The BIG thread of hun topics and other assorted mentalness from Albatross!

Have to agree, responses are always well researched, well thought out, comprehensive, eloquent and articulate - amazing to think that a down and out (as evidenced by sh) can scrape together enough funds to spend in an internet cafe to interact with normal society in such intellectual fashion. His story deserves to be told ...

 

Perhaps BDO will be involved for a very by long time.

Noted how Airdrie as a club are actually liquidated, but SEVCO claim not to be and to have survived, something I have disproved on here many times, but curious.

Perhaps the insolvency laws written centuries ago anticipated the decline of rfc and included their exception from said legislation?

 

Time for a minute silence in memory of the dead.

I'll go get the howitzer.

 

Meant to like that post cart man

 

Enjoy your day at Hampden old fella?
Get it right up ye

 

This is a ****ing belter



WITH Lord Nimmo Smith and his two learned friends about to sit in judgement let no one be in any doubt that this will be a critical week, not just for Rangers but for all of Scottish football.

Nicholas Stewart and Charles Flint, both QCs, and Nimmo Smith will continue their quest on Tuesday to establish whether or not Rangers breached SPL rules through the use of EBT.

While this case may have become tedious for many people it is actually vitally important, and not merely because the truth must be established. The game’s future stability is also at stake.

Much to the disbelief of fans of other clubs as well as commentators, so-called football writers and self-proclaimed pundits, Rangers did not act illegally through their use of EBT. Appeal or no appeal by HMRC, the fact is Rangers are innocent.

But, of course, football is a law unto itself and the SPL, in their wisdom, pressed on when they could have backed out.

They still can. Despite having suggested they had no power or influence over the proceedings once the independent panel had been formed, the SPL, if they wish, can still call a halt. They can do that right now and before the SPL meet.

Starting at 10am on Tuesday morning there will be two sessions. The board will gather and representatives of every SPL club will also sit with league construction top of their agenda.

That, too, is a crucial topic but if commonsense isn’t denied entry to the meeting rooms Rangers will come up.

And the correct course of action should then be signalled.

The game needs SPL men to act responsibly rather than be cajoled or even brow beaten into continuing with a cause which threatens to cause greater and perhaps irreparable damage.

If ever there was a time for the majority within this group to stare down the vociferous minority among them it is now. The fact is this case is potentially the single most damaging threat to the entire game and it has already cost too much.

It was wrongly reported in one newspaper that Rangers Fans Fighting Fund would be willing to use their money to pay legal costs should Rangers Football Club plc, or to be precise, RFC 2012 plc, the company which sank into liquidation, lose. In fact, RFFF have agreed to pay only the bill of the legal team defending the plc.

This has to be stressed so that SPL chairmen know that they, as a body, will not be recompensed even if the commission rules that there had been a breach of some kind. They have to understand that this case could cost them as much as £400,000 and for what?

To prove only that the paperwork connected to the contracts of a handful of players wasn’t properly filed?

That’s really all this commission is about. It has nothing to do with tax as many people still seem to think and we are talking about five players only, not dozens. Basically, bonus payments to them went through EBT instead of the payroll but these payments WERE fully disclosed in the player contracts sent to the game’s authorities.

There was no attempt to cover up any of these payments and perhaps all those who have jumped on Rangers might want to ask their own clubs if all their P11D forms have been submitted fully over the years.

It should also be pointed out that in October 2010 HMRC went into Hampden seeking any documentation which might have indicated the use of EBT, not just by Rangers but by any of the other clubs. But it was March 2012 before the SPL decided to investigate.

Yet, in Rangers’ June 2010 accounts a tax enquiry into EBT is mentioned twice. It was narrated in the notes to the accounts and also in the financial director’s report.

Rangers were open about this and actually flagged it up, pointing out they had strong legal advice that any challenge would be successfully overcome. There is an equally strong belief that Rangers will win again.

However, should they lose and should the commission put forward title stripping as a suitable punishment for an administrative error the matter will not be over. The RFFF are committed to taking this issue all the way to outside courts.

Ah, but what about UEFA? They take a dim view of clubs resorting to the law of the land.

Fine, but RFC 2012plc is not a football club and UEFA, therefore, cannot impose sanctions.

However, further action will hurt the SPL by costing them more money.

Hopefully enough will see the folly in continuing a pursuit which has been headed by a noisy few. There is, I believe, a greater recognition that it has all gone too far already but time is running out and these club leaders have this one last chance to call a halt.

When Charles Green disengaged Rangers from the process insisting the commission should not have been empowered to sit in the first place there may have been an SPL assumption that they could clatter on with their path cleared. A certain influential few probably also thought they could railroad the others and achieve their goal of title stripping.

They didn’t reckon with RFFF, not Charles Green, stepping forward to pay the defence. The fund’s gesture is admirable to say the least but it could also prove vital to the game in general because if the SPL’s case, built by Harper Macleod, falls there will be no title stripping and Scottish football can move on.

If there is any attempt to take away titles deep divisions will be created with Rangers fans feeling they shouldn’t set foot in any other grounds. Scottish football cannot afford that.

Only last week Charles Green spoke about the need to start healing wounds but these could fester and become poisonous depending on the commission’s ruling. No one wants that but refusing to do the right thing for the game now could damn us to a long period of pain and distrust. There will be no unity and clubs will suffer.

So, the majority have to speak up and silence the irrational few, who are determined to present their will as that of the entire football community. This agenda, their desire, should be tossed in the bin.

Of course, my former colleagues will rubbish this view but too many of them have acted maliciously throughout this saga and I know of one national newspaper editor who held his head in his hands when it was revealed Rangers had won the tax case. I also know of one news editor who, when told of the verdict, started shouting: ‘It’s a f****** Government conspiracy.’

There may well have been a conspiracy but not one constructed to help Rangers.

But it can all end now. Tomorrow could be a new beginning if the more reasoned gentlemen of the SPL speak up.


Looks like they have admitted guilt to dual contracts with five players, but they shouldn't be punished because they will boycott the spl if they are.

I thought they were innocent until now but the way they have been desperate for this too be dropped suggest otherwise.

 

Who were the five players rangers admitted guilt to?

 

MSM in overdrive. Herald claims that the 5 players contracts were correctly registered within the SFA.

Would the SFA not know this and tell the SPL a long long time ago?
So SPL are spending money on an investigation that they already know rfc were innocent of ? Doesn't make sense. Jabba knows that rfc are probably guilty.

As to rfff running up costs with no fear of being left with SPL costs. I am not so sure.
1. If riff give rfc2012 the money to fight the case, then BDO could argue that this is income and seize it through court action as income for the creditors.
2. If rfff fight the case for rfc2012 then the court could place SPL costs against those who took the case and individuals within the riff could be deemed responsible.
3. Rfc2012 are legally required to act in the interest of the creditors from the date of the liquidation. They should therefore not fight the case and simply accept the outcome of the NS hearing. Rfc then have no option but to withdraw. If they do proceed and lose, the. Item 2 above could apply. Might be a few more Big Issue reps on the streets of Govan over the next year or so.

 

Let it go Albert, let it go.

 

Mr Inverness is alleged to be Spanish, first initial of forename identical to first initial of surname. If correct and found guilty then not just us who would have been cheated, but QOS, St Mirren, Dundee, Falkirk and Panathaniakos, plus other European clubs.

Got a feeling that UEFA may be keeping a very close but discreet eye on this. They cannot have clubs cheating their way to trophies and retaining the same. Sets a precedent for other clubs to cheat their way to glory and to prize money.

 

Wonder why you want me to let it go?

If they have cheated then they should face the consequences and also be punished. Remember Chucky claims that they are still the same club and it was the club, which would have cheated.

If genuinely innocent then why did SFA not come out right away and say so? If innocent all along then SFA have wasted a lot of time and money and caused distress to many supporters of the defunct club.

 

Bbc daly prog said they had seen 28 side letters. Doesn't look good for dodo FC, but this is Scotland,isn't it.

 

This is old news i'm afraid. I'm guessing it was Jabba who wrote this crap?

Anyhoo, this is merely a rehash of the same tired argument which Rangers have been getting employees and ex employes to try and have accepted as fact. It's part of the PR campaign which was started a good while ago.

Pardon me for sucking my own dick but I posted this in September, shadow had also noticed.

 

True but first I've seen where rangers admit 5 players were improperly registered. Anybody know who the 5 players are?

A new world record on the way for a title winning party in January.

 

A year at least i'm guessing. I used to buy the Record, for years in fact out of habit, but the journalism was just too grating eventually, nary a decent sports writer amongst them although Keevins was probably the best.

Jabba has been writing his Resume' for about 8 months at least, it was verging on Leggo at times, or Chris Graham. It's actually a shame because I feel he was a good writer with a dry wit (at times) in the past.