Today is 2nd July. Usually by this time in the football pre-season the newspapers are full of stories about possible big signings. In a normal year un-named football agents would be telling reporters that Pirlo and Iniesta are lined up for shock moves to Celtic Park, or that Jelavic is returning to Ibrox. Someone somewhere would be suggesting that old warhorses like Rino Gattuso were poised to return to Scottish football.
In happier times, we would be hearing stories about players like Del Piero being on the radar of SPL Clubs
Pre-season friendlies would be getting the fans excited as we moved towards the opening of the football season, with some teams set for early starts to European campaigns.
And we have missed the chance of Mr Gattuso’s calming influence returning to Scottish football
Not this year though.
St Johnstone play the first Europa League qualifying match on 19th July, with Celtic and Motherwell starting off in the Champions’ League on 31st July.
The SPL is due to kick off on 4th August. The SFL stars on 11th August. The Ramsdens Cup for SFL teams, plus Wick Academy and Inverurie Loco Works, starts in under four weeks, on 28th July. The Scottish League Cup is due to kick off on 4th August, once a sponsor has been located, signed up and announced.
Despite all of that, the talk has not been about on field matters, but about BDO and Duff & Phelps, about liquidation and administration, about the philosophical nature of a football “Club”, about piercing the corporate veil and personal liability of directors, about criminal investigations and tax avoidance.
Discussions do not relate to the need for a new holding midfielder at Hearts, or a big striker at Ross County. People instead, and I accept I fall into this category, pore through the Articles and Rules of the SFA and SPL to see how they apply to a situation clearly never contemplated by the people who drew them up.
The most important dates in the football calendar in Scotland are 4th July, when the SPL clubs vote to decide if the transfer of the SPL share formerly held by Rangers Football Club PLC to Sevco Scotland Ltd (or Sevco 5088 Ltd) will be approved. The public statements from various members make it clear that this will not be passed by the required majority, and indeed is likely to be defeated entirely.
Then there will be a date set, one assumes, for a General Meeting of the SFL to vote on the SPL/SFL master plan for “Rangers” resurrection. Although that plan seems to have been counter-productive in the reaction it has brought from a number of SFL clubs already.
The SFA has still to reconvene the Appellate Tribunal under Lord Carloway to deal with the penalty for Rangers Football Club PLC’s guilty verdict for bringing the game into disrepute. Before that can be decided the SFA seems to be waiting to decide on the application by Sevco Scotland Ltd to become a member of the SFA. If approved, then the SFA will need to decide if Sevco Rangers is to be punished for the misdeeds of Rangers Football Club PLC, or if, as a condition of membership, it will be asked to accept the sanctions to be imposed on the former company. As these could include expulsion or termination of membership, it would be a gamble for Sevco to say that it was accepting the sanction before knowing what it was. Equally the SFA might not want to seek that concession until it knows what penalty is to be imposed. In that case, who has locus to appear before the Tribunal to argue the case for “Rangers”?
The SPL has put on hold its investigations into the issue of Rangers players’ registrations being invalid. It has made clear that once it works out the status of “Rangers FC” there will be disciplinary proceedings starting before the season commences.
The whole of Scottish football is in turmoil, all thanks to the misdeeds of one organisation.
As we stand, the SPL fixture list contains “Club 12”. That will be Dunfermline, or Dundee or Sevco (the latter is unlikely). The SPL could have elected to play a season without replacing Rangers, leaving an eleven team league. It has not done so, but the closer we get to the season starting, watch out for that idea surfacing, and suspicious people would view it as setting Sevco Rangers up for entry to the SPL for season 2013-2014, even if It plays nowhere in the coming season.
If Dunfermline or Dundee move up to the SPL, then there will be a vacancy in SFL1. Will this be filled by Sevco Rangers?
If not, and therefore there is a domino effect down to SFL3, then potentially the fixture lists for all the Scottish top-level leagues will need to be redrawn, or at best amended.
If Sevco Rangers go into the SFL, then the Ramsdens Cup would need to be re-drawn.
The SPL/SFL doomsday document suggested that it was essential to have league reconstruction, and NOW!
This is despite it being in implement of the McLeish Report, kicking around since 2010.
Scottish football is in limbo right now, waiting on Sevco Rangers to decide what it wants to do, and how that should be dealt with. Talk about the tail wagging the dog! If anyone has any doubts about the influence of Rangers and the legacy of that former Club, just look at the way in which football authorities seem paralysed, waiting to find out what Mr Green wishes to do.
As a result, the SFL is running terribly short of timer to replace Dundee or Dunfermline if promoted to the SPL. As David Longmuir, CEO of the SFL said two weeks ago, if there was to be a vacancy, then Sevco would need to apply like anyone else. How can any other team put together a plan and presentation now?
Could the SPL have conducted a provisional search for a replacement team, so as to allow the necessary investigations and enough time for a General Meeting to consider this? Of course. However, as no one in Scottish football governance seems willing to pre-empt what Sevco wants to do, the next season is a mess.
As soon as Sevco Rangers knew that they would not be admitted to the SPL, why did it not withdraw that application, and apply for the SFL. That would have started the process going a week ago.
It looks as if the SFA, SPL and SFL are terrified of upsetting Sevco Rangers (although fans of the former Rangers might not agree). A poll, unscientific of course, in the Scotsman suggested that 98% of respondents, totalling 22,897 people, wanted “newly-formed Rangers” to play in SFL3 next season. There was of course no option for them not to be playing anywhere.
If the SFL, SPL and SFA want to be seen as in charge of Scottish football, they should come out together, with their three CEO’s making a joint statement laying down time scales and dates for the following.
1 The reconvened Appellate Tribunal.
2 When the decision will be made about the rights of Sevco to attend that Tribunal.
3 The SFA determination of Sevco’s application for membership.
4 The SPL decision on what to do about the “dual contract” investigation.
5 The SPL decision on any liability of Sevco for “dual contract” infringements.
6 The SFA determination of issues about registration of Rangers players who objected to a TUPE transfer to Sevco.
7 The SFL General Meeting to consider who, if anyone, will fill the gap in that organisation.
If we were to see Messrs Longmuir, Doncaster and Regan work together to lay these dates down, then it might start to restore some faith that the governing bodies of Scottish football are in charge.
If however they do not, and simply sit waiting for Sevco to decide what to do, it will be clear that, as well as the “business and assets of Rangers Football Club” Sevco will have acquired the power to twist the ruling bodies round its little finger.
Time is short. To quote a man much favoured on Rangers fan websites, Winston Churchill, what is needed is “Action, this day!”
Random Thoughts Re Scots Law by Paul McConville 
YAAAWWWWNNNNNN……..get a life
Hi Andy,
You obviously clicked on the wrong link. You need today’s James Traynor blog where Rangers have been punished enough and, I quote, ” we are all doomed” if Newco don’t get into Div 1… Hope this helps.
The best way forward for scottish football is to expell them forever then get rid of regan ogilvie Doncaster and longmuir have a more balanced pro Scotland chiefs rather than pro dodo ,sevco haven’t even got accounts or a team ,just a thought what does sevco have on the above mentioned maybe there’s a innerhakeshake blackmail going on just like the mafia with Purcell the Glasgow mp ?
Sevco not accepted to SFA – so no entry to SPL/SFL1..3
But create new SFL4 (no accounts needed – allowing sevco in) as feeder to SFL3 next year and 4-5 clubs can play in this and show they can play games, run small scale and winner enters SFL3 next year
ta da!
Absolutely amazing summing up. Paul are you sure you were not a journalist in another life?
Can you not read – It’s a guest post.
Paul did not write it
I did write this one!
Paul as we all know rfc/newco/whatever have always twisted the authorities around their fingers whenever and however they want.
Today is no different other than the full public glare is focused on them authorities, uncomfortable as it may be for them.
The fact that 98% of the football loving public in Scotland see this finally as an opportunity of breaking and changing this stranglehold that this institution, for that is what they are, has over over the authorities makes this now the final play for honesty and fairness that are so easily preached in world football to actually come to scotlands shores.
We cannot and must not allow traditional media to sweep this aside and continue all efforts that “unofficial channels” provide to the informed public. The authorities will bend to public pressure as will the news media. They cannot conceivibly maintain their own stranglehold on OUR game and continue ignoring the groundswell of public opinion and the need for change, but not as they suggest.
This next 2 weeks are the most crucial that Scottish football has faced in its entire history.
Change is good, but only when carefully and thoughtfully implimented.
michaelk1888
This will not change one thing in the administration of Scottish Football. We are talking about opaque organisations run by faceless committees in the main, who could lose any sane logical person in a myriad of bureaucratic pish designed to subvert any situation that doesnt conform to their desired goals. These spineless, specially selected administrators are secure in the knowledge that they can do what they want to the detriment of the game! No I’m afraid to say this current disaster in Scottish football is only a blip in the ongoing corrupt governance of football in our wee backwater. The only hope of change is a major clear out of the top blazers and that aint going to happen soon, they have engratiated their way into Eufa, who in turn are just as bad, which leads to Blatter and FIFA …covered ultimately by “rules of association” and stalemate.
sorry “ingratiated”
It’s a instituion for the insane ,it’s to late in the season for change sevco globe trotters sevco no league sevco try agian next year
Another one that has not grasped the concept of reading an article in it’s entirety.
It was not written by Paul
I favour an 11-team SPL for a season.
The SPL was decided fairly on points. SFL Divs 1, 2 and 3 were decided fairly on points with relegations, promotions and play-offs.
The logical approach is to play a season with 11 teams, and before next season arrange a new entrant in accordance with the established rules to fill the vacancy. Club 12 becomes a free day.
The SFA determination of Sevco’s application for membership is the first thing that has to happen. If the answer is no then Sevco cannot play football in the coming season. It gives everone a year to sort all the other issues. That would be the best long term solution.
the problem with the free day(s) of course, is that it’s the equivalent of a team losing the ticketed income from 2 home games – fewer games on TV/associated money.
Ideal perfect solution but you forgetting all the Hamden suits are Huns and don’t want that to happen
Perhaps I can help the SPL in their efforts to determine the status of Rangers FC.
They’re deid.
H the rangers are dead oh the rangers are dead oh the rangers are dead oh the rangers are dead
Will there be a Team42 in the league cup draw?
I apolgise if this is a simplistic view but here we go.
Assuming Sevco 5088 are rejected by the SPL;
How about Dundee or Dunfermilne get promoted to SPL, and then the various promotions from Second to First, Third to Second.
This will leave a space in Div 3.
Ask clubs to apply as per the “normal” process but with inclusion in the 2013/2014 season.
Then it is a level playing field for all or do Newco want favours like Oldco.
Do they not fancy their chances against applications from Spartans, Cove Rangers, Gala Fairydean, Auchinleck Talbot?
Newco, no history, no players, no accounts, no SFA membership, no divine right to play in SFL Div3.
Just a thought .
What you suggest KD is what should happen if the rules are followed. It is what 98% of football supporters want to happen. But will the football authorities let it happen. Unlikely.
Yeah, I did kind of base this on a long since forgotten concept…..Common Sense.
Think it was outlawed sometime in the 90’s around about the time that Personal Responsibility was abandoned.
So you think it’s a non starter as well.
On the Churchill theme,
“If you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.” Aeems appropriate.
Of course he also said,
“It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.”
Where does your 98% of football supporters come from, is this on the basis of ticket sales last season?
I agree with most of the post but I think a lot of the inaction of the football bosses has been that they are in shock at the way ordinary fans have stolen a march on them and used the internet to get their message across not just to their own individual club bosses/owners but to the league bosses as well.
This internet liberation really has caught the ‘suits’ on the hop – obviously they didn’t learn any lessons from the Arab Spring. For reasons we all know and detest most of the ‘suits’ want to do what they can to protect Rangers in whatever secret way they can but the pressure coming from the Scottish fan base is making that task all but impossible.
But ordinary Rangers football fans really have to start speaking up against the bully-boys who run rampant on some sites. It’s quite chilling to read the content of some of their rants and their unbuilt belief that every other club is inferior to them is quite staggering. Football isn’t about world domination – well maybe it is if you’re Spain – it’s about a good game of football between honest players doing their best but with no divine right to victory on every or any occasion.
Sadly it seems to me that many Rangers fans still haven’t realised that their perceived ‘Divine Right’ was nothing more than financial doping to buy their ‘success’. We should never forget that for many years a small band of Rangers supporteres continually questioned the whole Murray financial web embracing Rangers and feared that one day it would smother the institution.
In recent times they have have been joined, at least on the internet, by many more supporters who recognise that they have to go back to basics and start again in an honest way and start competing fairly and see where they get to and how long it takes. I don’t actually believe they will be that bothered about retaining the tainted title history of the defunct club but will be more driven by winning new titles on level playing fields. I could be a dreamer but for the sake of Scotland and Scottish football I hope they will succeed. However, all sorts of backward-facing legions are ranged against them from within their own ranks.
I have come to the conclusion that Rangers do need to go back to SFL3. Yes there will be financial problems and some clubs may go to the wall but if we listen to the ‘suits’ then I actually think the financial fall-out will be greater and the consequences more dire for Scottish Football although that might take a bit longer to work through.
One thing that has become very clear is that professional PR is now at work to ‘sell’ the suits Doomsday message as their threats and bullying clearly have got the backs up of the SFL. The phantom insider who today warns of 20 clubs going to the wall is a classic ploy. Scotland’s Deep Throat is described in the Daily Hun as: ‘One vastly experienced club official, who requested anonymity in the currently toxic atmosphere which can pollute sensitive issues within the game.’
Erm sorry, who is responsible for these toxic issues and what organisations are failing to deal constructively with the sensitive footballing issues currently in play – my vote is for the suits & blazers.
One thing that always sickened me about sports journos is how they woud never do the dirty on players when it came to stories about their personal lives but pass it on to one of their news ‘colleagues’. Then they would commiserate with the players about the slimeball news journalists doing the dirty while all the while the story came from them. Never underestimate the football lobby when it comes to protecting the Old Firm status quo – if it goes these guys might have to do some work and get their own hands dirty.
Scotland’s in a grip of change tray nor the sfa Kevin’s there all out of a job soon it fans for change top dog level change we want honest pro Scotland men not dodo lovers
“We should never forget that for many years a small band of Rangers supporteres continually questioned the whole Murray financial web embracing Rangers and feared that one day it would smother the institution.”
In this situation would it not be helpful for these people(not peepil). to be more vocal. Here is a question, when are Rangers(not a kid on rangers) going to be liquidated? The time is short. Speak up you might get more support than you think.
You really just couldn’t make it up.
STV are saying: ‘Lawyers are deliberating over the SFL’s rulebook to determine what majority would be required for any vote to take place, with those at the league unable to reach a conclusion over whether a 50%, 66% or 75% consensus is needed.’
Sounds as though no matter what the vote is they’ll find a rule or interpretation of it to ensure sevco whatever gouse into SFL1. If that happens Scottish Football will slowly implode. And as for the lawyers sack them and get a competent set in to draft a new rule book ASAP.
Some “journalists” (prob Keevins &/or Traynor) have mocked the fact that SFL have called on the service of lawyers, but we need to remember that they’re dealing with a totally unprecedented situation, so why on earth would they already have a rule to deal with it?
Going back to a post i made suggesting that if the Hampden stoogies put the team with no name in any league it contravenes the rules, however let’s take at face value the ‘special case’ and they put them in a league. They face 3 realistic concerns that there will be no football at Ibrox. 1. The appellate findings could and should see them disqualified from competing, this being an independent body would mean the SFA are out of the equation. 2. The dual contracts finding and the case to answer finding should see ANY team in world football disqualified for a period of time (AT LEAST), I cannot think of a bigger sporting crime, not to mention the probable tax findings and another charge of bringing the game into disrepute. Lastly, watching what is unfurling at the club with no name would immediately concern me if I was to make a call on letting them play in any league. The fans do not like the owner nor his fumbling, less than visible actions and ways, it is obvious there is no trust there and with some so called legends calling for no backing of the present regime and 10 players moving on it seems just a matter of time that history will repeat itself before the end of the year and they enter administration.
So 3 very viable outcomes that the Hampden leaders should take into account.
Personally from a purely Footballing perspective I would love to see them in Div 1 with sanctions, simply because I think it would take them 3 or 4 seasons to get that promotion, probably causing a lot of their disgruntled fans to move their allegiances.
There should be a year out for the club with no name and then a start in Div 3, that would be the fairest to all in the old Rangers, give them time to get Green out and the right people in…
“7. The SFL General Meeting to consider who, if anyone, will fill the gap in that organisation.”
With regard to the above, the following thoughts occur.
Several of the more powerful and influential clubs have already set themselves publicly against Newco’s entry to SFL 1. Clubs in SFL 3 could look forward to enhanced income during, at least, the first season that Newco participates in that league – and in any subsequent seasons should Newco fail to win promotion. Should Newco win promotion to SFL 2 similarly enhanced income could be projected for as long as Newco remain in that league.
In these circumstances could one expect any of the current SFL 2 or SFL 3 clubs to vote for Newco’s immediate entry to SFL 1 with a putative cash cow already tethered in their own backyard waiting to be allowed entry to SFL 3?
The diddy teams as the pro dodo media calls them can challenge any session on change in court so it’s try agian next year sevco
Football in this country needs immediate revolution or its dead along with
rangers. The SPL/SFAs actions or indeed lack of decisive action has exposed them as utterly incapable of administering football in this country. And as for the 12 chairman of the SPL suddenly being enlightened to the need for sporting integrity, don’t make me laugh. Every last one of them was prepared to do a deal with the devil until the outcry from fans refusing to invest in a morally bankrupt setup. Neil Doncaster’s wait and see policy with regards a successful CVA was negligent beyond belief. All he had to do was check HMRCs policy on the matter to gain a much needed heads-up on where we were going instead of lapping up the garbage that was coming from the mouths of Chrles Green & D&Ps. Football in this country is more corrupt than the banks and politicians put together and if anyone is left in any doubt about this now then God help them. Heads must roll as the incompetence that has led us to the abyss is unforgivable. We either take our game back from these corrupt muppets or we can just forget the whole stinking farce it has become.
As ever Paul you raise some interesting issues.
The biggest challenge has to be that the authorities need to separate two things that are being conflated.
1. How should Scottish football be restructured; and
2. What should happen to Rangers.
As you rightly identify time is very much an issue and I am of the opinion that neither of these things can be resolved for the 2012/13 season. There are two many issues and only a couple of weeks to resolve them.
League reconstruction – set up a working party to take the outline proposal (minus the newco to SFL1 bit which is a separate issue that should be debated outside the confines of a restructure) and work them up into a workable solution that can begin implementation in 2013/14. Most of what was proposed was eminently sensible.
Newco – despite the lines of the argument being around SPL/SFL1/SFL3 I believe almost everyone is missing a far more fundamental issue. What are the things that need to happen for Green’s newco to be a credible outfit that merit entry to ANY LEAGUE for 2012/13?
– they don’t have enough players
– they are not members of the SFA or any league
– they don’t have full support of the oldco fanbase due to various factions
– they may not even have clean title to the Stadium (I await the Green deal being challenged on appointment of BDO)
– they have not demonstrated that they have the finances to fulfill their fixtures for next season even if they are admitted
– there are numerous regulatory and legal issues obfuscating the oldco/newco situation several of which are detailed in this article.
IMHO the only credible solution is for newco to get its ducks in a row for entr, at an appropriate point, to the restructured pyramid in 2013/14 whilst the authorities (footballing and otherwise) resolve all of the issues in relation to oldco Rangers. In the meantime Dunfermline should be reinstated to the SPL, promotions to SFL1&2 should be made, and applications for the vacant space in SFL 3 sought for 2012/13.
Anything else is complicating the situation unnecessarily and inviting legal challenge.
Just another consideration aside from all the other penalties that sit in waiting for the “oldco”, the newco has already initiated “game into disrepute” charges without being formally registered with SFA by not releasing the transfer registrations of the players who have gone to new or are about to go to new clubs……………..along with the transferred debt re rfc.co.uk (see previous blog from paul) then they are already incurring liabilities that jeopordise any potential bussiness future in any league.
Three people that can’t identify the author of the article. Your monicker suits you.
So here is a radical thought…Nothing to do with the team with no name.
If the Hampden 3 are really into generating more revenue, interest and competition for the lower leagues, why do they not allow Celtic (or any other team that can show sufficient financial backing) to create a second team starting in the SFL3 or whatever they rebadge that? The team(s) in question would be excluded from meeting their parent team in any competition.
This set up is out there in the best leagues in the world and if Celtic#2 were playing at 3pm on a Saturday I am sure that would attract a lot of Celtic (and opposition) fans, some of whom, can’t make a 12.45 Sunday KO for example. I haven’t had a Celtic season ticket for 2 seasons due to football coaching commitments I have early on weekends as i would not make the earlier games but i wouldnt mind nipping over to Queens park to see the second string play and it could aid player development I would think, there being no reserve league. Thoughts?
totally agree there are several SPL clubs that would be eager to take this opportunity and the fan base would grow in line as this would encourage hopefully younger/family/financially less well off individuals to attend “live” matches The cost of running the teams and facilities would be worth it if they used secondary stadiums or closed much of the main stadiums. All very easily achieved and worth at least a 3 year trial I suggest. It also raises the standard in the lower divisions as they paly against “full time” reserves or under age players.
The SPL clubs currently achieve this through “loaning out” so why not do it formally and have the revenew stream to pay for the sides.
Spot on Jim. I think many would agree. With an eye on an earlier post, SFL 4 could be created including second teams, associate teams & possibly even a new team. I concede it doesn’t tick all boxes but as you allude, it’s not meant to. It is however the start of a pyramid & I can only see upsides.
Is there not an important meeting of SFL clubs tomorrow (Tuesday 3 July) ? I ask because Paul sees July 4 as the key date — but assuming that the SPL chairmen speak with straight tongues, and thus the Sevco rejection from the SPL is assured — I would have thought that July 2 was the more important date?
My understanding was that there was a meeting, and that 75% of the SFL clubs ( i.e 75% of 30 ) would have to vote to allow a rule change that might allow Sevco to join SFL 1 — as proposed by the shoddy and morally bankrupt paper from the SPL/SFA/SFL issued last week to those 30 clubs. From what I read, there are at least 8 SFL clubs (and I hope many more as yet undeclared) who will oppose, and thus there is little chance that this move wil be passed. Thus Sevco will have to apply, along with any other applicants to SFL 3.
I have read through the paper issued to the SFL clubs,and as a retired CA and former partner in a Big Four accounting firm, I am ashamed by not only its mixture of bullying and trite promises, but by the sheer lack of appropriate financial analysis. Scottish football really needs to take stock, do its financial analysis properly, and consult the fans (a k a the customers). To try and take important decisions on the hoof smacks of desperation. Half-baked documents are the result.
No vote will take place at the SPL meeting on July 3. They need to give notice of, I believe, not less than 7 days for a vote to take place.
By the way do you know if Green will have to hand the assets he bought back if the IPA or BDO find D&P guilty of wrongdoing in the deal they did with him? Or would he still keep the assets regardless?
So its just a SFL meeting on Tuesday 3 July, with no formal vote? Well I hope that the sense of the meeting is clear, and the current disgraceful attempt to bend the rules by the Scottish football authorities is roundly rejected in debate.
As regards Green and the assets, my understanding is that the IPA investigation into Duff & Phelps relates to allegations of conflict of interest in the media primarily. If found to have any substance then I would expect censure/fines/suspensions, depending on what they find, if anything, but no impact on asset transfers. BDO acting as liquidators have much wider powers and will report back to the Court. A wide range of sanctions is then possible if wrong- doing has occurred (but I have no knowledge if such is in point), and this could (in theory) include the cancellation of the asset transfer I believe (but this is incredibly rare, and would imply a transfer at under-value to the disadvantage of the creditors). My recollection is that the court asked Duff & Phelps to submit a report in relation to certain issues raised by the BBC within 3 weeks. I would expect BDO to check the Duff & Phelps report when submitted.
Of course Duff & Phelps have done nothing wrong at this stage, until evidence to the contrary is upheld by a relevant authority. I just wonder however if the judge does not now regret appointing them rather than Deloittes. Not my old firm, but might have been a safer pair of hands many might think?
Thank you for your clear analysis. I feel sure that nothing will arise that will end up causing Green a problem.
It looks like he has played his cards very well. I wonder if Duff & Phelps have the 5.5 million yet. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is not due until July 31st.
“The problems of victory are more agreeable than the problems of defeat, but they are no less difficult.” Churchill
walters in the paper the day hurting were all putting the boot in ,they havent been punished yet the liquidations to do with the financies wait to they have to face the ebts when the sfa get round to it ,division 3 is to good for them ,they financially doped and killed our game while the sfa spl sfl stood by and watched the socalled diddy teams are loving kicking them all over scotland its karma pure karma ,the hampden 3 will be out on ther arse soon and if you want the diddy teams to by the daily record lamb lover traynor has to go as well
all the div 1 teams are saying no so its back to the lab see what else they can clone ,the hampden 3 are left looking like fools spl sayed no now div 1 ,time is running out lol the retial deal is still an option thou
so whos greens backers pound for pound ?the date for the ebts ,whens uefa commenting ,oh the police not just the scottish police but the met to the souness deal with tuguy ,members of the sfa board ogilvie getting ebts weres the countrys tainted titles and when are the punishments for financial doping
Craig Whyte’s Tixway UK Limited is being wound up over an unpaid £86,000 roofing bill. Tixway breached an agreement to pay One Stop Roofing, owned by former Albion Rovers manager Paul Martin, for roofing tiles supplied to another company, Snowcast UK,
Whyte is sole director of Tixway UK whose registered office is in Glasgow’s Bath Street. At the Court of Session on Friday, Lord Hodge granted the move to liquidate Whyte’s firm which will now be wound up.
If you have a bit of time you should read the judgement as it gives a real insight into how Whyte does business and what the judge thought of his evidence.
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/CA327_10.html
A sobering read. The entire purpose of forming “UK” was to avoid the deduction of advance tax. But nobody took the opportunity to reclaim the VAT…
this reinforces my view that the only scottish authority in this whole mess of potage we can trust to enunciate the facts and reach clearly thought out conclusions and decisions is… the lords hodge, glennie and others of the court of sessions. if only someone would put all the facts as so neatly laid out in these posts in front of the c of s, I reckon they would come up with the wisest solution pretty quickly and that being so all parties should be bound over to comply.
There is a great deal of people suggesting that Rangers/Sevco/whatever they are called having major influence over this Division 1 entry situation.
Most Rangers/sevco fans wish the team to enter at Division 3. Yes, i understand that there is an opportunity for Gala/Spartans etc. to apply…..so let them. Let Sevco/Rangers gain entry by their own merits. No problems there.
My suggestion is that it was fan power and fan power only that rejected Sevco/Rangers from the SPL and chairmen spouted the ‘sporting integrity’ line through gritted teeth. I am sure, if left to their own devices – club Chairmen may have had a substantially let strict approach to rejection from the SPL. It was fan pressure that bowed them to make the decision – and rightfully so.
We now have a situation where there is pressing for Rangers to enter via the First Division, something that makes no sense. None at all. If you leave the queue in Tesco you must rejoin from the end,not half way in.
Be it the SPL/SFA/Clubs pushing for Divison 1 entry remains unknown but i am not sure that looking at Rangers/Sevco is the correct manner to achieve this. I do not think Rangers/Sevco are in a position to have ANYONE wrapped round their finger at this present time.
There seems a lack of soundbytes from SPL clubs on the matter – the same clubs who have mentioned ‘administration’ and ‘cutbacks;’ etc of their own on the strength of Rangers demise (although why this wasnt planned for is unknown to me – anyone with half a brain could have predicted Rangers absence many months ago)
Perhaps….just maybe, there are other people that have a wish punish Rangers/Sevco on the face of things, but secretly hope they return with all their fans rather sharpish to stop a rot in their own lifestyles.
Sometimes silence speaks louder than many words.
Funnily enough, there is one club in particular that has been awfully quiet about this whole Rangers/Sevco situation……….
For me, Third division is where the line should be drawn. I understand the Spartans argument – I do, however i find it wholly unrealistic.
Time is somewhat running out though and no decisions are being made quickly – a disadvantage to EVERY club in EVERY division at this stage in pre-season. It is not good enough, decisions need to be made quickly. If Rangers/Sevco are in no position to play in ANY league come August (my personal prediction) then the space should be closed off in the league for this season and left open to any clubs wishing to bid for entry to the professional leagues for the following season.
Let’s just make decisions, for every teams sake.
It’s an observation rather than a criticism, but the football authorities can’t just give fan power the ultimate say on this simply because it is absolutely unclear what Rangers fans want.
Campaigning to remove/discredit Green with the boycotting of season tickets at the same time as the decision as to whether a Green-led club is to
be allowed into a league; deciding whether his consortium is a fit&proper owner while decrying his failure to gain banking facilities with a Scottish bank- it is impossible for the authorities to make any decision without their being blamed for a mess not by any means entirely of their own making.
Recovening the appelate tribunal and crossing fingers &toes for a year’s suspension looks the only way forward.
This is also very true – it is plainly obvious to me that Rangers/Sevco will not have the appropriate means in place before the start of the season. Indeed, on that basis – surely a suspension from the league of some sorts would be a BENEFIT to the SFA/SPL who clearly have not had a fully developed plan A let alone B for the way that this whole scenario has panned out. If anything it will buy them time.
Yes, there will be sections of the Rangers/Sevco support that will feel that this is a means of unfair punishment. Fuck them, to put it plainly, they will soon get over it. What Scottish Football will NOT get over is the constant inability to make a decision. Indeed, it is this inability to make any confirmed decision at all that will finish off the chances of a ‘Rangers’ in the future – let alone the simple fact that neither the fans nor the owners of the bastardised company can decide what page to sing from between them.
Rangers/Sevco/ you know who i mean- need time that is not available before the current season kicks off in 6 weeks time. It needs time to mould into something and that will not be possible at the rushed through steaks it has at present. Surely the best thing for all involved would be to suspend the ‘club’ for a season allowing them time to start from real foundation level and prepare for entry to the league whilst at the same time appearing to be a ‘punishment’. A consequence under a veil if you will. How Rangers/whatever survive without income for a season is another story entirely – quite how much is costs to run an unmanned station is quite anyones guess.
“The whole of Scottish football is in turmoil, all thanks to the misdeeds of one organisation.”
That’s it in a nutshell.
Regan & Doncaster should resign today because it is clear that they still don’t have a plan b. The reason I say this is that it appears pretty obvious to me that without season ticket money Charles Green can’t and wont fund this bastardization of a club beyond 6th July. Then what? Both should have been working frantically behind the scenes to prepare for the worst case scenario i.e rangers not existing, which has been the more likely outcome of this mess for sometime now. Instead precious time has been wasted ensuring the game is torn apart by no-marks with vested interests. After 25 years supporting my team I have almost reached the stage where I don’t give a damn what happens to Scottish fitba because as it stands its not worth saving!
I don’t think they ever had a concrete Plan A to be fair.
I think they did and it was maintain the status quo at all costs. If we could see the end for rangers coming why couldn’t they?Lets just hope this is a brave new dawn in which we the fans start to really matter.
The rules and regulations are already in place to deal with any new team requesting membership to the SFA/SPL. The backbone to apply them without fear or favour is however sadly lacking.We will always be treated as the shite on the shoes of Scottish Football Authorities and their pet hoodlums from Govan. .Not Paranoia,just the truth.
Yep while clowns like Traynor try to influence and bully people into selling their souls. These rancid muppets think we are all thick as on the one hand they will bang on about how the fans get shafted, because that suits his agenda at that time, whilst telling us we are all wrong and incapable of opinion or a say on this matter? And then they wheel out the likes of Craig Burley who is a nobody in the game who writes like a ten year old. The internet nutters will be your ending Traynor and you know it, we know it, everybody knows it so just roll over and die with some dignity. Exclusive by JP;)
It you back a wounded animal into a corner it will lash out.
I would take this as gospel that Traynor – like many of his cohorts – is a wounded animal,backed into a corner.
I wouldn’t be surprised if those running the football phone -in; those in the tabloid press etc. have been warned that their jobs are on a shoogly peg.
Who cares what Rangers supporters want !
They never gave a tinkers toss about anybody else when they were cheating their way to titles and trophies with unpaid tax revenue, stolen from the ordinary tax payer. The last correspondent says “F***K them” and I agree.
Let them protest outside a boarded up Shithole in Govan.
Wait….I just had a Third Lanark moment
Just for clarification; in my original post when i mentioned Rangers fans wishing to go to the 3rd division i was not in any manner suggesting that Scottish Football give a seconds notice to that but rather that Charles Green and Sevco do. If the ‘no to newco’ group proved anything it is that fan power has the ability to make money driven chairmen take heed of their fans, the lifebloods wants and needs where they have all to often been shunned.
Any new Rangers group would be wise to take heed of such a stance as after all – there is essentially 40’000 season ticket holders out there ‘up for grabs’ and by ignoring them at ‘birth’ you will never gain their full trust.
No matter anyone’s personal feeling or misgivings towards Rangers fans they are still the ones who have lost their club after (rather nievely) putting their trust in ‘money-men’ such as David Murray; they are unlikely to be fooled so easily this time around. They are also the main/only real source of income for the club to get off the ground.
I fear Charles Green has predicted a fast buck to be made in this Rangers fiasco – he should have taken heed that any such plan will be a long term investment; if any investment at all should it continue as a football club.
If the fans don’t back him with season ticket money this week the club is stone dead. Fact. So maybe the headlines should be driven by that agenda instead of putting this on to innocent others? Here is a headline for you Traynor ” Green threatens to level ibrox by 6th July if fans don’t stump up? Na then again who am I trying to kid as that’s too close to the truth!
you know it isn’t though. unfortunately….as a rangers man myself, it is the truth.
In the same breath, as much as i agree….40000 lost to the scottish game can be of no benefit. Not that that says much
Who does it suit to have Supporters and Chairmen exhausted by their whole corrupt dithering. . .it suits Regan Doncaster & Ogilvie’s own corrupt agenda. They will have more chance of pushing through a corrupt deal if all the parties involved get to the stage of agreeing with anything just to get the season up and running. Now is the time to be at our most vigilant. They must not be allowed to drag this out until the season is only days away. Then the club chairmen really will panic and agree to anything.This must not happen.
When you consider the previous solution to this situation Airdrie liquidated, bought the share of Clydebank, re-named the club and re-located to New Broomfield. What would stop Sevco doing the same with Cowdenbeath? Is this a valid solution? Any reason that this cannot be done?
I see on sevco rangers website that Greene states: Green added: “I know the chairmen will listen. The problem some of them have to a lesser degree than I have here is fan pressure.
“I said to a number of them over the weekend that if they’re concerned about their fans, they should come to Ibrox for a week and sit in my chair.’
Would love to be a fly on the wall at these meetings/conversations between Greene and other chairmen.’
What I would like to know is: ‘Who are these chairmen; who is contacting who; what is being discussed/decided; and do the club fans of the other chairmen know about these meetings?’
It would appear as though the SPL is pushing a U-turn on readmitting Rangers.
Clubs like Celtic who want Rangers to remain in the SPL (to keep voting structure in place and more direct financial reasons) would be afforded plausible deniability WRT to how they had voted so as to keep their own support from rebeling
It’s not Sevco we are waiting on, they didn’t set the date of 4th of July… The SPL did… They could have set for the early part of last week, before clubs publicly announced what they wanted! In previous statements of your, lord glennie , rangers players, rangers board, have all said the are the same rangers… The same rangers that will need to except punishment for bringing the game in to disrepute…. if they SPL, SFA, confirm there status as not bring the same club, then surely there is no punishment… You can’t punish something that never existed before… You can’t have it both ways… So you see it’s not just rangers we are waiting on…… And I though the daily record was bad enough and printing complete and utter nonsense .
Pingback: Charles Green “Over Next 7 Days, All the Questions will be Answered”. Here are Some for Sevco Rangers | Random Thoughts Re Scots Law by Paul McConville
To the author Matt
Great article and a very interesting summation of the situation. Well done and it lives up to the high quality posts produced on this blog.
Keep up the good work lads !!
I thought it had been universally agreed that “dual contracts” was no longer an apt description and was to be replaced with “sneaky payments”.
It may also appeal more to the red tops – bit more sexy and senational 😉