    When they where first …. outed … as a Hub for (alleged) major offshore fraud, they immediately put a Notice on their website denying the allegations ….. problem was that in their hurry they effectively just about admitted it …

    At the time I was alerted and grabbed a screenshot …. will try and find it later …

    Within hours of realising their mistake they removed the Notice ….

    Interesting New Notice on their website ….

    LATEST NEWS

    UPDATE

    The Portcullis TrustNet Group has identified an individual whom it strongly suspects as having been involved in the data theft that has led to information being published in a series of articles coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. A report has been filed with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, and they are investigating the matter.

    Based on our review, we have good reason to believe that the data theft ended in early 2010. Notwithstanding this, we have engaged KPMG to conduct an IT security review and we have reviewed our physical and information security at all levels.

    #TooLateYaMuppets


  3. Well most of that data theft will not relate to this site then,pre 2010.


  4. Oh how I laugh when the propaganda from Media House spits out utter pash like Sevco pull off a great deal offloading these two duds.
    Nearly 40 grand a week between them and the two of them were up for grabs for nowt and there were no takers .
    These two will be off the wage bill but it will have come at a cost and if Sevco are putting it out as a good news story then all I can say is
    meet the new boss the same as the old boss


  5. Auldheid says:
    June 29, 2013 at 5:10 pm
    “..
    This would have to come from clubs demanding more professionalism from the governors and insisting on changes because to carry on as we have been doing is to produce the same amateur results…”
    ———–
    Yes.
    There is one crumb of hope that change may be possible , a factor that I myself and perhaps many others have allowed to be overlooked.
    And that is, that whatever else happened, the SPL did NOT yield to any pressure to allow the now dead club into the SPL.
    So there at least is a number of significant people who, having seen the mess created by out-of-control officers and board members of the SFA, will for their own future sakes want to ensure some kind of better and tighter supervision of the SFA, to guarantee that the SFA’s supervision of all clubs is properly scrutinised.


  6. Why does it cost almost as much a buying a football club to simply see images of a bus? – particularly when you can go on the actual owner/operater’s own website and view them for free!

    Andrew Dickson ‏@rfc_dickson 4h
    While I’m on the subject of the bus, have you seen our video of it on @RangersTV? If so, what do you think? If not, it’s only 99p to watch

    Nevertheless, a smart way of raising much needed revenue!


  7. Tommy says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    99p to watch a video of the Bruce’s Coach they will be hiring.

    Now that really is taking the proverbial.


  8. Tommy
    that has to be a wind up £1 to look at the new bus ,you have got to be kidding .


  9. @eco @Sam

    Forgoy also to mention ….. access to the Data Room

    Rizvi though his alias had been given access by D&P … presumably … as a valid investot
    He then forwarded the details to his insiders … (not included) with the Warning …

    It is highly likely that D&P will be keeping a track of who enters the data room so PLEASE TREAT WITH EXTREME CAUTION

    Note that this access was prior to CW being granted access by D&P

    Seperately ….. had to make my own dinner tonight ….
    All I said was ….
    Sweetie, do you have anything you’d like to say before football season starts? …..

    #inTheDogHouse


  10. john clarke says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    There is one crumb of hope that change may be possible , a factor that I myself and perhaps many others have allowed to be overlooked.
    And that is, that whatever else happened, the SPL did NOT yield to any pressure to allow the now dead club into the SPL.
    ++++++++++++++
    Think back 12 months- why did the SPL clubs not let Sevco straight in? Moral outrage? Respect for the rules? Trying to do the right thing? Sorry, none of the above. It was simple fear of their own fans, and for their own cashflow if season tickets didn’t sell. Nothing more to it than that. Without pressure from the fans, Sevco would have been straight in to the SPL . Oh, and please don’t forget the disgraceful campaign of bullying, arm twisting and bribery aimed at the SFL clubs by the SPL to try to ensure direct entry to SFL1 for Sevco. Or if more recent history is preferred, how about the coronation of Emperor Ogilvie just 3 weeks ago? There are no crumbs of hope to be found in the events of the last 18 months. The game (clubs included) has been shown to be institutionally, fundamentally and even worse, shamelessly corrupt. Any last vestige of hope vanished at the AGM of the SFA 3 weeks ago. There can be no redemption from that disgraceful charade. Remember- the same lunatics are in charge of the same asylum. Nothing has changed, except a bit more rule tweaking to suit one club. So it has always been, so it is now, and so it will remain.


  11. How exactly can Sevco rip up the contracts of two players and the MSM are expecting the public to believe this guff .
    Then again I suppose it depends on who is buying their comic .
    Seriously though there must be some Sevco fans with an IQ greater than an onion that will see this guff for what it is and if so they must surely treat any other MSM fairy tales with the same scepticism


  12. neepheid says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:41 pm
    ‘..Without pressure from the fans, Sevco would have been straight in to the SPL . .”
    ——You’re right, of course. I was just suggesting ( and hoping) that they might have the sense not to let their own lack of supervision of the SFA Board again put them in the same position again, and try to make the SFA more directly accountable to its members in the new SPFL.


  13. neepheid
    I am afraid that you are perfectly correct in what you are saying and the way this whole saga has been handled is bizarre to say the least .
    On the one hand we have the peepil in the SFA /MSM/LL fighting to get Sevco into the SPL to the total detriment of the word sport .
    I am a Celtic supporter and I am sure my club has a hand in getting the tribute act to the top league ASAP but it baffles me as to the motive of the other clubs in the SPL ,surely the loss of one of the big two would increase these clubs ambition of getting access to European income and winning domestic honours .
    With the stadium size they have surely they would be looking to attract more fans through the gates with the possibility of on field success .


  14. I have said before and I will keep saying it the real story of this whole debacle lies in the time before CW ever came on the scene .
    DM -CW-TICKETUS -OCTOPUS .
    The rest is just white noise


  15. jonnyod
    DM-CW-TICKETUS-OCTOPUS
    The rest is just a bus revving up
    fixed that for you


  16. jonnyod says:
    June 29, 2013 at 10:16 pm
    —-
    ‘..DM -CW-TICKETUS -OCTOPUS .’..
    —–
    I am partial to that theory, adding that the initials of the greatest administrator in the world ( and some other friends) have to be in there somewhere, because running a club into liquidation was not without risk in terms of SFA membership/ league membership.

    The risks might have been dismissed by the plotters as negligible, given the insidious and powerful influence of the greatest adminisistrator on the general run of SFA members.

    As neepheid so forcefully reminded us at 9.41 p.m., it was only the football supporters of virtually every club that provided a countervailing pressure that de-railed the long-term plan.( That and a conspirators’ fall-out).

    What is needed, though, and I believe that this blog will find it, is some hard evidence that ties the greatst administrator in with the master conspirator.

    Find that, and the QC who can put it all together, and the big flat stone will be turned over and all the rottenness exposed to the light.


  17. john clarke says:
    June 28, 2013 at 10:16 pm

    Doncaster will , I think get the CEO job. Longmuir will not.
    Regan will carry on at the SFA until the agitation to remove him begins.
    =========================================================
    If we must have Doncaster or Longmuir then it has to be Doncaster IMO. Longmuir is far too much in the traditional mould and we all know where his loyalties lie. I’d prefer someone new altogether and to get rid of all those who are completely contaminated by the Sevco farce of these past 18 months, but it looks like that won’t happen. I still wonder why my club felt the need to say Doncaster was doing a great job but hey-ho!


  18. A previous poster mentioned the Dem Bones song a couple of months ago and I’d agree that they summed up the real story better than most of us ever did or can or will
    Here is a reminder
    “Dem Murray bones connected to dem Whyte bones
    Dem Whyte bones connected to Dem Green bones etc
    And Murray Whyte and Green all have a role to play in this sorry tale if corporate greed and favours
    Throw in duff and duffer and our clubs and administrators and politicians and tax collectors too all connected and linked and working together
    Great entertainment
    But sadly they are all watching this slow train crash with increasing horror and mostly doing nothing because they are part of the scam and are trying to cover their tracks
    They can’t

    North of the wall is where the answers all can and will be found – just like in Game of Thrones
    North of the wall in Murrayland

    And I think some have been and still are playing with us cynically on this site
    And trying to stop us getting too close

    But some questions I know need answering but don’t know the answers to

    Who represenfs SDM and the other manipulaters on this site and why?

    Who are the paid posters some of whom come for a few intensive and well briefed days then disappear

    We must be scaring some of them


  19. newtz says:
    June 29, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    “The Portcullis TrustNet Group has identified an individual whom it strongly suspects as having been involved in the data theft that has led to information being published in a series of articles coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. A report has been filed with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, and they are investigating the matter.”
    —————————
    That is interesting. I think you made a link to the ICIJ a few weeks ago.


  20. Castofthousands says:

    June 29, 2013 at 11:16 pm
    ———————————–
    I’ll give them a clue ………. start in a well known news office in Eastern Australia …..
    #JiffyBag


  21. Bangordub says:
    June 29, 2013 at 11:40 pm
    “.. but relates to tapes being released in the Irish MSM this week and generating considerable comment across Europe, albeit a couple of (B)ankers talking finance……..”
    —-
    God, would you not wish the death penalty to be re-introduced to deal with the kind of scum in the banking world that feature on those tapes?
    The same kind of scum that inhabit our banking system and finance world generally?
    The same kind of scum that we have discussing in one way or another on this blog?
    The USA is going after Snowden as a ‘traitor”.
    How much more destructive of the lives of ordinary people have been the ‘respected’, knighted, highly regarded money moguls, whether in charge of football clubs or the RBS.
    Bad, and very bad, cess to them


  22. Latest from Charlotte.
    *************************
    The EBT payments might have been the headline figure, but when you see the effect of the sum being grossed up, it puts in into a completely different perspective altogether for many.The following Regulations 80 Determinations and Class 1 contribution notices, relating to Souness,Smith and Ogilvie, give a better indication to the top lines being concealed, missing tax and NIamounts.When it comes to players, the top line figures are truly eye watering.As there is an appeal ongoing at the moment, the amounts below may or may not be due + interest of course.
    I can’t think of any EBT participant who wants the old club to win the case. I’m sure they are all
    rooting for a clear cut HMRC victory
    *********************************************
    OK Charlotte, some guidance please. My reading is as follows :
    We have tax assessments (Regulation 80 Determinations) addressed to RFC, showing monies owed for ‘additional remuneration’ for the three amigos. Amount determined as at 40% of gross pay. Amount paid to date by RFC, £0.
    Therefore, if ‘the old club’ emerge victorious, these monies will fall due by the individuals and HMRC will vigorously pursue.
    If, however, HMRC win, it will be held that the ‘additional remuneration’ was in the form of a ‘loan’, which can then be treated as such and thus renegotiated. That is, repayment to the Trust on the 12th of Never.
    Or, as is most likely, I have this completely the wrong way round!


  23. So the taxes were for year 2001/02, and in Walters case 2002/03.
    So Walter and Souness were not Rangers1872 employess at the time, Was RCO?


  24. Here in Sydney Australia have been listerning to a report about Fenerbahce match fixing and their ban of 2years +1 year probation from europe but the interesting part to me was the observation made that they had a home following of 25million + as much again round the world ,and so it would be inconceivable for them to lose the appeal they have put in on the grounds that Turkish football could not survive without them ,
    Where have I heard that before???

    Interesting to see how eufa handle this


  25. Clarrification on my last post their appeal is not based on their too big to fail,but thats a conclusion of the Media .


  26. jonnyod says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm
     13 0 Rate This

    Tommy
    that has to be a wind up £1 to look at the new bus ,you have got to be kidding .
    ——————————————————–
    No, not £1. It’s 99p. Exact fare only, please. No change given.


  27. Flocculent Apoidea says:
    June 30, 2013 at 8:28 am

    jonnyod says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm
    13 0 Rate This

    Tommy
    that has to be a wind up £1 to look at the new bus ,you have got to be kidding .
    ——————————————————–
    No, not £1. It’s 99p. Exact fare only, please. No change given.
    ———————————————————-
    Does this show how bad the TRFC finances are?.
    Even if 1000 peepil(and I think that’s high) cough up the 99p,what difference would it make to the big picture?.
    Whilst all revenue sources should be explored,stunts like this only make TRFC look daft.
    Maybe the TRFC fans might ask why the club needs to charge them to view a video of a rented bus?.


  28. torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says:

    June 30, 2013 at 8:47 am

    Flocculent Apoidea says:
    June 30, 2013 at 8:28 am

    jonnyod says:
    June 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm
    13 0 Rate This

    Tommy
    that has to be a wind up £1 to look at the new bus ,you have got to be kidding .
    ——————————————————–
    No, not £1. It’s 99p. Exact fare only, please. No change given.
    ———————————————————-
    Does this show how bad the TRFC finances are?.
    Even if 1000 peepil(and I think that’s high) cough up the 99p,what difference would it make to the big picture?.
    Whilst all revenue sources should be explored,stunts like this only make TRFC look daft.
    Maybe the TRFC fans might ask why the club needs to charge them to view a video of a rented bus?.

    __________________________

    If their entire 500 million support tune in to see the big bus then we are talking about serious money !! 🙂


  29. As CF said if these are the amounts of Tax and NI owed for piddling EBTs then the amounts for players must truly be ‘eye-watering’. But I think in lots of ways she really does concentrate her attack on the three she has picked.

    This might sound like a simple question and probably is but under what heading did the actual gross EBT payments appear in the Rangers accounts or were they actually posted under Murray International Holdings?

    I was also thinking about pension schemes, not so much for the players who probably have their own independent ones because of the nature of their careers switching from club to club. But more on longer term employees – surely it would be detrimental vis a vis their person scheme contributions if ‘income’ from the EBTs wasn’t taken into account.

    And now I think we can see clearly one of the reasons why Hector was happy to rule out that these were ‘sham’ trusts because he apparently gets two bites at the cherry by accepting them as ‘genuine’.


  30. I’m off on holiday for the next week or so – and another moderator is off at the same time. Apologies in advance if any moderation issues are not dealt with immediately, but the remaining mods will be doing their best to fill in.

    We are not concerned about the moderation per se as 99% of what goes on here is exemplary, but first posters may find that their introductory comments are held up a wee bit longer.

    We have almost achieved our target in terms of fund raising to purchase the equipment necessary to do our podcasts. When I return we will get together to put some meat on the bones of our plan.


  31. I don’t see how sevco could have played in the SPL, that would have required a UEFA club license, they still don’t meet the criteria of


  32. Reilly1926 says:
    June 30, 2013 at 9:29 am
    If their entire 500 million support tune in to see the big bus then we are talking about serious money !! 🙂
    =================================================================================

    Wonder if they’ve had to factor-in the cost of replacing the cheap carpet on a regular basis and cleaning of sticky hands as I find it hard to believe any adults, even Bears, would want to walk-through the team bus and I say that genuinely and not as a joke.

    And still on the serious note will it be like a stately home with important bits like the gaffer’s throne and the loo roped-off?


  33. Caveat Emptor says:
    June 30, 2013 at 1:07 am

    If, however, HMRC win, it will be held that the ‘additional remuneration’ was in the form of a ‘loan’, which can then be treated as such and thus renegotiated. That is, repayment to the Trust on the 12th of Never.
    —————————————————————————————————————

    I think your first bit was OK but my understanding of the second bit is if HMRC wins then the ‘loans’ are treated as income for PAYE tax and NI purposes and that means the employer was legally bound to have made the deductions and remitted the money to Hector.

    However, we have the situation as can be seen in the CF info where the employer is given as the now defunct The Rangers FC Plc. Obviously BDO is on the hunt for more money as HMRC is the biggest creditor of the failed company. But I have never actually understood whether any Rangers liability for repayment could be transferred to Murray International Holdings who you will note are shown as Rangers ‘Agent’ in the CF material.


  34. Ref Gordon Waddell in the mail – sorry rubbish at posting links. In essence he is (correctly) saying that Doncaster and Longmuir are both tainted goods for the SPFL job, which in itself isn’t a job any way as its run by a “club cartel” apparently.

    To write this and not even make any reference to recent SFA appointments must taken a LOT of editing!


  35. I really don’t understand people who are saying Rangers are getting a hand from Celtic (or any other SPL club) to get into the top league. The SPL clubs (other than Kilmarnock) rejected their application.

    They should not have been in SFL3, fair enough, agreed that was cheating, but it was the SFL clubs who voted for it not the SPL ones. They won that league so got promoted to what is now SFPL3, and if they win that they will get promoted again. Then if they win that league they will have made it to the top senior league in Scotland.

    The only potential hand they will get is the re-structuring which will introduce play offs. Then if they fail to win a league they might get a second chance. However the same is true for everyone else, that is not specific to Rangers.

    If anyone has helped them it is the SFL clubs, who saw a chance to make a good bit of money for themselves. That was their choice and it was not for the SPL clubs to tell them what to do. Fair enough, they saw a chance to put some money in the bank and secure themselves for a good few seasons, that was their choice to make.

    So if you want to “blame” anyone for Rangers being in Scottish senior football blame the clubs who voted them into it. Not those who rejected their application.


  36. Smugas
    And has Keevins finaly scraped right through the bottom of the barrel with his piece in the same paper,
    to mention the Czech protesters who stood in front of Russian tanks in Prague & the student who did the stand off in Tiananmen Square in an article about Henry McClelland [chairman of Annan Athletic for those that didnt know],if a punter was to phone into SSB and come out with that comment Shug would have burst a blood vessel in his retort back at them ,flipped is not the word here.


  37. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/rangers-sfa-may-probe-craig-whyte-links-1-2963159
    The Scottish Football Association will decide by the end of the month whether it will investigate links between Rangers and former owner Craig Whyte.
    However, the SFA could now carry out an investigation of their own after Regan commented: “We said at the outset that there were a number of questions that the club has to answer. That remains the case.
    “We also said we needed to see the report that had been carried out by Pinsent Mason. I can confirm we have now seen that report.
    “A formal brief will go to the Scottish FA board on that subject towards the end of this month and will then decide what steps we will take, if any.
    “It’s hugely important for Scottish football that we don’t have yet another summer of acrimony, bitterness, falling-out and unhappiness amongst supporters and club staff.
    “We have to move forward and must do everything we can collectively to get the game right in Scotland.”
    ____________

    Well – it`s the end of the month – isn`t it
    So we assume the SFA sees nowt wrong in spivs `shafting` [to get the game right in Scotland]
    + damaging a club + and a `wee` bit of disrepute + ………………………………….
    Blimey


  38. More “move on” for the good of the game nonsense.

    An internal enquiry, which they paid for themselves, has decided that there were no links.

    The interweb is full of evidence that there were. That Whyte and Green in discussion over what would effectively have Whyte back at Rangers, albeit his links hidden by Green.

    No SFA investigation is a totally untenable position to take. It is the one they have taken and will continue to take.

    It is as unacceptable as it is pathetic.


  39. Poor old Paul Di Resta. He could have done with Sandy Bryson to argue his case with race stewards at Silverstone yesterday. He qualified an impressive 5th, but was then deemed not to have qualified since he did not meet the qualifying criteria.

    The SFA should phone up Bernie Eccelstone and tell him that once you’ve qualified you cannot be disqualified – even though at the time of qualification you did not qualify to qualify – since no one knew during qualification that the qualifying criteria of the driver & car were, in fact, of a quality to deem a rightful qualification a disqualification. It’s so simple, really.


  40. twopanda says:
    June 30, 2013 at 11:02 am
    ————————————
    A little reminder due me thinks …. with a bit of pressure detailing some interesting links to audio and documents ….. importantly …. including pre-June 14th information unlike the RIFC Greenwash

    A little question regarding the Rizvi links might help focus a few minds …. especially when reminded that inaction equates to collusion. Accountability will eventually prevail …. Act Now !


  41. Apologies …. Of course I really meant ….. Post June 14th ………. Kaboom !


  42. paulsatim says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:27 am
    ————————————
    The interesting bit out of those disclosures was that last year we were assured “all” CO was loaned under the EBT was £95K, the cost of a Friday night out in Glasgow according to Chick Young.

    Indeed CO himself said that this was all he got – see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2116686/Rangers-crisis-Campbell-Ogilvie-received-95k-EBT-cash.html.

    Yet this determination suggests he got £150K – the cost of a night out in the South of France.. For someone who was a director/company secretary at RFC for 27 years, yet professes that he had nothing to do with anything at Ibrox, that seems like quite a lot of money.

    Someone has not been telling the truth – did CO just forget about the other £55K or was that for something “completely different” to paraphrase Monty Python ?

    If that Daily Mail report is accurate, CO must come out and explain the discrepancy.

    £54(K) to £150(K)


  43. Gaz says:
    June 30, 2013 at 11:17 am
    ———————————–

    See my post above …. Post June 14th is the crucial factor ….. this was Not within the RIFC remit ….
    outcome was thus a formality …… #GreenWash

    Interesting number of high profile cases recently where individuals have been held to account over information they have been provided with and deliberate inaction or …… Must not see the light of day …. read my lips ….etc …. LOL

    #Accountability

    Difference this time is that most of the info is already in the public domain …… do they think it is all all going to disappear …. or that we will forget ……. or that at some point they will Not be held to Account … ! … that they risk embroiling UEFA/FIFA into this scandal …. That Scottish Government could get tainted …..

    Silence is Not an Option ………. no amount of PR will change the facts

    #ActNow


  44. Danish Pastry says:
    June 30, 2013 at 10:24 am
    ” Here’s the link Smugas. He is reflecting a lot of what has been said here.”
    ————-
    Good link, thanks DP even if you didn’t do it for me personally!

    ‘…The two guys who were in their jobs were only ever doing what they were asked to do, sure, and they’ve got a living to earn, same as the rest of us.’ ( says Waddell)
    ———
    And I say, ” Just as Regan of the SFA was/is under the orders of another little cartel or cabal, headed by the greatest administrator in the world.”
    Waddell could usefully have broadened his attack to include the ‘same old, same old’ at the SFA
    It is there that you find the source of the real damage done to our sport. Blind eyes were turned to the extraordinary spending of one club, and all kinds of nods, winks, and other collaborative support given when that rash spending ended up in a long-heralded disaster.


  45. newtz says:
    June 30, 2013 at 11:27 am
    0 1 Rate This

    twopanda says:
    June 30, 2013 at 11:02 am
    ————————————
    A little reminder due me thinks …. with a bit of pressure detailing some interesting links to audio and documents ….. importantly …. including pre-June 14th information unlike the RIFC Greenwash

    A little question regarding the Rizvi links might help focus a few minds …. especially when reminded that inaction equates to collusion. Accountability will eventually prevail …. Act Now !
    ————-

    Don’t you think that something will only be done if, ‘He’s-got-a-dodgy’ Rizvi is shown to be an actual current shareholder via Blue Pitch or one of the other anonymous investors? If a man wanted by Interpol is involved and has been given the Green light, that might just be enough to get the SFA to act – not because they want to, mind you. If it came to the attention of UEFA and/or FIFA though, I expect Hampden would be buzzing with righteous indignation.


  46. Gaz

    Re attendances

    Here is the link to an amended spreadsheet/business case that assumes SB sales at 28,000 spread over full conscessionary and child but with an increase on match day sales from 9000 to 14000 to give an average attendance of 42000, a drop of 5000 on 2012/13 averages used previously.

    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B62m3ggkEX2RNDcwNjZiZW5WSTQ/edit?usp=sharing

    The previous file is at

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aq2m3ggkEX2RdGZLdlRpdEMtZ01lZFpOOFNESkNaYlE&usp=drive_web#gid=0

    The bottom line difference between the two is a predicted red hole of £565,201 by the end of the coming season 2013/2014 (assuming expenditure has not been greater than that shown this season ended and the reserve from the share sale is still around the £12,860,414 shown at the end of this season) becomes a red hole of £1,137,757 by the end of next season.

    The problem will be the unpredictability of match day income especially if there is no facility to borrow against it, but somebody might be happy to cover the gap taking a much longer term view that attendances will always be around 40,000 and they can get a return if that level is maintained.

    What the SFA should know by now is the predicted Turnover and the actual wage figures and these should be being published on the SFA web site. Somebody in the smsm should perhaps enquire and find out how far out the attached is. It should reassure supporters across the country to know the SFA have more reassuring and confirmed figures to work with.

    I have put the latest file here in a shared folder for anyone who wants to download and play around with it, especially as new info emerges to validate or change figures used.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/z27o6pvtvwzmd2g/Rangers%20SFL3%20busines%20case7.xls


  47. Danish Pastry says:
    June 30, 2013 at 11:50 am
    ————————————-

    Yep a thousand times …… This is why we have been exploring the Rizvi link and painting the wider picture … Important to keep the story alive …. they will have to respond …. it’s too big a story Not Too … !

    Are they colluding in aiding and abetting a known criminal on Interpols Red List to participate in funding one of Scotland’s foremost institutional football teams ….. head out of sand …. they are ! (TD’s welcome)

    The Rizvi link could easily be the leverage that is required to open the sluice gate …


  48. Caveat Emptor says:
    June 30, 2013 at 1:07 am

    “HMRC win, it will be held that the ‘additional remuneration’ was in the form of a ‘loan’, which can then be treated as such and thus renegotiated.”
    ——————–
    My recollection of the sequence was that MIH provided the cash to RFC(IL) and they then set up sub-trusts for each of the beneficiaries. The side letters were from RFC(IL) Director. That suggests that RFC(IL) effectively authorised payments from the EBT schemes.

    If HMRC win the UTT the ‘loans’ will more or less become considered as remuneration, liable for tax. This tax bill will be shouldered by RFC(IL).

    If HMRC lose the UTT then EBT payments will effectively be accepted as loans. I’d imagine that part of the duties of BDO at RFC(IL) will be to recoup any outstanding monies due. I’m not sure how much scope they would have for renegotiating repayment dates.


  49. ecobhoy says:
    June 30, 2013 at 10:05 am

    “But I have never actually understood whether any Rangers liability for repayment could be transferred to Murray International Holdings who you will note are shown as Rangers ‘Agent’ in the CF material.”
    ———————
    Can you post a document showing this ‘agency’ relationship?.


  50. My disgust at the reappointment of the worlds greatest football administrator was almost the last straw for me. Since the 70’s I’ve invested a lot of my time and money into Scottish football but while these “people” continue to run the game, it will see no more from me, apart from reading this blog of course.

    Anyway, I’ve been out of the loop for a wee while now, but I note Charlotte has been releasing material linking certain journalists to being on the payroll of the club now in liquidation. Have any of the BBC employees been implicated yet?
    I’m thinking mainly of Dodds and Traynor, but also the likes of the ex chief exec of the SFA and the embarrassingly neutral Mr Spiers.
    Wouldn’t that be some stunt to pull off by Mr Traynor? – paid by three sources to spout the same nonsense and partly at our expense. This would be a nice one to reveal Charlotte. How many years did he get away with it?
    As for Dodds, his colleagues at the BBC have barely pressed him on the EBT issue and he remains employed at our expense. Was he also employed by the club now in liquidation, whilst working for the Beeb Charlotte?

    I’m sure you’re sitting on a wealth of material. Your tax document on the Cardigan from 2002/03 demands answers. A six figure salary from one club whilst you’re managing another. Good work, if you can get it!


  51. Apols if mentioned before …..

    Why would CG and BS incorportate a new company on 28 September 2012 being the principle directors of

    GARRION SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED
    registered address
    IBROX STADIUM, 150 EDMISTON DRIVE, GLASGOW

    Staus – Active

    There is a reason for everything …. but I must admit that this one throws me … ?


  52. Why did CO leave Rangers after 27 years ? Was the job so much better at Hearts, anybody recall what the reason was?

    Did he see the writing on the wall and think by jumping ship and getting distance before the great ship Rangers sank he’d be safe. Was he told there was a job waiting for him at the SFA but he needed to put that distance between him and Rangers again before he got it?


  53. Castofthousands says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:17 pm
    ecobhoy says:
    June 30, 2013 at 10:05 am

    “But I have never actually understood whether any Rangers liability for repayment could be transferred to Murray International Holdings who you will note are shown as Rangers ‘Agent’ in the CF material.”
    ———————
    Can you post a document showing this ‘agency’ relationship?.
    ================================================================

    If you look at the latest CF post you will see that on each HMRC assessment it states MIH as the ‘agent’.


  54. TSFM says:
    June 30, 2013 at 9:44 am
    16 0 Rate This

    I’m off on holiday for the next week or so
    *******************************************
    Enjoy your holiday TSFM and don’t forget the cheap fags. 400 Silk Cut would be good, square you up when you get back. Unless, of course, you’re off to Milport ………..?


  55. newtz says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    0

    0

    Rate This

    Apols if mentioned before …..

    Why would CG and BS incorportate a new company on 28 September 2012 being the principle directors of

    GARRION SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED
    registered address
    IBROX STADIUM, 150 EDMISTON DRIVE, GLASGOW

    Staus – Active

    There is a reason for everything …. but I must admit that this one throws me … ?
    ===================================================================

    Well could be to save money on hotels if another period of flitting from safe house to safe house was required.

    However I have always assumed that this coincided with the decision to get rid of Group4 out of Ibrox as being too expensive and recruit in-house. I know that that, certainly until fairly recently, has been continuing and I have heard nothing to the contrary.


  56. I’m going to rent a luxury private RV in France for my holidays. Anybody fancy a peak at the insides of it for 99p a shot 🙂


  57. Auldheid says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Thanks for that, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture and if I’m honest I think it’s if anything better than the reality.

    For example I’m not convinced that everyone who attended last year was a paying customer, there was certainly anecdotal evidence that wasn’t the case.


  58. newtz says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    The Rizvi link could easily be the leverage that is required to open the sluice gate …
    ==========================================================================

    I always felt a major reason for Green walking was Orlit and Sevco 5088. And I think the common factor was Rizvi. Even if Rizvi didn’t invest a penny in Rangers the fact that negotiations were taking place with him to that end really is the poisoned chalice and no loving cup.

    Green could have won the Boardroom Battle without breaking sweat because with one rallying cry to the Bears everyone not backing him would have been swept aside and somehow or other I doubt if Walter would have been standing in his way either.

    But Green virtually slunk-off without a whimper and apparently left Ahmad to get the boot without any pay-off except his shares of course. I think someone at Ibrox had a quiet word in Green’s ear and told him if he didn’t go then the Rizvi connection would be revealed and that could have been disastrous for Green in so many ways. He would have had to walk without a pay-off and would he even have kept his 5 million in shares?

    So he went and we had the PM inquiry that conveniently in giving Green a clean Bill of Health doesn’t inquire into the period involving Rizvi but only later. We tend to become fixated on CW in this period but Rizvi IMO is the guy that should be getting looked at.

    Away back last May/June 2012 Richard Wilson at the Herald ran a few lines on Rizvi which identified his involvement with Rangers and the fact that another businessman, with a sizeable investment he was going to put in Rangers, ran a mile. The SFA were aware of this and that’s why we got the flurry of fit & proper nonsense on the investors which would never have revealed Rizvi anyway.

    On balance I tend to doubt that Rizvi ever did invest but he was negotiating this and Green, Ahmad, Stockbridge and CW were all aware of what was happening and so was the SFA and I believe so were the Rangers business community and I think that’s one of the reasons that the necessary financial backing didn’t actually materialise.

    No wealthy Rangers Men wanted to be dealing with an Interpol fugitive with Rizvi’s background and to be honest I don’t blame them.


  59. Who is going to care if Rizvi is involved, genuine question.

    The fans certainly won’t, the Easdale’s for example are already shareholders and a lot of the suport were keen on them getting more involved.

    The footballing authorities won’t, they don’t even care if Whyte (banned sine die from Scottish football and refusing to pay their fine) was involved in the takeover.

    No-one was ever bothered about King and he stood accused of tax fraud, money laundering and racketeering.

    Craig Whyte’s history wasn’t exactly squeaky clean and he was welcomed with open arms.

    I’m confused as to what difference people think this will make in real terms.


  60. Somebody asked recently why UEFA has awarded co-efficiency points to ‘Rangers’ for 2012/13. This is how I responded to my bluenose Facebook mate by way of explanation;

    “UEFA have added Rangers co- efficiency points for 2012/13 on to the previous 4 years this confirming that as far as they are concerned rangers are the same club”. So I was assured on a post up above…….but……it’s just another lie manufactured by the dead club and its fans to hide the fact that Rangers FC were liquidated.

    If anyone cares to check UEFA’s co-efficiency rules, plus the list of co-efficient points awarded to all European clubs over the past 5 years, http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html they will discover that Rangers are indeed on the list and had co-efficient points added for 2012/13 (0.860 to be precise), but those 0.860 points are simply the national association co-efficient points awarded to all Scottish clubs who were on UEFA’s list for last season, so for example 0.860 points were also awarded to Aberdeen, Falkirk and Queen of the South. 0.860 points were also awarded to Hearts, Motherwell, Dundee Utd and St Johnstone, who in total earned 2.360, 2.360, 1.860 and 1.360 respectively by virtue of their European adventures. Celtic also received those 0.860 points, the national association co-efficient for Scottish clubs, but eclipsed that in some style by amassing a whopping 16 points thanks to their excellent Champions League campaign, giving them an overall total of 16.860. A brief explanation of each country’s national co-efficient is described on UEFA’s website:

    Coefficient calculation

    Clubs’ coefficients are determined by the sum of all points won in the previous five years, plus 20% of the association coefficient over the same period (33% before 2009).

    A more detailed explanation of how the points are calculated is also available on UEFA’s website.

    How does that prove UEFA don’t see Rangers as the same club? Well it doesn’t on its own, but then consider the award of co-efficiency points to FC Unirea Urzicena of Romania (no 107 on UEFA’s list), who received the Romanian national association co-efficient points of 1.360 for season 2012/13 despite being dissolved at the end of the 2010/11 season and never ever playing a game thereafter! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Unirea_Urziceni In other words, UEFA dishes out co-efficient points to those clubs who have played in Europe in the previous 5 years even if they’ve since become defunct, such as Unirea and Rangers. Rangers will remain on UEFA’s list for the next few seasons but will then disappear from it altogether. They will still continue to receive the number of national association co-efficient points awarded to all Scottish clubs on the list until they drop off that list. If and when The Rangers qualify for European competition in the future, it is highly likely that they will be treated in the same way as Derry City, a club who similarly went bust and who are now treated by UEFA as a brand new club, and rightly so.

    Why is this important? Well, because The Rangers would have us believe that UEFA have confirmed that they are the same club as the old one that was liquidated, by virtue of awarding them co-efficient points for season 2012/13. That blatant lie has now been well and truly debunked, but it doesn’t end there, because The Rangers have also persuaded other organisations (such as the ASA) that UEFA has indicated they are the old club by virtue of the co-efficient points award shown on UEFA’s website. Considering FIFA has already said on its website that Rangers FC were liquidated, much of their claims to be the old club have started to unravel recently, with pretty much only the ECA (who?) still sticking up for them out of the long list of organisations who allegedly previously supported the ‘same club’ argument.


  61. http://touch.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1977017.html

    12 moments that defined 2012
    (FIFA.com) Wednesday 26 December 2012

    Rangers go under
    14 June
    Rangers’ perilous financial position had been an open secret but there was still shock when, after 140 years of history and a world record 54 league titles, the club was consigned to liquidation in mid-June. The Glasgow giants were subsequently reformed as a new company and granted entry to the Third Division, Scotland’s fourth tier, which they currently lead by nine points with a game in hand.


  62. Auldheid says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:01 pm
    3 1 Rate This

    Gaz

    Re attendances
    %%%%%%%%
    Pardon my ignoromancity, but my reading of the eight year plan is that the stadium is sold for £16M in year 5, and a rental of £2m is then payable. I also concluded that STs will double in price next year. Have I understood this correctly?


  63. Auldheid says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:01 pm

    “I have put the latest file here in a shared folder for anyone who wants to download and play around with it, especially as new info emerges to validate or change figures used.”
    ——————-
    I don’t get too engrossed in the financial detail Auldheid but I appreciate the work you have done and know there will be ‘bean counters’ out there taking a keen interest.

    A couple of months ago someone (Forres Dee?), asked if there was a list of ‘references’ for the information being discussed. I started accumulating URL’s for any resources that were posted. I’ve added Auldheid’s accounts. The following dropbox link provides this URL list along with a partly humorous glossary of many of the abbreviatons that often appear on here.

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kqmxaeztys1hiwz/2lgupkgWHu


  64. briggsbhoy says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:42 pm
    3 0 Rate This

    I’m going to rent a luxury private RV in France for my holidays. Anybody fancy a peak at the insides of it for 99p a shot …
    ————

    Briggsy, I hope that is not a clever Whyte-esque attempt to monetize the TSFM fan base 🙂

    The CO move is a puzzler, but may have been part of a stepping-stone route to the SFA, which, if trouble was brewing, might have been a better way to maneouvre a trusted friend into the position of president. Just speculation, of course.


  65. davythelotion says:
    June 30, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    It’s not my spreadsheet / plan so probably better to get an answer from the person who prepared it.


  66. newtz says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    “Why would CG and BS incorportate a new company on 28 September 2012 being the principle directors of

    GARRION SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED”
    ———————
    Were they taking the security contract ‘in house’.?


  67. Auldheid says:
    June 30, 2013 at 12:01 pm
    ===========================================================

    I’m afraid that accounts is not my strong point so I might be talking nonsense so feel free to tell me if I am.

    I take from your spreadsheet that expenditure on the stadium was Yr 1 – £3M. Yr 2 – £2.5M. Firstly does this include refurbishment of Edmiston House? Even if included I think it’s way too high as I don’t think the AIM Prospectus can still be used as a guide because of the pressure to divert the flotation money raised to service operating costs.

    I also realise the high catering costs are tied to the lease payable (Close I think from memory) which was tied into the refurbishment of the catering outlets and if broken would mean either having to pay the capital expenditure asap or have all the gear stripped-out. But how long is the lease for and to me it would make more sense to divert stadium refurbishment cash to ending the catering lease payments. I note the Interim Accounts show £1.9M in Finance leases at 31/12/12

    Also on lease payments – have you deducted the Albion lease amount as the club apparently bought it out in Jan 2013. I see in Y2 – £4.5M for land purchase and assume the Albion is included there as well as Edmiston House.

    Also on the replacement of G4 with in-house security have the figures been adjusted to reflect this or is it impossible to quantify at this stage?

    A small point but would it not be worth adding the rates bills separately for Ibrox and MP as we know what they are for a fact and it might help clarify the bits that have to be estimated for lack of available info. The rates situation has always interested me because it would appear that CW wasn’t paying anybody except rates because they only appear as a piddling amount in D&Ps creditors list. I’ve always found that strange.


  68. Castofthousands says:

    June 30, 2013 at 1:38 pm
    ———————————
    @eco

    Thks to both …. must have missed that …. cheers


  69. Castofthousands says:
    June 30, 2013 at 1:38 pm
    Were they taking the security contract ‘in house’.?
    ——————————————————————————————–
    They are taking security in-house at least until very recently and have been involved in discussing Tupe and switching staff contracts I believe. Whether that is still the wish of the current Board I don’t know but it would leave things in a bit of a mess if they reversed their decision. See my post: ecobhoy says: June 30, 2013 at 12:38 pm


  70. ecobhoy says:

    June 30, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    I too reckon the capital expenditure will be diverted to staying alive but it will still be spent so have left as is. In fact I think original propsectus had full £5.5m spent in year one but I spread it over two for diversion reasons. The key figure is the £12m odd at seasons end as any shortfall there impacts on bottom line for this coming season..

    Some of the ongoing costs are based on accounts when they produced any ie pre D &E so rates etc would be covered in there I imagine (the £550,000 facilities costs perhaps) but I’ll have a look when I next revise.

    On looking again I see there is £1m income included for stadium naming this year. I wonder how that is going if there are doubts about who owns it. The Craig Whyte City anyone?

    There are a lot of variables and assumptions but the idea of the sheet was to see the impact as more light is shed on the business. This is why the publication of Turnover and wages will be so interesting.

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