The Errors in the Rangers FC Fan Groups’ Offensive Against SPL Inquiry

Last night three of the Rangers FC’s fans’ groups have come out fighting on the SPL proceedings to be dealt with by an Independent Commission.

The statement can be read in full below. I have appended some notes and comments which are in bold. I will say in advance that disagreeing with the fine gentlemen who make up these bodies is not my default position. However, the facts are the facts, and obfuscation and misleading words and ideas, however innocent, ought to be clarified.

I also wonder what advice, if any, the groups to0k before preparing the statement. There are various parts of it which seem to me to be defamatory of Harper MacLeod, of the SPL, of the Board members thereof and of officials of Celtic. Not perhaps the wisest of ideas.

If a siege mentality is being developed at Ibrox, as seems clearly to be ever more the case then this statement works perfectly. Outside obervers will view it as nonsensical and ill-informed.

Within the stockade however it will be seen as standing up for the club.

What If Celtic Accept Wrong-doing re Juninho’s EBT? Aberdeen SPL Winners 2005?

A quick thought.

The BBC reported this tonight

Have any other Scottish football clubs been involved with EBT schemes?

BBC Scotland Investigates wrote to all of the Scottish Premier League’s member clubs and asked whether they had ever operated an EBT scheme.

Celtic confirmed that it established one EBT scheme in April 2005, which BBC Scotland understands was for the benefit of the Brazilian midfielder Juninho Paulista. The scheme was worth £765,000 but the club did not declare the trust payment to the Scottish Football Association or the Scottish Premier League.

The payments made to the trust were declared in Celtic’s annual report for 2004/2005, but in 2008 the club became aware of an event giving rise to a potential tax liability which was subsequently paid after agreement with HMRC.

The remaining 10 SPL clubs replied and confirmed they had never set up an EBT scheme for any of their employees.

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