Three Shakes … and a Twist

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Guest Post by James Forrest
Those who like to read the techno-thrillers of Tom Clancy will remember well the scene in The Sum of all Fears, when the nuclear bomb explodes in Denver, outside the stadium where the Super Bowl is being played. Clancy handles the moment in two very distinct chapters. The second is a vivid and frightening examination of the explosion’s terrible effects as they are felt, firstly in Denver and then experienced around the world.

Before that, he devotes an entire chapter to the mechanics of the explosion itself. Chapters like this are either what attract readers to Clancy in the first place or turn them off entirely. It is technical, it is complex, and the layman who reads it and fully understands it is indeed a massive geek. Of all the times he has loaded the reader with technical detail, this is probably when he risked most in terms of keeping you interested in the story. Yet it works. The chapter is not long, but nor is it short. And the events in it span not seconds but fractions of a second

It was in that chapter I first learned the term “shake”, so named for the old aphorism “a shake of a lamb’s tail”. A “shake” is a term used in nuclear physics. It represents ten nanoseconds. To grasp fully the size of that, consider that there are a billion nanoseconds in a second. The chemical process involved in a nuclear detonation involves a number of “shakes”, with a chain reaction usually completed in 50.

Clancy’s decision to devote an entire chapter of the book to a few nanoseconds came back to me over and over again during the weeks and months of the Rangers crisis. It became clear to me that, drawn out though the events following administration were, what we were seeing was not the effect of the explosion but the explosion itself. Those months were our nanoseconds. Every day, every revelation, every moment we thought was a separate event, was merely a peek inside the bomb case, at the chemical process of a chain reaction.

I would say the chain reaction was completed on the day HMRC announced they were refusing the CVA proposal. That was the detonation. It’s only now we’re witnessing the explosion, and its effects, and in my view we are still a long way from the end of that process. We have had the initial double flash thermal pulse and we’ve seen some EMP effects, but the real damage is still to come. The shock wave and the fireball have yet to spread, and their cumulative effects could yet annihilate Ibrox and extend as far as Hampden.

Am I making claims of “financial Armageddon”? No, I’m not. I never believed the collapse of Rangers would devastate Scottish football. I thought then, and now, that it was scaremongering nonsense to even suggest it. It didn’t matter to me whether the authorities were spreading those stories because of a deep-seated love of the Ibrox club, or because they had bonuses at stake, or out of their own internal, personal weaknesses. Those stories were inconsistent, based on worst case scenarios which were never likely to materialise, and insulting. The notion that the game in this country amounts to no more than one or two teams is offensive.

I love football. I always have. I’m a Celtic supporter, but my interests in the game extend far beyond my own club. At its best, football is a tremendous unifier of people, from those wonderful stories about Christmas Day in the trenches of World War I to the matches organised every year between Palestinian and Israeli children. The game has the potential for tremendous good. I am proud that my own club’s supporters have honoured the dead of Hillsborough and Ibrox. I am proud they unfurled a banner to the Benfica player Miklos Feher, and invaded Seville and showed that city how to party. I am proud of every moment when the supporters of a club applauded an injured player, or staged a silence to honour an official or competitor at another team. Although there are some who would use this sport in a divisive way, who would hijack it for their own ends, I believe this game can still be an inspiration, and find the best in all of us.

I think what happened during this summer, as the fans of every club in the land made their voices heard, was one of the greatest moments in Scottish football’s recent history. I believe it will have an impact far beyond one season. I think it was special.

My concern, as I’ve said, is that the appalling effects of the detonation at Ibrox are still to be fully realised. I am worried about the impact they could yet have on all of us.

Let me be quite specific about the two things that worry me most. They are to do with the decision to grant Sevco/Rangers a license to play in the Scottish Football League this year.

First, I believe the license was granted without sufficient guarantees being given by Charles Green and others that they would respect the decisions taken by the independent judiciary panel of the SPL in relation to EBTs, and secondly, I am concerned that not enough is known about Green and his financial backers, or plans for Rangers, for the authorities to be satisfied that the club is in good financial health. I don’t believe for one second anyone can allay my fears in these two areas. It is obvious to all that due diligence has not been done, and the entire situation at Rangers/Sevco is still shrouded in doubt, and that anything may yet happen.

The independent panel investigating dual contracts is going to have to make the most momentous decision in the history of the game in the UK. I do not believe what Rangers are accused of has any precedent. We are talking about a decade or more in which the results of every single match might be in doubt. Every single game. The rules were not written to envision such an appalling breach of faith. It would seem almost inevitable that stripping of titles will be the smallest of Charles Green and Ally McCoist’s concerns if this verdict goes against them.

Frankly, I don’t see an alternative to suspending Rangers membership of football in this country for at least two years, with points deductions and monetary fines to follow when the suspension period is done. This is not harsh; in fact it falls far short of the maximum penalty, which is expulsion from the game altogether, and as it is the authorities are going to have to do a damned good job of setting out the reasons why that ultimate sanction is not applied. It will not be enough to say it would damage the game in Scotland to wipe the club away. To allow a decade of malfeasance to pass without that ultimate sanction would create the perception that Rangers is above the law, and I cannot think of anything that would do the game more harm than for any club to be considered too big, or too important, to be subject to the regulations.

With their money on the table, I don’t see any way Charles Green and his cohorts will accept the judgement of the independent panel if it has an impact on their plans to recoup their investments. With the way he’s rallied the Rangers fans behind him recently, by essentially talking about a conspiracy against them, I don’t see how he convinces them to accept sanctions, even if he personally was inclined to do so. He has painted himself into a corner where now, if he wants his money at all, he has to fight, and keep on fighting. Without the written guarantee that the club would accept whatever the panel decides, without recourse to the law, I will be shocked if this matter doesn’t end up in the courts somewhere down the line, because I don’t think for one second he signed up to that particular demand.

I think the SFA backed down on this, the most fundamental matter of them all.

Which isn’t to say the due diligence matter isn’t worrying, because, of course, it is. Again, no-one is going to convince me that the SFA has conducted proper due diligence on Charles Green and his backers. No-one will convince me they are satisfied that this club is in safe hands, and that the game in this country will not be rocked by a further implosion at Ibrox. They failed to properly investigate Craig Whyte, because of lax regulations requiring disclosure from the club itself, regulations which are just a joke, but they can be forgiven for that as the press was talking sheer nonsense about him having billions at his disposal, and a lot of people (but not everyone!) were either convinced or wanted to be convinced by him.

To have witnessed what Whyte did, to have witnessed the Duff & Phelps “process” of finding a buyer, and having Green essentially emerge from nowhere, with a hundred unanswered questions as to his background and financing, for the SFA to have given this guy the go ahead, only for it to blow up in their faces later, would annihilate the credibility of the governing body and necessitate resignations at every level. There would be no hiding place.

At an early stage in the Rangers crisis, a couple of people told me they thought the club would not play football for at least a year. I told them of all the possible scenarios that was the most unlikely, because I honestly could see no way back for them once they had gone. There is no precedent I am aware of, anywhere, for a football club taking a “year out” only to return. Certainly, in the context of the Scottish game I didn’t see how it could be done without creating one almighty shambles, or by bending the rules until the elastic snapped.

Yet I’ve since become convinced that it was the correct course of action. The club calling itself Rangers FC is still in a state of flux. The issues still surrounding it are enormous and potentially devastating. There are any number of ways in which the entire edifice could utterly collapse. The liquidators and HMRC could yet challenge the takeover, or the coming share issue. Craig Whyte may yet emerge and take a claim to the courts. The share issue itself could be an utter failure, leaving the club unable to meet annual running costs. All of this, even without the vast effects of the EBT case, which has the potential to wash the whole club away.

Had Rangers been out of the game for a year, these issues could have been properly explored, dealt with and put behind them, and the game as whole.

Of course, it’s just possible that the worst is over. It’s possible that this particular nuclear detonation, like the one is The Sum of All Fears, is an enormous “fizzle”, that the appalling destruction unleashed will not be on the thermonuclear level which could obliterate our hopes of a fresh start, of forward motion for the whole game. It might be that everything at Ibrox is hunky-dory, that this, all I’ve written, is the product of a febrile imagination, on the same level as the financial Armageddon nonsense we spent the summer hearing about.

It may well be, but only if the people who’ve been right all along have suddenly gotten it wrong. The evidence all points to something big, and bad, coming this way.

The smart folks will be hunkering down in their shelters for a while yet.

James is a co-editor of the Famous Tartan Army Magazine, latest issue out 17th October (digital, and free), featuring women’s football

http://en.calameo.com/read/001382993b7dff7feed1b

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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.

2,174 thoughts on “Three Shakes … and a Twist”


  1. The William McMurdo who is being handed his dinner by RangersTaxCase is the son of “Agent Orange”, alias Judas’s ex-agent Bill.
    More to the point, when will RTC be blogging again?
    According to KerrydaleStreet member Moravcik67, Rangers FC have LOST the Big Tax Case!


  2. Johnboy5088

    RTC said he would decode the ftt result on his own blog but i dont think comments will be open.

    Any hint from moravcik as to when it was disclosed and a ballpark figure.


  3. HirsutePursuit on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:44

    thanks for pulling that info out of cyberspace
    will have a proper look when less in wine


  5. parttimearab says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 01:03
    1 0 Rate This
    HirsutePursuit on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:44

    thanks for pulling that info out of cyberspace
    will have a proper look when less in wine
    ======================================
    Should have given the reference.

    http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.figc.it%2FAssets%2Fcontentresources_2%2FContenutoGenerico%2F20.%24plit%2FC_2_ContenutoGenerico_3817_Sezioni_lstSezioni_numSezione_1_lstCapitoli_numCapitolo_2_upfFileUpload_it.pdf


  6. *Moravcik67*

    Totally off topic

    Lubo Moravcik was one of the finest football players i ever saw.


  10. TallBoy Poppy (@TallBoyPoppy) says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:44

    paulsatim says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:35
    ————————————————————————————————————————–
    …….and guess who was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Scottish Unionist
    Party? Step forward Mark Dingwall. (also failed in elections in the six counties.)
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    To be fair to Dingbats his Party did call for integrated schools. Don’t see many other parties saying that.


  11. goosygoosy at 23.28:

    Wow, the timing of that influx of cash into Ticketus is uncanny.
    I’ve always said that the key to this Fakeover and Shaministration lay in finding out who “invested” that £27m in Ticketus 2.
    If it’s the answer I think it is, serious jail time awaits the miscreants.


  12. mrgreenwhytebrown says:

    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 01:22

    Snide or Snidey of Spivs…
    —————————————
    A Daley of Spivs
    An Arthur of Spivs
    A Boycie of Spivs
    An Endell of Spivs ………….for the elder among us!


  13. Just back from the pub and whilst there my may says as he’s watching Sky Sports that Chucky has just raised £19m on his share issue and that Mike Ashley is buying shares in Rangers. As I pointed out to my mate that is misinformation as Chuckie has raised hee haw. There may be £19m of intended interest but he does not have a single penny, either he is a liar or Sky Sports are full of sh.


  14. forweonlyknow says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:03

    @rangerstaxcase

    @jimbauld I can confirm that this is true. FTT decision is in the hands of MIH/D&P and HMRC.
    ===============================

    Thank goodness for that !

    Assuming the result is as expected 😉 then Christmas has indeed come early !

    Should have plenty to discuss on TSFM soon – together with the expected troll assaults.

    Double orders of popcorn all round…


  15. Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    @dknwatt Never been more sure of anything in my life! But I will not be the first source of this. I do analysis not exclusives. 😉
    View conversation

    3m Rangers Tax-Case Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    @JohnboyMaclean @GerryBraiden Let’s put it this way, if they had won it would have been on the Friday night news.

    8m Rangers Tax-Case Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    Formal release will be within 1-2 weeks at most. Expect leaks & spin before then.

    9m Rangers Tax-Case Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    FTT decision was signed off at the end of September on schedule and was with both MIH & HMRC yesterday


  16. bogsdollox says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 01:28
    ‘..To be fair to Dingbats his Party did call for integrated schools. Don’t see many other parties saying that…’
    —-
    That is not any kind of recommendation, I’m afraid, and I’m sorry that you think it may be.And this kind of subject is off-topic,by general agreement. 🙂


  17. paulsatim says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:35
    ‘..It may be pure conjecture but he gives the impression that he knows the words to The Sash and could sing them backwards,…’
    ——-
    Whit? You mean he’s a tsinatas?


  18. rab says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:10
    Can any of the parties publicly announce the result before the ten day rule is over’
    —-
    Of course they can, if they wish

    It’s their business.

    It’s only the FTTT that have to stay shtum for a while before they go public.

    And that’s only to allow the parties to query any misprints or obvious errors in names or addresses, spelling mistakes and so on, so that the final publicly announced decision is totally accurate in respect of those kind of details.


  19. forweonlyknow on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 00:03
    21 0 Rate This
    @rangerstaxcase
    @jimbauld I can confirm that this is true. FTT decision is in the hands of MIH/D&P and HMRC.
    ————

    Finally. All the recent activity begins to make sense. If Murray knows, does Jim Traynor too?

    I wonder how dear old Keith Floyd would have summed it all up on a plate?

    Whyte fish & Seasonal Green
    Grilled Mutton served in a Minty FTT Souce
    followed by
    Prune Parfait with EBT Ice cream

    Wine suggestions:
    (the exquisitely-named)
    Blue Nun
    &
    Chateauneuf du Pape


  20. Rumour has it Jabba has taken the day off from Sportsound today to comfort a friend who has received some bad news ………..hold that,Jabba has called to deny this vicious rumour and clearly states proudly to confirm that he has never had any friends to comfort to support this denial


  21. Danish Pastry says 7.16
    Topic for today,whats on the menu for the Last Supper,bottle of cyberspace champagne for the best menu including wine, turkey suggestions are off menu.


  25. Did I not read in the Charles green interview the other night, that he stated that this share issue was the final piece in the jigsaw, or words to that effect. it does appear that he doesn’t intend hanging about for too much longer, if the share issue gets fully underway.


  26. RTC blog reactivated!
    Well, only to re-post 14 Feb insights – and the suite of documents
    “Someone tell that McMurdo boy that this is an “EXCLUSIVE”!”

    Ok
    .
    McMurdo – this is a RTC exclusive!


  27. Gentleman [and ladies], start your motors:

    Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    A wee game before bed. Let’s play guess the spin. Starting with Sir David Murray. I’ll start. “I followed expert legal advice”. lolz!

    Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    Campbell Ogilvie excuses: “I was too busy effective administrating to know what I was signing. I was just the Company Secretary”

    MSM if you are looking in, the truth is out there. Are you going to report facts, undertake analysis – or will some of you retain your default position: propaganda.


  28. Have e-mailed Stewart and Tam at Off the ball, with some of the tweets from RTC in the off chance that they are not aware of this news. Hopefully the FTTT will receive some discussion on off the ball this afternoon! Stewart and Tam have been constant in seeking to deflect the bull sh!t, I think they are going to be busy over the coming weeks.

    Can I suggest a wee drinking game – every time we hear Jim Traynor and/or Chick utter any of the following, a tipple to be taken:

    (S)DM was only following technical legal advice;
    How many times do lawyers get it wrong – you cannot blame the Club;
    RFC lost on a technicality;
    The tax scheme was so complex CO did not know what he was signing;
    Dual contracts and illegally registered players have not been proven yet – let’s wait and see what the investigation comes back with.
    Let’s get back to talking about what really matters – football and what happens on the park

    Any others to add to the list?


  29. MSM if you are looking in, the truth is out there. Are you going to report facts, undertake analysis – or will some of you retain your default position: propaganda.

    Long Time Lurker says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:25
    1 0 Rate This

    Any others to add to the list?
    ———–

    “EBTs were perfectly legal at that time.”


  30. Long Time Lurker
    And the classic which will deserve a large one everytime.
    “That is what I have been saying all along,I was not picked up correctly”


  31. Briggsbhoy says

    “Chuckie has raised hee haw. There may be £19m of intended interest but he does not have a single penny, either he is a liar or Sky Sports are full of sh”
    ================================================

    There’s no “either” about it – both are true. SSN have been one of the worst peddlers of misinformation since the pantomime began. They research nothing and regurgitate Sevco propaganda verbatim.


  32. Danish Pastry says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:33

    “EBTs were perfectly legal at that time.”

    yourhavingalaugh says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:36

    “That is what I have been saying all along,I was not picked up correctly”

    Pure quality!


  33. Long Time Lurker says:
    > Can I suggest a wee drinking game – every time we hear Jim Traynor and/or Chick utter any of the following, a tipple to be taken:
    > …
    >Any others to add to the list?

    Let’s not forget that it was Craig Whyte that was at the helm when Rangers went into Administration
    We can’t discuss as there may well be an appeal process
    Its not as simple as ‘win or lose’
    Mistakes have been made, let’s move on and ensure lessons are learned
    I doubt HRMC are in a hurry to let everyone know how much time and tax payers money they have wasted. [persecuting rfc]

    Not my own work, these are shamefully trawled form RM.


  34. bogsdollox says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 01:28

    To be fair to Dingbats his Party did call for integrated schools. Don’t see many other parties saying that.

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

    Politics and religion.

    I though they were verboten.

    Or, heaven forfend, not just another distraction with the strong rumour that the FTT has ruled and we are simply awaiting it’s release to the public domain.

    I remain of the opinion, and it is no more than that no inside information or special knowledge, that the appeal will be for the most part rejected. HMRC will win to a substantial amount, with some reduction to the original assessments. I predict that there will be no further appeal and that HMRC will act against the parties concerned. BDO will in effect be ac ting for them in the liquidation, in relation to civil recovery. They will be acting on behalf of the Police in relation to criminal offences. HMRC may also have an interest in the criminal prosecutions, but that depends on the offences which are alleged.


  35. Wives everywhere will be delighted! (well, i know mine is)


  36. So it looks like we have been told what most of us already knew .
    Jabba Chic and the rest of the Laptop Loyal will have been working on their script for weeks and I suspect CW will still be their scapegoat .
    What the ragers fans should remember if he had not stolen the PAYE/NIC to fund the club they would have went bust in Oct 2011 .
    May I suggest they look further back in this saga and dismiss anything the MSM come out with ,they have become to used to the taste of succulent lamb .
    IMO the Liquidation of Rangers football club was decided before CW came on the scene ,he did not find them ,he was sourced by them .


  37. Long Time Lurker
    “I don’t know enough about corporate governance or finances to comment……”


  38. Gym & Chicko on Sportsound
    Presenter=Gym after todays press release it is obvious you have been denying what has been now proved as obvious good information from the blog sites ,can you explain why you never agreed with any of this information.

    Gym = Richard you are taking the side of the bloggers and making the same mistake of having a not listening agenda ,I was clearly ,while not agreeing entirely ,I was not entirely disagreeing with the bloggers ,in my lofty position my job is to create discussion which as you know I do quite well and it is also not as one sided as the some morons ,sorry listeners try to make up,I mean just ask Chicko here.

    Chicko = Yes Gym ,it can be really frustrating when people pick you up inncorrectly,as me and you have been saying for the past 18 months ,the story has a long way to run and we could not agree to disagree as the whole thing was very sensitive and to report this would have been an injustice to the famous glasgow rangers,the bears ,the teddies.Walters eleven and the new management team in the bunker ,sorry dug out of super ally and his marauders ,but now we have the biggest injustice imposed on the worlds greatest supported team and we are asked to comment on this ,well let me tell you this ,what do you say Gym.


  39. Danish Pastry says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:33
    4 0 Rate This
    MSM if you are looking in, the truth is out there. Are you going to report facts, undertake analysis – or will some of you retain your default position: propaganda.

    Long Time Lurker says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:25
    1 0 Rate This

    Any others to add to the list?
    ———–

    “EBTs were perfectly legal at that time.”

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    I gave advice, but they chose to drive the bus in a different way.

    I was only driven the train when it crashed.


  40. jonnyod says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 09:10

    What the ragers fans should remember if he had not stolen the PAYE/NIC to fund the club they would have went bust in Oct 2011 .

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

    Correct, at the latest. The VAT was due before that because the Ticketus money was advance payments and constituted a tax point. Including those tickets bought for the following seasons. Rangers had been paid, therefore the VAT was due to HMRC. So if anything they should have been paying substantially more that season. Every season ticket sold, including the season tickets for future seasons . (Another reason to remember it was not loans, but sales).

    Just to be clear, and not disagreeing your general point. It was Rangers who stole the PAYE and VAT, refer to the recent FTT ruling in relation to Falkirk where they make that position perfectly clear.

    Mr Craig’s acted as the club, his actions were the actions of the club. The fact that he did it could not be used as an excuse by the club.


  41. In light of the knowledge of the FTTT result, I now understand the timing of airing the CW interview on the BBC.Brining CW’s face back in2 the public domain gives them a target to sling mud at with the BTC.
    Propaganda really is more powerful than gunpowder in a war, and history is written by the victors!………shameful scotland!


  42. I can imagine Mr Traynor sneering (half joking, full serious) “what do they know?”, before going on to discuss the “real problem” in Scottish football; Craig Levein. I can also imagine Your Call suddenly introducing soothing music for when it all gets too much/real/difficult to explain away. A bit like when they have “technical difficulties” on tv. An orchestral version of a Tina Turner hit, for example.

    Oh, and
    a quantum of spivs
    a stain of spivs
    a faecalith of spivs
    a puffery of spivs


  43. How about just repreating the old ones !

    Sir David Murray had reduced the debt to 18 million from over 80 million , the bank was happy and the situation was under control. The club was in no danger when he sold it to Craig Whyte.


  44. On whether or not it has anything to do with New Rangers.

    In short, no. If I take the position that it is a new club and a new business, which I very much do, then the result of the FTT is nothing to do with them. Provided no-one involved with the club being liquidated is also involved in the New Rangers. That would then go into the territory of phoenix trading. However on the assumption that isn’t the case, then no it has nothing to do with them.

    However it is still of vast importance to Scottish Football and to places like this blog. This is when a lot of this stuff we are talking about crystallizes. When people have to stop obfuscating. How the rest of Scottish football, the MSM and indeed the normal authorities react is hugely important.

    We are talking about systematic fraud, lying, cheating and stealing here. Tens of millions of pounds. The fact that it does not relate directly to New Rangers is really a very minor issue. How society in general, and football in particular react is a matter of great import to all of us. People tell us that rangers was a hugely important institution and a part of the fabric of society. How then will they react to it’s spectacular fall and the part played by those who owned and operated it.


  45. iceman63 says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 09:40

    How about just repeating the old lies !

    Sir David Murray had reduced the debt to 18 million from over 80 million , the bank was happy and the situation was under control. The club was in no danger when he sold it to Craig Whyte.

    ———————————————————

    I have taken the liberty of fixing that for you. (Pun intended).


  46. I wonder when the propaganda offensive from the MSM will begin in earnest
    Information will be leaked ahead of the decision being made public, to allow the apologists to put as much positive spin on events as they can
    They will outdo their past efforts with this one


  47. It’s interesting that no MSM outlet has picked up on the FTT decision having been communicated to MIH/D&P and HMRC as yet.

    Given the spat that RTC had with Graham Spiers last week about reporting PR releases without comment or checking the veracity of the claims, wouldn’t it be odd if they missed out on a great exclusive because they wanted to check out the story or to wait for the inevitable press release.


  48. This weekends gonna be fun. I shall take a sadistic pleasure in watching Jabba, Chico et al contorting themselves to a previously unfathomable degree in their desperate defence of all things RFC and Murray.

    The game’s up. I take comfort in the knowledge that very soon the very name of Rangers will be muck to every single last man, women and child in the UK. After all the BS Scottish football has had to put up with from them over the years, it’ll be cathartic to see them publicly exposed as the cheats we know they are.

    Do it Hector.


  49. yourhavingalaugh says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 09:17

    Gym & Chicko on Sportsound
    ——

    Spiffing.

    Are you that bloke that does Only An Excuse? 🙂


  50. The problem we have is that the piblic exposition will not happen. The truth will not be broadcast by STV or the MSM< and the BBC will do so only in couched terms and in a Daly documentary. The only hope we have of a decent outlet anywhere would be for the BEEB to put Cosgrove in charge of their Scottish Sport output. He is well capable, and honest and fearless. I think he knows a lot more than he ever reveals. A very smart guy indeed. He has even begun to educate Tam who has vastly improved from his original bam status!


  51. I remain astounded that TRFC spend so much time lionising the likes of CG and all things that glory those connected to Ibrox yet so little in demanding business plans and factual information on the state of the club’s finances.

    All CG has managed to do is contradict himself just about every time he speaks ( a Private Eye Greenballs column is shurely just around the corner).

    There are no accounts, there is no business plan yet a share issue is imminent and £17m pledged. Are you kidding me?

    In the deepest financial crisis for 80 years or so, there is queue of people in blue shirts willing to hand over a minimum of £500 to an organisation whose ownership and finances are unknown who operate a business that may well be loss making already and for the next 3 years has limited growth opportunities whilst in a previous guise only recently went bust in spectacular fashion.

    If the share issue goes ahead and as most us suspect the money disappears out of the club the only people to blame for this will be those that invest.

    Green has seen RFC fans gullibility in believing SDM and then CW. He knows that whilst you can’t fool all the people all the time, you most certainly can fool “The People” every time.

    Samuel L Jackson recorded a commercial for the Obama presidential campaign entitled “Wake the F… up”.

    Every TRFC fan should follow that advice.


  52. iceman63 says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 09:40
    How about just repreating the old ones !

    Sir David Murray had reduced the debt to 18 million from over 80 million , the bank was happy and the situation was under control. The club was in no danger when he sold it to Craig Whyte.
    ——————————————————————————

    “The club was in no danger when he sold it to Craig Whyte FOR A POUND”


  53. MSM excuse no. 734: “If only the financial journalists had been doing their job and got off their backsides and done some actual investigating, we would have had the basis for putting the difficult questions”

    None the less funny for having actually been used


  55. It really rips my knitting when the likes of Jabba are allowed to spew misinformation (especially at licence payers expense) without rebuttal. The bank were in no way happy with the financial situation.

    The bank were owed vast amounts by both rfc and mih. They knew there was no way of recouping this money and wanted off the train before it hit the buffers. They were so unhappy they threatened AJ and his board with instant financial meltdown to force through the sale!

    Let the FTT results be known. Let it be detailed in its analysis. Let the criminal cases begin!


  56. I think the value of the FTT result will be in the detail,as the cash will not be paid,obviously.
    My question today is:
    As Charlie and the Boys accepted liability for Oldcos football crimes as a condition of membership,can the SPL/SFA take any action wrt over a decade of cheating,non payment of tax etc.
    This would be seperate from the Dual Contracts issue.
    I’d assume UEFA will be watching this closely.


  57. torrejohnbhoy says:

    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:16

    As will FIFA, I have seen breakdowns of players who may have been improperly registered, and therefore ineligible to play, for SPl and SFA cup games. However, given that eligibility for the national side, depends upon the players being correctly registered at Association level, has anyone seen an impact analysis for the national side?


  58. A wild thought
    Could we be about to see a D&P statement that they were duped by Whyte during the asset sale to Green and now propose it be unwound ?
    Coupled with a Green statement that he intends TRFC to carry on regardless by renting the assets from the liquidator ?
    ………….. with TRFC buying the assets if they can raise £20m in the next few weeks?


  59. torrejohnbhoy says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:16

    I think the value of the FTT result will be in the detail,as the cash will not be paid,obviously.

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

    Not by the liquidated company, no.

    However that does not mean that individuals cannot be pursued, depending on the circumstances.

    I do agree with you though, it is the reasoning behind the decision which will be the really important issue. Who did what and when. How were decisions reached and by whom.


  60. I don’t believe UEFA or FIFA will do anything unless another team complains.

    Will another team complain? Doubt it as RFC PLC are about to be liquidated.

    I honestly don’t see any PUNISHMENT for sevco. Titles will be stripped but there will be no suspension or expulsion for RFC SEVCO. The sfa have already done so much to keep them that it is unlikely they will now punt them.


  61. goosygoosy says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:43

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

    LOL

    They wouldn’t be that transparent, Shirley.


  62. scapaflow14 says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:35

    Not The Huddle Malcontent says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:51
    =======================================================================I Hadn’t given the national team much thought,to be honest.I was more thinking about all the Euro ties that Oldco must have played in with illegally registered players,including the run to the UEFA final in 2008.
    I’d find it hard to believe that UEFA could walk away from over a decade of deliberate cheating without taking some sort of action.


  63. torrejohnbhoy says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 12:09
    0 0 Rate This
    scapaflow14 says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:35

    Not The Huddle Malcontent says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:51
    =======================================================================I Hadn’t given the national team much thought,to be honest.I was more thinking about all the Euro ties that Oldco must have played in with illegally registered players,including the run to the UEFA final in 2008.
    I’d find it hard to believe that UEFA could walk away from over a decade of deliberate cheating without taking some sort of action.
    ======================================================
    Think this is a red herring. I’ve heard this issue previously; but can find no evidence that players need to be registered with ANY club to be eligible for international matches. Eligibility seems pretty straightforward and does not appear to have any relationship with club contracts or registrations:
    http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/01/09/75/14/fifa_statutes_072008_en.pdf

    VII. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR ASSOCIATION TEAMS
    Article 15 Principle
    1 Any person holding a permanent nationality that is not dependent on residence in a certain country is eligible to play for the representative teams of the Association of that country.
    2 With the exception of the conditions specified in article 18 below, any Player who has already participated in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one Association may not play an international match for a representative team of another Association.


  64. Alex Tomo now tweeting about the FTTT decision – safe to assume that other media outlets must be aware also.

    Andrew Dempsey ‏@Dempsey1888
    @alextomo Hi alex starting to break up here that the FTT case against rangers has delivered its verdict to HMRC and RFC. Any word on ur end

    alex thomson ‏@alextomo
    @Dempsey1888 am told interested parties have received. Awaiting word on embargoed announcement.


  65. I agree HP

    Otherwise how would out of contract players be allowed to play international fitba?


  66. And when we get bored of the FTTT – Mr Souness and Mr Smith look as if they will keep us entertained.

    Celtic Underground ‏@celticrumours
    Now it’s time to ask again – why did Souness get an EBT when he was employed by a different club?What possible reason could there be?

    Barcabhoy ‏@Barcabhoy1
    @celticrumours No. The question is why did he get MULTIPLE EBT loans when he was employed elsewhere

    Chris TributeBandFC ‏@scottorandojin
    @Barcabhoy1 @celticrumours And Wattie? Let’s not forget Wattie.

    Barcabhoy ‏@Barcabhoy1
    @scottorandojin @celticrumours oh we haven’t forgotten about Wattie . Not at all


  67. Not The Huddle Malcontent says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 12:30

    Fair point, hadn’t thought about that!


  68. scapaflow14 says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:35

    …given that eligibility for the national side, depends upon the players being correctly registered at Association level, has anyone seen an impact analysis for the national side?
    —————————————————-
    Well on the bright side, the Scottish national team are not in any danger of having their record of having won world cups and European championships stripped from them. (In fact, if FIFA/UEFA could extend any action to the deletion of all mention of Argentina ’78 from the records, I’d be much obliged)


  69. TW (@tartanwulver) says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 12:58

    Well on the bright side, the Scottish national team are not in any danger of having their record of having won world cups and European championships stripped from them.
    ——

    In fact, seeing as Scotland “coincidentally” turned pish just when all this cheating was originally kicking off, perhaps UEFA and FIFa will see fit to re-writing their records as us having qualified for every tournament since (after all, the track record prior to RFC’s swindlery is there).

    We should then have every match awarded 3-0 in our favour, and a parallel series of World Cup and Euro trophies awarded to us.


  70. Ooh – St Mirren not doing too well today.

    Last time I saw a team down 4-0 in half an hour was when Aberdeen took a 6-1 cuffing off Livingston. That was the first game I took my son to. Bad move.


  71. It will be very interesting seeing the reaction in the MSM when the result of the tribunal is released.

    Will they do their usual and print verbatim without comment or does that only happen when trying to push a positive story about Rangers?

    I’m sure there are editorial meetings going on right now.


  72. torrejohnbhoy says:
    Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 11:16
    7 1 Rate This
    I think the value of the FTT result will be in the detail,as the cash will not be paid,obviously.
    My question today is:
    As Charlie and the Boys accepted liability for Oldcos football crimes as a condition of membership,can the SPL/SFA take any action wrt over a decade of cheating,non payment of tax etc.
    This would be seperate from the Dual Contracts issue.
    I’d assume UEFA will be watching this closely.
    +++++
    Is there any evidence that Green accepted anything other than the transfer ban?

    According to Charlie he did not accept anything and the SFA folded to allow them to play in the Ramsdens cup.


  75. Just going over McCoist’s interview of yesterday again, It beggar’s belief that he takes the view that CW failure to pay £14m to HMRC was a personal decision and not one carried out in the “club’s” name. McCoist has spent the vast majority of his life involved in football, and know’s fine well how football clubs are run at board level, and no amount of “I DIDNAE KEN” from him will wash with fans or the general public.

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