Does the press release regarding the use of the infamous EBT scheme that Celtic issued on the same day as the BBC documentary by Mark Daly have a certain spin to it? The phrase was made famous in 2002, when spin doctor Jo Moore faced widespread calls for her to quit for sending an e-mail as New York’s twin towers burned, suggesting that September 11 was a good day to “bury” bad news.
It seems that those in power at Celtic Park may have learned a thing or two from Jo Moore. Perhaps Celtic is hoping that the fire storm that will surely erupt after the BBC programme is shown will hide the hypocrisy that now runs through the Scottish game.
Celtic confirmed that it established one EBT scheme in April 2005, which BBC Scotland is led to believe was for the benefit of the Brazilian midfielder Juninho. 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 and did not pay tax on it. The question has to be asked, why did Celtic not declare the use of the EBT scheme and can we take Celtic at their word? After all, we all remember the famous tour of Japan in 2008.
Only a full investigation of the club by the proper authorities can restore confidence to the Scottish game. Celtic must come clean by providing a full disclosure about why the EBT was set up, what negotiations took place with HMRC, how much had to be paid to HMRC, why it was not disclosed to the SFA, and what benefit it provided to CFC.
After all the fake outrage and moral indignation, here we have a club that not only used the EBT scheme but failed to pay tax on it, only paying it three years later, and failing to declare it to the proper authorities for seven years. You couldn’t make it up. Sporting integrity indeed!
The terms sporting integrity and financial doping have always had a hollow ring to them, but it is an empty statement now that Celtic have admitted using the EBT scheme and withholding tax. Will those who have pursued Rangers with an almost frenzied appetite for the truth now turn their attentions to Celtic Football Club and put the club on the stand? I won’t hold my breath.
http://rangersthefallandrise.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Twitter @Cyberted72
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
What a sad post,take your medicine you thieves and vagabonds#’1#
What a fecking fud you are CyberTed.
Celtic did have an EBT – one – which the player brought with him from Middlesborough. When the Chairman got wind of it, he had it shut down because he had enough nous to realise this was potentially dodgy practice.
And the tax due on the amount which went through it was paid in full.
And you seriously try to equate that situation to the 80+ EBTs among Ibrox staff over a period spanning more than a decade?
In any case, the EBTs were not the problem; the dual contracts and concealment of remuneration expressly designed to con the football authorities & rob the nation’s tax coffers are the issue.
I don’t blame the Rangers players in this – though maybe their agents should have known better – but your club’s management are being shown to be thieves and knaves of the lowest order.
A submarine’s shithouse could not get lower than SDM & his hangers on.
I suspect you are on a par with them.
Ha ha ha ha deflect as much as you can for 20 years rangers have lied, cheated and lied some more.. grasping at straws and cheating is all yous have been good at.. ban the gers from the SPL..
The Celtic EBT was declared in the clubs accounts submitted for that year. It could not have been included the players contract as it was set up to cover his payout to terminate the players contract early.
It may still void the Scottish Cup that year though as the payment was used to pay the player money due for his services in relation to his playing contract. The grey area could be argued that the payment was made upon termination of his contract and did not actually cover any footballing activity. Also if it was neccesary to inform the SFA at the time of the player leaving the club or was providing the information in the clubs accounts at the end of that financial year sufficient.
One thing that differs from the Juninho case is the payment was the remainder of what he was due on the contract Celtic had lodged with the SFA so it really is only a taxation matter which Celtic settled with HMRC.
Aw, why is everybody always picking on us? ‘Cos you’re obnoxious liars, cheats and thieves! Good enough reason,I’d say
How the Hell does crap like this get on here? Doesn’t the person responsible for running this site care about the reputation of their site?
I’m quite happy for the author to raise this issue because it actually WEAKENS Rangers’ own defence. The author is just too stupid to realise this. Or get his facts right.
I sat for a while and carefully considered a response to your article TED. In the end I can not think of any response which could put your mail in perpective !!!!!
Except: What a tadger!!
Hey cybertadger….you should definately be listening instead of talking. What a tadger!! Nuff said!! HH 😀
Hey ted bexendale you been on the funny fags again ,hope you filmed it .would make a great adult comedy
avoid and distract tactic again from the real culprit. Still believe in that whole ‘both are just as bad’ kinda crap? Seriously?
Worst acting role ever, this whole victim role.
BOOT THEM OOT!
The Scottish Establishment, the 4th estate have put the most vile rowing club a tic-toc away from the hangman.They just don’t get it,the knuckle draggers read the the back of the redtops for years and look were it’s got them.Struth’s a hero for keeping apartheid in Scottish sport, but he is seen as a hero.The redtops done us a favour by cracking our crest anytime we fell 7 points behind them, That is why we are in this position of strength, so thank you you lamb loving fukers.If we lived in a sporting integrity country like Englad, you would be not demoted but deceased, but luckily you still live in the smallest racist wee country in the world.So you can say bye to the Scottish Cup, but that will be it.