Over the past couple of years, we have built a healthy, vibrant and influential community which recognises the need to counter the corporate propaganda spouted by the mainstream media on behalf of the football authorities.
The media have, not entirely but in the main, been hostage to the patronage of those in charge of the club/media links, and to the narrow demographic of their readership. Despite a continuing rejection of the media’s position by that readership (in terms of year on year slump in sales) there is an obstinate refusal to see what is by now inevitable – the death of the print media. The lamb metaphor in fact ironically moving to the slaughter.
The football authorities in Scotland, once the country that gave the world the beautiful game, are rigid with fear that their own world will fall apart – because they are wedded to the idea that only one football match actually matters. To that end they will do whatever it takes to ensure that it continues. They have long since dispensed with the notion that football is an interdependent industry, and incredibly, even those who are not participants in that match follow like sheep towards the abattoir.
The argument is no longer that one club cheated and got away with it. The debate that we need to have is one about what is paramount in the eyes of the clubs and the media . Is it the inegrity of sporting endeavour, or box-office?
For out part, independent sites like this have accelerated the print media’s demise, and there have been temporary successes in persuading the clubs to uphold the spirit of sport. However our role has up to now been to cast a spotlight on the inaccuracies, inconsistencies and downright lies that routinely pass for news. News that is imagined up by PR agencies and dutifully copied by the lazy pretend-journalists who betray no thought whatsoever during the process.
Despite our successes, it really is not enough. We have the means at our disposal to do more, but do more we need to change ourselves, because the authorities sure as hell aren’t gonna.
We need to provide meaningful insight into the game that removes the Old Firm prism from the light path. We need to provide news that has covered all of the angles. We need to entertain, inform and energise fans of sport and all clubs.
We need to do that from a wholly independent perspective. None of this refusing to tell the truth about club allegiances. There is no reason why intelligent men and women can’t be objective in spite of their own allegiances (although the corollary absolutely holds true). Our experience of the MSM in this country is that the lack of arms-length principles in the media has corrupted it to such an extent that they barely recognise truth and objectivity. We need to be firm on those arms-length principles.
In order to do that we have put together a plan (with enough room to manoeuvre if required) as follows;
We will rebrand and re-launch as the Independent Sports Monitor. We have acquired the domains isMonitor.co.uk and IndependentSportsMonitor.co.uk, and those will be the main urls after the re-launch, hopefully later in the summer.
The change in name reflects the reality of our current debate which is not always confined to Scotland or football. It will also give us the option in future of applying the success of our model to other sports and jurisdictions through partner sites and blogs. This should also help in our efforts to raise funds in the future. However any expansion outwith the domain of Scottish football is some time away, and will depend on the success we have with the core model.
Our mission statement will be;
- ISM will seek to build a community of sports fans whose overarching aim is the integrity of competition in the sport.
- ISM will, without favour, seek to find objective truths on the conduct and administration of sport. We will avoid building relationships with individuals or organisations which would bring us into conflict with that.
- ISM will provide a platform for the views of ALL fans, and guarantee that those views will be heard in a mutually respectful environment.
- ISM will also endeavour to inform and entertain members on a wide range of topics related to our shared love of sport.
- ISM will seek to represent the views of sports fans to sporting authorities and hold the authorities to account.
We have estimated our (modest) costs to expand our role as per recent discussions. The expanded role will take the form of a new Internet Radio Channel where we hope to provide 24/7 content by the end of the year. It will also see a greater news role where we will engage directly with clubs and authorities to seek answers to our questions directly. And we will seek to contact the best fan sites across Scotland with a view to showcasing their content.
We have identified individuals who we want to work (initially on a part time basis) towards our objectives, we have identified premises where we want to conduct our business, and we hope to move into those premises during this summer.
To finance these plans there are a couple of stages;
- Initially (as soon as possible) we need to pay accommodation and hosting costs for the first year. To do so, we hope to appeal to the community itself. Our aim is to raise around £5000 by the end of August.
- There are salary costs (around £15,000) attached to our first year plan, but these have been underwritten by Big Pink, and equipment costs (est. £3000). These will be reimbursed if the advertising campaign we recently started bears any fruit (we will not know about that for a few months).
- It will not be too discouraging if we make losses in the first couple of years, so if necessary we will seek crowd-funding to finance our plans if the resources of the community itself prove inadequate to smooth a path to break-even point.
Our first year may be a perilous hand-to-mouth existence, but I am certain the journey will be an exciting and enjoyable one. We will also need to search our community resources for contacts at clubs; players, officials, ex-players, local journalists etc. Please get in touch if you have any in at your club.
We also hope to tap into the expertise of our community for advice, comment and analysis of developments, and we will be looking for any aspiring presenters, journalists, sound and video editors, graphic designers (and lots of others) to help us find our feet. Any offers of assistance would be gratefully accepted.
We mustn’t lose sight of why we are doing this. It is because we love our sport, because we want to be able to continue to call it that, and because the disconnect we find in Scottish football, that of the conflicting interests of the fans and the money men, will never be addressed as long as the fans are hopelessly split.
The ultimate goal is to allow sport – not our individual clubs – to triumph over the greed and corporate troglodyte-ism of those people who run it. I am confident that we as a community desperately want to be able to make a difference. That is why I am confident we can achieve our aim of becoming a significant player in the game.
AJ
As a guess, and from some experience of how these things work, the ‘official’ letter to the press won’t be the damning factor for sure. However the off the record phonecall between the Big 4 and no doubt the trickle factor thereafter not to touch them with a bargepole pretty much will be.
lord nimmo again,really!.
Lord Nimmo Smith has been used in evidence in support of the notion that old Rangers FC survived liquidation. He said that a football club can exist separate from its holding company. Now we have the bizarre position where not only can a football club be separated from its history and its history be sold on (even if the club is subsequently liquidated along with its holding company), but a club can also exist without an owner. If the Manchester United Board decided voluntarily to liquidate Manchester Utd Plc then Manchester Utd FC would no longer exist, except in the minds of its supporters. To argue that Manchester’s history could be auctioned either pre or post liquidation defies interpretation in the real world of insolvency.
Lord Nimmo Smith was also wrong when he said that Rangers FC still exists. He was reflecting the view of the SFA who, we know, know Sweet FA, not least their own arcane humpty-dumpty rules. Dr Gregory Ioannidis, a leading authority on Sports Law, agrees that “the history of a club cannot pass from one company [into liquidation] to another”. The import of LNS’ claim was that the new Rangers FC could be punished for the sins of the old Rangers FC, if they were one and the same club. If he had maintained that claim and punished the Rangers currently plying their trade in the SFL then a court challenge would have immediately nullified that punishment on several grounds: 1) such a punishment would harm newco and newco had nothing to do with oldco 2) the Rangers in the SFL is a new club (insolvency law saw to that) and, like newco, had nothing to do with the sins of old Rangers. In the end, LNS strayed clear of punishing newco in any shape or form and, instead, levied a futile fine on oldco. HMRC, like Dr Gregory Ioannidis, and consistent with insolvency law, also recognise that newco has no connection whatsoever with oldco. Unlike insolvency law, LNS’ philosophical musings are not legally binding; nor do they set a legal precedent.
Is tis a good wind up ,or what ?
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/1891016_1637019699917954_1867425550456980185_n.jpg?oh=e01bcd8defe44b6165b9ad51aeb18056&oe=5629492A
burghGer,
what does this bit mean ?
We see no room or need for separate findings of breaches by Rangers FC, which was not a separate legal entity and was then part (although clearly in football and financial terms the key part) of the undertaking of Oldco.
If you scroll down to just below the Maltese club in 318th place on
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html
you will find the current Scotland Coefficient. If UEFA stick with the current format that equivalent co-efficient in 3 years time would also be TRFC regardless of where UEFA stand on OCNC because OC’s coeficient will be zero anyway (unless NC play Europa league before). The clubs get the country’s coefficient added to their own based on the previous 5 years of European performance. That coeeficient is what the seeding would be based upon and I would imagine be the bottom seed of the “Champions” route should the get to the play-off stage (effectively the 4th qualifying round). Such a low coefficient may even see them playing in the first qualifying round along with Gibraltar’s and the Faroe Islands’ champions plus one or two other minnows because most of the bigger nations below Scotland will have Champions with a recent European pedigree and therefore a coefficeient to add to their country’s coefficient.
Probably as clear as mud but that’s the story.
tykebhoy says:
Member: (193 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 12:54 pm
Unless Gers qualify this season we’ll be wiped from the team rankings altogether, given it’s been 5 years since our last participation.
Any subsequent re-entry would then be with the sum of scotland’s base-level coefficient points for the preceding 5 years, as if any other first-timer got in.
Thanks tykebhoy, very kind of you.
Rumours on Twitter that the HMRC appeal v oldco will be heard tomorrow.
Anyone confirm?
Allyjambo says:
Member: (1063 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 12:08 pm
As I said, it’s just some thoughts on the letter. One thing’s for sure, the letter has been leaked,
============================
Are we talking about the same letter here? The notice of resignation by Deloittes? The resignation letter had to be copied to all shareholders by the company within 14 days- that is a Company’s Act requirement, as set out in the final paragraph of the letter. In fact when the letter first appeared on Saturday, I assumed it was a fake because it didn’t appear to have been copied to shareholders by the statutory time limit.
I can’t get rid of the flaming ‘dashboard’screen that now comes up when you try to sign in to the PM page!
I have confirmed by personal visit to the desk in Parliament House that the kick-off time tomorrow is 10.30 a.m in Court 2.
Troutbank, I shall be at rendez-vous point at about 9.45.
Strange-that dashboard screen didn’t appear when I went back in again!
Allyjambo says
6th July 2015 12.08 p.m.
____________________
The Deloittes letter gives no indication or explanation regarding the nature of the perceived threats and intimidation. What could the threats have been? For example, a recorded telephone call to the effect that “You had better not include a ‘going concern’ warning in the accounts or else you will be swimming with the fishes in the Clyde”. What exactly was the Deloittes staff doing on a day-to-day basis that brought them to the notice of the thugs?
Why were Deloittes so confident that the threats/intimidation came from third party sources that they were happy to say so in their letter? Did the police give the auditors this assurance, following possible enquiries into the matter? In that case the police must have investigated the threats and identified these third parties.
Last week Level 5’s poodle (exposingtherhats) told the nation that the Ashley/King meeting had NOT been recorded – a pretty bold statement to make in the light of modern technology. Even the Russian Embassy would balk at making such claims. Like the Deloitte unanswered questions, is this yet another piece of PR management designed to give comfort to the bears?
burghGer says:
Member: (15 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 11:56 am
Lord Nimmo-Smith and the two other QCs agreed unanimously that Rangers had broken the rules and fined the club accordingly.
What potential penalty was avoided is an irrelevance.
No amount of spin or obfuscation changes that.
neepheid says:
Member: (672 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 1:38 pm
Ok, the letter is in the public domain, makes no difference to it’s content or impact. Still reads better, for a bear, if it doesn’t give their ‘going concern’ status as a cause for the auditors resignation. I’m sure the spin will be that the threats and intimidation were the only problem Deloittes had with the club, allowing the media not to question it’s financial state and ability to honour season tickets purchased. Whether Deloittes, themselves, would be concerned about this, or whether it’s a standard courtesy to try to avoid further damage to a company’s reputation as a result of the auditors resignation with reference to the company’s finances, I don’t know.
Regardless, it is a terrible thing that people should have to face these threats and intimidation because other people don’t like the message, the truth, that they are duty bound to publish. But…
Once again, the world is conspiring against them. Rally round the flag boys…
Homunculus,
No, he didn’t. He correctly (in terms of evidence based guilt) found Oldco bang to rights but then actively went out of his way to distinguish between Oldco and Rangers Football Club.
You then need to wait until line 10 of page three and onwards throughout before he starts contradicting himself.
Smugas says:
Member: (866 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 2:23 pm
I believe the SPL Board instructed LNS according to a “Notice of Commission” they produced and approved themselves.
The terminology drawing the dastardly distinction of OldCo being “the owner and operator of Rangers FC” is used 12 times in this instruction (reproduced in the Annex of the Commission’s Decision).
In light of this, the blame surely couldn’t be laid at the door of Lord Nimmo Smith & his two QCs for distinguishing in the manner they did. The terms of reference were assigned to him as part of his brief from the get-go.
Smugas says:
Member: (866 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 2:23 pm
In deference to the board and it’s members I don’t intend getting involved in a circular argument regarding this. Particularly if all it involves is semantics.
In my view Rangers (whether you make the distinction between a company or a football club makes no difference) were accused of breaking the rules and after a hearing were found guilty. They were found guilty on a unanimous verdict. They were sentenced to a fine for having done it.
Seperating the football club from the company or the company from the actions of it’s officers makes no difference.
That is all.
Allyjambo says:
Member: (1064 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Whether Deloittes, themselves, would be concerned about this, or whether it’s a standard courtesy to try to avoid further damage to a company’s reputation as a result of the auditors resignation with reference to the company’s finances, I don’t know.
====================
I was surprised that Deloittes stuck with this audit for as long as they did, especially following the magical mystery disappearing £3.5m “facility”, on the basis of which they felt able to sign off the first accounts.
My own view of the letter is that Deloittes are simply sending a signal to the rest of the profession that this particular audit is a bed of nails, and best left well alone.
Giovanni says:
Member: (29 comments)
July 5, 2015 at 11:26 am
Given the reasons stated for the resignation by Deloittes I don’t see that any of the other large UK audit companies, EY, PwC or KPMG, would be willing to take on the gig. Also, again given the circumstances, I don’t see any of the Scottish based audit companies being willing to take it on.
So where next? An English based company, at even greater expense, since they’d lack a Glasgow office.
=============================
Given that Auditor’s are in the main considered to be a professional
group of people, you will find it hard to locate a firm from England,
Ireland, Wales or Saturn to takeover the task.
Will they not find it strange there is no queue along Edmiston drive
trying to secure this prestigious client.
Had Deloitte not given advance notice of their intention to resign, and
with the comments in the letter sent to RIFC, decided the time was now
right.
TRFC seem now to have a supporters consultation group so that there will be further media presence and a mechanism for the supporters to fund capital projects and put more money into the entity.
Where is the Glaswegian ‘aye right’ when it is needed!
Good Afternoon.
Here’s a light-hearted (and short) piece about the introduction of vanishing spray…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/when-vanishing-spray-goes-bad/
Enjoy the rest of the day
burghGer says:
Member: (16 comments)
I think that is more or less what happened. Given that the prosecution essentially agreed with the defence on the interpretation of the rules, Nimmo Smith was left with little choice.
I would remind people that essentially the same people who were on the various boards then, are on them now, all that’s changed is the seating arrangements. So, if/when it all goes pear shaped again, don’t expect any Damascene Conversions to “doing the right thing”, these same people will seek to behave in the same way, leopards, spots etc.
BorrowaTenner says:
July 6, 2015 at 3:21 pm
Given that Auditor’s are in the main considered to be a professional
group of people, you will find it hard to locate a firm from England,
Ireland, Wales or Saturn to takeover the task.
————————————————————
A nice opportunity for a foreign firm to open a Scottish branch office…maybe a company from, say, the southern tip of Africa could open an office on Edmiston Drive?
There hasn’t been any public info to analyse coming from Ibrox recently that is non-football or ST related. That, IMO, is how it should be.
This lack of info has led to a decrease in postings here, and some reruns of prior discussions.
I frequently harp on about how TRFC attracts all the headlines in the SMSM at the expense of positive stories elsewhere in the leagues. We are also focused here on TRFC – in the main – and SFA/SPFL governance, but at some point it would be good to focus on other clubs / initiatives in Scottish football etc.
The TRFC saga is arguably still the main story in Scottish football, and the SFA/SPFL has been seriously discredited along the way as well.
But coming back to the blog post, I did enjoy the last radio show with info about Motherwell, ICT etc. because it showed how much I don’t know about Scottish football !
If/when the Ibrox club stabilises, and the SFA & SPFL is reconstituted, we can indeed all move on…whichever decade that may be ? 🙄
redlichtie says:
Member: (255 comments)
July 5, 2015 at 2:20 pm
upthehoops says:
Member: (769 comments)
July 5, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Homunculus says:
Member: (83 comments)
July 5, 2015 at 8:19 am
=================================
The positive media spin for Rangers is quite incredible given the following:
– They have no NOMAD
– They have no Auditors
– They have no credit facilities
– They have to borrow money from Directors every month to pay wages
– They make next to nothing from Kit merchandising
– Almost every asset they have has been used as security
You really would think there is a few good stories in there for the media to go after.
===================================================
With such a prevalent set of “no’s”, there must be a big, big, gigantic
risk that this company has a pretty good chance of going under (again!),
and therefore being unable to fulfil their football obligations.
With the chaos and pandemonium this will bring about in the championship,
and make Scotland the laughing stock of European football, would it not
be prudent to withdraw their license now.
Exactly WHAT are Donaster and Regan being remunerated for?
Being AIM listed normally requires big 4 auditors or just below that exalted category.
Not being AIM listed enlarges the pool of possible auditors. There must be some tame ones out there willing to take the RIFC Shilling.
BorrowaTenner says:
Member: (58 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 3:21 pm
Giovanni says:
Member: (29 comments)
July 5, 2015 at 11:26 am
Given the reasons stated for the resignation by Deloittes I don’t see that any of the other large UK audit companies, EY, PwC or KPMG, would be willing to take on the gig. Also, again given the circumstances, I don’t see any of the Scottish based audit companies being willing to take it on.
So where next? An English based company, at even greater expense, since they’d lack a Glasgow office.
=============================
Given that Auditor’s are in the main considered to be a professional
group of people, you will find it hard to locate a firm from England,
Ireland, Wales or Saturn to takeover the task.
Will they not find it strange there is no queue along Edmiston drive
trying to secure this prestigious client.
Had Deloitte not given advance notice of their intention to resign, and
with the comments in the letter sent to RIFC, decided the time was now
right.
===========================================================================
IIRC Deloitte indicated their intention not to seek reappointment for the June 2015 audit some time ago. I suspect that with no replacement having been appointed and the year in question drawing to a close they felt compelled to actually resign.
Tartanwulver says:
Member: (246 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Tongue firmly in cheek there I presume!!!
The big 4 reside comfortably in most African countries (RSA have audit and consultancy arms for the big 4 and more) and the audit profession there is well knit. Not to say a company in Scotland would be blacklisted but the audit profession would know when not to touch someone with the proverbial barge pole and in this case they might argue that there is not even a barge pole long enough.
We have said it often enough but when, really, are our Administrators going to grasp this problem firmly by the throat and deal with it before it does become even more of a severe embarrassment to Scottish football. When so much information is in the open for all to see they would be hard pressed to justify not dealing with the issue pre-petrified cup time should there be any mid-season administration/liquidation.
Serious question. Has any member of our heroic press ever asked David Murray why he issued all of those side letters when everyone in football knows that they were totally against the rules?
I know it’s an old subject but it seems to be irrefutable proof that under Murray Rangers knowingly cheated on many, many occasions. They then also lied about it and hid the evidence.
How can any Rangers fan, knowing this, think that they have ever been ‘victims’ in this? Their owner was a cheat who hid payments to many players from the football authorities and the tax man.
John Clark says:
July 6, 2015 at 1:41 pm
I have confirmed by personal visit to the desk in Parliament House that the kick-off time tomorrow is 10.30 a.m in Court 2.
Troutbank, I shall be at rendez-vous point at about 9.45.
……………………………………………
Sorry, JC, but I am unlikely to be able to join you for a bit of brouhaha this week.
However, I look forward to your amusing and enlightening notes of the Proceedings
Could the prospect of TRFC being knocked out of two cups in a week(unless the Peterhead game get’s moved)see the Level 5 spin reach Level 6
Can i just ask.
How many Trialists are TRFC allowed to play in these cup games,(I just remembered they had a thing for trialists at the beginning) The first cup game is 3 weeks away. And the addition of two players just now does not build up the squad enough.
Homunculus says:
Member: (90 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 11:30 am
essexbeancounter says:
Member: (215 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 10:59 am
It’s amazing how many things which were reported as a “victory” weren’t quite that. As you say the “victory” at the FTT was actually a defeat in several cases, involving several million pounds. If those cases had stood on their own it would have been seen as a crushing defeat but they were easily concealed within the “victory”.
If I remember correctly the other main “victory” with regards side letters actually resulted in something like a £250,000 fine. Not the sort of “victory” I would be looking for, found guilty and fined heavily.
======================================
Has this fine ever been paid?
John Clark,
Really good to hear you will be there tomorrow. Looking forward to your reports.
Official: Tottenham starlet Winks pens new deal
Goal.com News / 19min ago
The England Under-19 midfielder has agreed a three-year extension, with the option for another year, and could be set for a bigger role under Mauricio Pochettino next season
>>>>> he was one of the buy-ST-level5 stories wasn’t he ?
JC,
All power to your elbow.
AG at 8.33pm. Yes that was Harry Winks.( Level 5 had him down as “wink wink” for ST purposes) Do I need my coat.
Methilhill Stroller says:
Member: (85 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 6:50 pm
Tartanwulver says:
Member: (246 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Tongue firmly in cheek there I presume!!!
The big 4 reside comfortably in most African countries (RSA have audit and consultancy arms for the big 4 and more) and the audit profession there is well knit. Not to say a company in Scotland would be blacklisted but the audit profession would know when not to touch someone with the proverbial barge pole and in this case they might argue that there is not even a barge pole long enough.
========================================================
Are we now at the point where someone with his finger continually on the pulse, a giant amongst his peers in the Big 4, a RRM, steps up to the plate and goes solo as the auditor for RIFC/TRFC?
Cometh the hour, cometh the man ….where are you Neil Patey? Your density awaits. Or was that destiny? No matter.
Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.
A quality headline in the DR about TRFC’s new keeper;
“Wes Foderingham: I was so angry with Paolo di Canio I took the hinges off a door so joining a club as big as Rangers doesn’t faze me in the slightest”
Does this mean Wes believes that his DIY skills are ample for Ibrox stadium’s needs ?
Will Warburton have to burn his fingers to get him grafting ?
Did Wes grill Warburton about his DIY duties ?
Will Warburton earn his crust ?
Will Warburton use his loaf and demand a warchest to complete his squad ?
Does King have any dough for Warburton ?
Is King toast ?
etc… 😯
StevieBC says:
Member: (767 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 10:51 pm
‘..“Wes Foderingham: I was so angry with Paolo di Canio I took the hinges off a door so joining a club as big as Rangers..’
________
Was Wes coached at any time by Terry Butcher? Sounds as if he the right material for Ibrox.( No harm to big Terry, who did such a good job at ICT but made an ill-advised career move. Is he in a job now?)
ekt1m says:
Member: (66 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 8:43 pm
If I remember correctly Keith Jackson (former subordinate of Jim (Level 5) Traynor) broke that “story on twitter.
Heaven forfend Traynor is using Jackson as his outlet for feel good rumours.
john clark…..
look forward to your update from the court tomorrow.
I think proceedings are scheduled for tuesday to friday.
buddy
In preparation for tomorrow, I was rummaging around my chaotic filing system trying to find my print-out of the Lord Doherty UTTT judgement.
I came across my handwritten copy of one of the CF items that was pulled round about the time, I think, when RTC was under threat.
I copied it in manuscript probably because I hadn’t a clue how to print it off, or because there was no ink in the feckin printer.
But it ( the CF item) was supposedly a letter from a media man to a lawyer and a man called Craig.
It was dated 21.06.2011, and it referenced a male monarch, suggesting that one would have to establish whether the monarch was temporarily or permanently toxic, and offering the opportunity to meet with an agent from the dark continent who, for a consideration, would deliver the ‘secret ‘ file on the monarch.
I didn’t dream that up, surely? or was the media man living in a fantasy John le Carre world?
Did anyone take an actual print of the item at the time?
redlichtie says:
Member: (256 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 8:51 pm
Neil Patey of Ernst & Young is registered as an auditor. So he could presumably do it (if it’s the same Neil Patey).
I’m not sure if his firm want the gig though.
Neil Patey CA
Reg No: 8882848
Ernst & Young LLP (C009126168)
Ten George Street
EDINBURGH
EH2 2DZ
Registered By: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Terry Butcher is now manager of league two team Newport County. I suggest he will struggle with this gig as the sugar daddy owner has just pulled out and the player budget has been reduced for this season. Newport appear to be one of the favourites for the drop back into non-league. I would suggest if they don’t get relegated TB would have done a good job.
tykebhoy says:
Member: (193 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 12:54 pm
jimbo says:
Member: (25 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 11:31 am
Someone posted recently about If Rangers were to be Scottish Champions in 3 years time (I Know!) what would be the entry details re. qualifying rounds & seeding. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks.
If you scroll down to just below the Maltese club in 318th place on
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html
you will find the current Scotland Coefficient. If UEFA stick with the current format that equivalent co-efficient in 3 years time would also be TRFC regardless of where UEFA stand on OCNC because OC’s coeficient will be zero anyway (unless NC play Europa league before). The clubs get the country’s coefficient added to their own based on the previous 5 years of European performance. That coeeficient is what the seeding would be based upon and I would imagine be the bottom seed of the “Champions” route should the get to the play-off stage (effectively the 4th qualifying round). Such a low coefficient may even see them playing in the first qualifying round along with Gibraltar’s and the Faroe Islands’ champions plus one or two other minnows because most of the bigger nations below Scotland will have Champions with a recent European pedigree and therefore a coefficeient to add to their country’s coefficient.
Probably as clear as mud but that’s the story.
############################################################
The round of entry is set by the countrys position in uefa co-efficents, scotland are currently 23rd.
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/access2015.html
Seeding of a scottish club who have never played in the last 5 years in europe would be 2.885 this year, i.e partick thistle win SPFL.
Year to year the precise seeding ecisions vary dependent upon which club qualifies for which competition, but broadly year-to-year the approximate tipping point between seed/non-seed in each round is about the same.
A co-efficient of 2.885 in the champions league would almost certainly be QR2 non seeded and also QR3 & QR4 non seeded if beating the seeds.
A co-efficient of 2.885 in the europa league would almost certainly be QR1 non seeded and also QR2, QR3 & QR4 non seeded if beating the seeds.
Understandng the complexities of uefa co-efficients is not too simple.
All the best to Aberdeen and St. Johnstone on thursday.
Buddy
I’ve been having a look at the Woman’s World Cup via youtube and have found the highlights rather entertaining. I think that football suits the female physique as its about deftness, balance and quick feet. Here’s a wee link to the final.
https://youtu.be/MCG2ycuoOg4
BorrowaTenner says:
Member: (60 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 7:43 pm
“Has this fine ever been paid?”
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I think as a footballing debt and under the terms of the facilitation of the new Rangers into the league, TRFCL were pinned with the fine. They never paid it so the league took it out of their prize money for something that they won.
burghGer says:
Member: (16 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 2:41 pm
“I believe the SPL Board instructed LNS according to a “Notice of Commission” they produced and approved themselves.”
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This decision was discussed heavily back in 2013 when it was made and again about a year ago when Auldheid was putting together some material to quiz the authorities with. Despite having a penchant for summarising history I’m not sure I can willingly raise myself to rekindle the LNS debate.
You should not however mistake a general disinterest in the topic as indicating your superior understanding of the issues. That would be very wide of the mark indeed. The decision and reasons for the decision are out there for anyone to read and draw their own conclusions.
There was no title stripping since LNS deemed that no sporting advantage was accrued by Rangers (IL) misregistration of numerous players over a prolonged period of time. This was felt to be a novel conclusion since there is ample evidence that even minor infringements of player registration rules routinely attract sanction from the governing authorities.
Haywire says:
Member: (43 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 7:01 pm
‘.. I am unlikely to be able to join you for a bit of brouhaha this week.’
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It would be great to see you,if you can manage an appearance any time during the week.
There were others from SFM (as we now are) who attended some sessions of the UTTT hearing.
It would likewise be great to see them again,or other members of this ‘integrity in Scottish Football’ blog community.
We must bear in mind that if HMRC fail in their appeal, all that that means is that, under taxation legislation, SDM and his fellow directors are innocent of the crime of tax evasion,if not of any moral offence .
For us ,and the general run of football-as-sport punters, the offence of which they were guilty was the offence of cheating the Sport, and every other club and supporter.
A serious offence, indeed.
But NOWHERE near as serious as the offence committed by the Football Authorities themselves, in prostituting themselves, abandoning the very principles on which our football, or sport in general, is founded, for the sake of the filthy lucre to be milked from the pretence that a new club is the same as the dead, rotten corruption of a club that was killed by SDM…
But I think I may have said that before!
John Clark says:
Member: (955 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 11:34 pm
I have that document but not in an attachable file format. I’ll try PM’ing you a link.
part time pete says:
Member: (5 comments)
July 6, 2015 at 11:46 pm
‘..Terry Butcher is now manager of league two team Newport County.’
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Thanks for that info, part time pete.
Well, Butcher did pretty well at ICT on a low budget. He might well work the oracle at Newport. I wish him well.
Castofthousands says:
Member: (235 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 12:34 am
‘I have that document but not in an attachable file format. I’ll try PM’ing you a link.’
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Thank you, CoT. I was beginning to think I was the one who was fantasying!
JC thanks again for volunteering for Court duties again.
This is one very clear example where the Internet Bampots add value over and above the SMSM.
And JC is well informed before he enters court and in a much better position to understand and report on proceedings.
That is why I value your reports JC and disregard any SMSM coverage.
Enjoy your day in court John.
Indeed he did but his use of language was ‘careful’. He’s a ‘story machine’
If HMRC lose the latest appeal starting today is that the end? I was always under the impression the House of Lords is still an option.
upthehoops says:
Member: (770 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 7:08 am
‘..If HMRC lose the latest appeal starting today is that the end? I was always under the impression the House of Lords is still an option.’
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A few years ago the concept of ‘Law Lords in the House of Lords’ as the highest Court in the land was replaced by the idea of Supreme Court.
In today’s case, the Court of Session judges are sitting in this civil matter as judges of the UK Supreme Court.There is, as far as I know, no further appeal. ( I don’t think there’s any appeal to the European Court of human this that or the other!)
Castofthousands says:
July 6, 2015 at 11:52 pm
I’ve been having a look at the Woman’s World Cup via youtube and have found the highlights rather entertaining.
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The greatest things about football, in my opinion, are that such a simple framework can provide limitless potential entertainment, and that it can be enjoyed at some level by everyone. A ball (or equivalent), ‘jumpers for goal posts’, and you’re off – the most basic of equipment, simple rules, with endless permutations for how those components can be developed. Throw in variations on the basics due to individual skills and team organisation, add in a role for all different physiques, from the big and burly to the wee and nippy, and finish off with different expressions in the way the game is played in different parts of the world. Magic.
Some of the radio discussion I heard about the women’s world cup showed an underlying casual misogyny that said more about the presenters that it did about the standard of the games. But once upon a time, it was thought that foreigners couldn’t play football to the ‘British’ standard, until England v. Hungary, Real Madrid at Hampden, Brazil 1970, etc. put those thoughts to bed. Black footballers used to be referred to in veiled racist terms, criticising their tactical naivety and inability to play in the British winter, until Regis, Barnes and Anderson others showed that up as nonsense. The women’s game in this country is a long way behind the men’s game in terms of professionalism, but has a much less developed history and is developing quickly. It is an entertaining ‘product’, which I hope will bring it more funding, and I hope we get to see a lot more of it.
It’s a game for everyone, and that is its joy.
Tartanwulver says:
Member: (245 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 8:40 am
‘..The women’s game in this country is a long way behind the men’s game in terms of professionalism, ..’
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But yon Gemma Fay is light years ahead of most of the blokes as an articulate knowledgeable advocate of, and spokesperson ,for the game and for sport generally.In my opinion.
Caught sight of an interesting twitter exchange yesterday between Barcabhoy, Keith Jackson and others regarding DCK’s lack of investment.
Essentially, (if I’ve understood correctly) KJ seemingly thinks that DCK can turn his loan into a investment any time he chooses by converting it to equity “or am I missing something” to paraphrase.
People pointing out the shares have to be offered to all existing shareholders in equal proportion unless 75% of said shareholders approve the disapplication of pre-emption rights. So yes, missing something.
It is unreasonable to expect sports journalists to have the understanding of their business colleagues. However, it is surely to be expected that on a story as big and as long running as the Rangers saga, that a basic comprehension of the means by which money might come into the business would have been garnered by now.
It is sometimes speculated that the MSM journos look into SFM for information. On yesterday’s evidence, perhaps not.
https://www.accountancylive.com/deloitte-resigns-rangers%E2%80%99-auditor-after-threats-staff
When the subscription screen comes up, just click on the x at the bottom right of that screen.
Confirmation, if confirmation was ever needed, as to why Deloittes resigned.
Herald reports Donaster suggesting restructure to bigger top league:http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/neil-doncaster-suggests-spfl-restructure-may-be-only-way-forward.131193397
Not sure if this is anything more than throwing fluff in the air to see which way the wind’s blowing. It was only in May the Record reported this:
“15, May 2015
SPFL clubs are set to slam the door shut on fans’ wishes for a 16-team top flight – despite Neil Doncaster’s vision of a bigger Premiership.
The league chief paved the way for more reconstruction talks by admitting an expanded elite league would be the solution to the end-of-season fixture pile-up that has wreaked havoc with the Scottish Cup and promotion play-offs.
Supporters have long demanded an increased top division but Record Sport understands there is little appetite among clubs.
The majority are delighted with the impact of the play-offs and the financial windfall from the Ladbrokes deal. There is also a reluctance over changes that could be seen as giving Rangers a leg-up.
Doncaster admitted there was little chance of change this summer due to the three-year lockdown applied after the 2013 merger but suggested talks could happen next season – only for clubs to pour cold water on that.”
Havok was wreaked with the end of season play-offs and Scottish Cup? Must have missed that 😕
Carlyle says:
Member: (17 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 9:45 am
https://www.accountancylive.com/deloitte-resigns-rangers%E2%80%99-auditor-after-threats-staff
When the subscription screen comes up, just click on the x at the bottom right of that screen.
Confirmation, if confirmation was ever needed, as to why Deloittes resigned.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Have read the article, author looking for an MSM job?
£155k isn’t a “lucrative” audit fee. Deloitte in Glasgow will have many larger clients than that. The fact that it’s not a big fee makes it a damn sight easier for the firm to not continue.
I note confirmation of what I was recalling yesterday:
“We confirmed to the Rangers board in November last year that, following the completion of our duties as statutory auditors for the year ended 30 June 2014, we would not be seeking to be the group’s auditors for the 30 June 2015 year end.”
Tincks says:
Member: (145 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 9:39 am
It is sometimes speculated that the MSM journos look into SFM for information. On yesterday’s evidence, perhaps not.
______________________________
When you listen to, or read something, that doesn’t fit into your agenda, especially when you are paid to push that agenda, then it is very likely that your brain doesn’t attach itself to such contradictory information. This, I suppose, could also be a deliberate shunning of unwelcome information.
I suspect some of those journalists we love to mock are not as stupid as their writings make them appear, they just have an agenda they have to stick to that means they have to write mince in a way that suggests they haven’t understood information that’s available to us all. In that exchange, KJ stated he’d asked questions of King (of the kind he should have been asking), it would be nice to know the answers and KJ’s opinion on whether or not they were truthful in light of what has since happened – or not happened!
Sadly, twitter isn’t a great medium for such answers, but nowt to stop Jackson responding elsewhere. If only he had access to a newspaper column…
@zerotolerance I’m sure your remark is somewhat tongue in cheek, it didn’t happen but could have. There was a bit of a panic when Hibs and Falkirk both reached the Cup semis. Both were still in with a chance of the play-offs and therefore the play-off final with those two legs tightly sandwiching the cup final. Had Hibs won both their “semis” they would have been due to play Thursday, Saturday, Sunday with a postponement of the Sunday match going into June. Had Falkirk got into the play-offs and qualified for the final they would have been in the same position.
In the end TRFC and QotS held off Falkirk’s play off, challenge, Falkirk beat Hibs in the Cup Semi and although it didn’t matter by then TRFC beat Hibs in the play-off semi meaning no fixture pile-up.
What I am at a loss to see is how an extended league would have avoided that unless the plan is to ditch the play-offs.
Jackson, although often a PR conduit, does at least appear to be slightly more savvy than many of his peers. He and one or two others are becoming noticeably more circumspect in their prose regarding Dave King. He is making contingency plans.
At the other end of the scale we have Chris Jack who is actually thick enough to retweet the congratulations he received from Level 5 for printing ST guff on its behalf. I fear that such a complete lack of self-awareness is sadly incurable.
It is indeed, ZeroT. I have been away and didn’t check the weekend’s discussions. I should have known the SFM would have been all over it. I jumped the gun too late (that’s almost RIFCish in its contradiction ! 😯 )
zerotolerance1903 says:
Member: (38 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 10:04 am
=================
I think it was Paul Murray who mentioned that the old board, had neglected to pass on that info and had done nothing about sourcing a replacement. Was it RIFC interims or TRFC finals that were audited by “reporting accountants”?
Tartanwulver says:
Member: (245 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 8:40 am
‘..The women’s game in this country is a long way behind the men’s game in terms of professionalism, ..’
I disagree with this, i think our top women are very professional in their approach. However elite womens football is drawing from a very small pool of players who face negative attitudes from a young age, so it is inevitable they will lack quality.
A couple of years ago my sons boys club team played against a Celtic Girls team 2 years older and won easily. The girls were bigger but not as skilful. I would suggest that they probably had not had the encouragement or opportunity that boys get. The girls were already behind at a young age and this is footballs fault not the girls
tykebhoy says:
Member: (195 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 10:26 am
========================
Think you are right. But Doncaster knows this, he’s just looking for any excuse to try to push this. Guess he realises it’s going to be tough for Rangers this year – he’s looking for an 18 team league rather than the previous idea of 16 teams.
It’s a pity the likes of Doncaster have poisoned the atmosphere over this by trying to enable Rangers at every opportunity. There is an argument to me made in favour of a bigger league – I’m not convinced myself but there is certainly an argument to be made for it.
tykebhoy says:
Member: (196 comments)
July 7, 2015 at 10:26 am
@zerotolerance I’m sure your remark is somewhat tongue in cheek, it didn’t happen but could have. There was a bit of a panic when Hibs and Falkirk both reached the Cup semis. Both were still in with a chance of the play-offs and therefore the play-off final with those two legs tightly sandwiching the cup final. Had Hibs won both their “semis” they would have been due to play Thursday, Saturday, Sunday with a postponement of the Sunday match going into June. Had Falkirk got into the play-offs and qualified for the final they would have been in the same position.
In the end TRFC and QotS held off Falkirk’s play off, challenge, Falkirk beat Hibs in the Cup Semi and although it didn’t matter by then TRFC beat Hibs in the play-off semi meaning no fixture pile-up.
What I am at a loss to see is how an extended league would have avoided that unless the plan is to ditch the play-offs.
____________________________________________________________________________________
I was only partially tongue in cheek.
The specific potential fixture issue didn’t arise this year and only actually arises if a team both makes the Championship play-offs and the Scottish Cup Final. Bearing in mind that a lower league team has made the Scottish Cup Final only 6 times since WW2 it’s not exactly going to be a regular occurrence and hardly requires a league restructuring to resolve.
It’s also hardly the most insurmountable fixture issue in the world. The Scottish Cup takes priority and therefore the logical answer would be to move the play-off final by a week in the event that this unusual circumstance actually happens.
On the differences between men playing football and women playing football. I think sometimes we have to go back to basics and just accept the fact, men and women are different. As a rule of thumb and particularly where serious sport is concerned men are faster and stronger than women. There I said it.
Now I do realise that there are other factors, for example drawing competitiors from a smaller pool, however that is probably as true for England as it is for Scotland (per capita), or any other country. So it kind of cancels itself out. You could also argue that it depends on the degree to which the sport is played in the country, however the same is true of male sports. For example the All Blacks draw from a small population but are always up there amongst the best in Rugby. Clearly they take their sport and in particular their rugby seriously.
There is an interesting article at the attached link which discusses the comparison between men and women in sport, across a variety of sports. It’s one of these things which you can find both surprising an unsurprising at the same time. It’s only a five minute read, if that, but provides food for thought.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/we-thought-female-athletes-were-catching-up-to-men-but-theyre-not/260927/
I’m not surprised that the younger boys team won Joe, and it’ll have been against the best coached girls team in the country that attracts players from across the central belt. The key for improving the girls/women’s game isn’t so much the physicality though, it’s skills development. Two of the outstanding women’s players in recent years, Julie Fleeting and Kim Little, obviously put in thousands of hours of their own time developing their skills. I think both developed playing alongside boys because they wouldn’t have been able to get a game at all otherwise. I guess this brought pressure to match the boys in skills and dealing with the physical challenges would helpful for them too. An issue for most girls who play is that their football activity tends to be completely structured – parents transport them to two nights (four for some teams) training and the match day – it doesn’t enable 10,000 hours development time.
The tittle/tattle over the Deloitte resignation brings to light another interesting titbit. Every 6 months an invoice in the region of £78,000.00 is presented for payment at Edmiston Drive, and there is no way on earth it will not be paid, after all THEY are the people who keep the club up to date with monies due to that pesky HMRC.
joe millers shorts says:
July 7, 2015 at 10:59 am
‘..The women’s game in this country is a long way behind the men’s game in terms of professionalism, ..’
I disagree with this, i think our top women are very professional in their approach.
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To clarify, JMS, I was referring to the women’s game as a whole and not the approach of the individuals involved in it, e.g. the relative lack of professional structures (access to resources, avenues for publicity, money in the game, and so on).