For those with an interest in Scottish football, having some knowledge of the world of tax affairs would have been a necessity to get your head around the ongoing Rangers story.
In days gone by, being a football fan meant knowing all about formations, transfer rumours and the offside rule. But now it seems you need to have a masters in accounting and finance, as the Scottish football media spend more and more time discussing the legalities of Employee Benefit Trusts, HMRC investigations and dual contracts.
Just when you thought the Rangers crisis had run its course after dominating the headlines all summer, with the new look club now taking its place in the third division, the much talked about ‘big tax case’ rears its ugly head with the news that HMRC will announce in October their verdict over the clubs use of EBT’s, resulting in a unpaid tax bill of around £49 million.
And in November the three man SPL appointed independent tribunal will deliver their verdict on whether the Ibrox club broke any rules using the scheme, with possible punishments including the stripping of titles. The Scottish football community appears to be split on this matter, with Rangers supporters taking the view their club committed no offences and arguing that talk of the stripping of titles should be rubbished.
Whilst fans of other clubs are keen to see what they perceive as natural justice for a club who committed financial doping to help it stay at the top of the Scottish game. They thus argue that Rangers must face punishment for the crimes committed under the stewardship of Sir David Murray.
Charles Green, Rangers’ Chief Executive, has claimed the SPL have no authority on this matter and contends the club will fight tooth and nail to keep hold of their honours whilst also hinting that there is a hidden agenda against the Ibrox club.
Green takes the view, held by a growing number of Gers fans, that Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell is behind an ongoing campaign to hurt his old rivals using his power and influence in the SPL to recruit those with anti-Rangers views to investigate the clubs use of dual contracts.
Serious questions are being asked about the background of SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan, a close friend of Lawwell and of the SPL’s hiring of the law firm Harper Macleod, a legal firm who have previously acted on behalf of Celtic. Now details are surfacing of the work carried out by Manus Joseph Fullerton, a former Lloyds TSB executive director, who was responsible for supervising the account of Rangers FC during the latter part of David Murray’s ownership of the club.
Fullerton is a self confessed Celtic obsessive and for the Rangers supporters this is further evidence that their beloved club is the victim of an ongoing campaign to tarnish their reputation whilst they are in the process of attempting to rebuild and rise from the ashes after the embarrassment of liquidation.
Those supporting Rangers’ case say the club did not commit any offences in offering around 53 of their former employees the use of an EBT as their accounts were signed off year in year out by the SFA.
It is a messy affair and judgement in both the HMRC and SPL cases will be eagerly anticipated but whatever verdicts are granted the fact of the matter is that Rangers FC have such a massive worldwide appeal that the club should be able to overcome these hurdles. I will eat my hat if they are not challenging their old foes from Parkhead for dominance of the Scottish game before too long again.
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Ridiculous article with absurdly blinkered reporting:
1. Citing an alleged friendship between the Celtic CEO & SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan, whilst singularly ignoring the the position of Campbell Ogilvie (President of the SFA and ex-Rangers director AND EBT beneficiary).
2. Citing an ex-banker as being a Celtic fan & somewhat responsible for the demise of Rangers FC.
3. Making the unfounded allegation that Celtic are somehow behind an ongoing campaign against a club now liquidated.
The article is pathetic, and makes no attempt to explain who is responsible for the liquidation of Rangers FC – namely the Rangers board, the EBT recipients, and the apathy/denial of the Rangers fans compounded by the sterile Scottish media.
The blame rests within the confines of Ibrox Stadium & no amount of petty slander, innuendo or downright lies can change this.
Accept the punishment for the crimes committed.
Crimes ? Your lot know about crimes , injuring referees by throwing missiles , attacking referess houses and vandalising their windows , harrassing and bullying children because their Father is a Scottish referee to the point where he has to leave that job because he is in fear of his and his families life and you try to moralise on EBT s` ?? piss off you horrible little noneity!
What a bitter, personal rant when I have simply pointed out the inept failings of this press article.
As for the liquidated club – simply focus on identifying the culprits – and show a degree of gratitude to the rest of Scottish football for allowing a phoenix club to enter Div 3 (years before any other new club would have been permitted to).
p.s.
As for “your lot” – don’t assume.
ok jimbo some of your points may be valid eg ogilvie etc but the fact does remain there is definate conflicts of interest at work within the sfa and spl , conflicts that would not be allowed in any other professional walk of life – harper mcleod should not have been the firm to investigate rangers and celtic should have been investigated independantly in regard to their own ebt issue – the spl should not be using a qc who does not know the law of the land and reagan is not fit for purpose eg thro his tweeting anticts to name but one instance – lawell should not and neither should green ( although i cant see him ever wanting to be ) be in such a position of authority within the sfa as it would be impossible to maintain impartiality – rangers only possible ‘crime ‘ could be poor paperwork , nothing else – rangers and celtic used the same ebts which were legal gers 53 times celtic once – it makes no logical difference when they were paid – they were paid – juninho was paid a salary and an ebt therefore dual contract – rangers accounts were declared as were celtics – as i said the only wrongdoing may be paperwork – the real crime as im sure you know was craig whyte not paying tax and vat and for that rangers have been punished more than enough
why have celtic got off scott free for also using an ebt?
EBT’s are not illegal, what is illegal is dual contracts which is what Sevco are being investigated for.
No matter how much Green, McCoist, Jardine et al try and blame Celtic and Lawell for the mess they find themselves in, the facts are pretty clear to anyone with half a brain cell….Rangers have been liquidized because they cheated the Taxman, the league, their fans and countless small businesses.
That plus the fact that you have been seen the world over as being sectarian thugs is why nobody likes you and nobody has any sympathy for your plight.
Also, the article above is ridiculous and sounds like it was written by a half wit.
another chip for your sad wee shoulder ?
At least it’s another chip not going into your fat, pie filled belly.
Because the Feninatti are now running the Scottish game, the Scottish media, and the Scottish legal system. Look out for BJK syndrome becoming legal.
You and your ilk are a disgrace—-Scotland’s shame indeed!
Accept your place at the bottom tier of football you have long since occupied the bottom tier in society.
This is becoming tiresome.
Everybody and his auntie is to blame apparently for the demise of the unlamented Rangers.
Messrs.Smith, McCoist.Dodds et al know what was going on was wrong. Mr Green is simply trying to extract as much cash as he can from the remnants of sectarianism and bigotry which should have disappeared from a modern county long before now.
Why do the “peepil” not realise this or is the ignorance bred so deeply into them that they cling to the discredited idea that an association with the Rangers makes them superior to others?
Another obsessed with another team and not my own ?
Another grammatically challenged numpty.
Too busy learning sectarian songs at his mother’s knee to learn his Queen’s English!
“Those supporting Rangers’ case say the club did not commit any offences in offering around 53 of their former employees the use of an EBT as their accounts were signed off year in year out by the SFA.”
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Complete and utter red herring. The SPL rules state (and they’ve been quoted often enough) that each club must register with the SPL all the money they pay their players and they must do this individually for each player.
No one in their right mind would assume that giving a grand total in the yearly accounts for the club meets this rule.
If that’s the best ‘defence’ fans can come up with then they’re truly gubbed.
“Green takes the view, held by a growing number of Gers fans, that Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell is behind an ongoing campaign to hurt his old rivals using his power and influence in the SPL to recruit those with anti-Rangers views to investigate the clubs use of dual contracts.
Read more at http://thisisfutbol.com/2012/09/blogs/rangers-fc-a-victim-or-persecution-or-natural-justice#Kr04GGDeL06bpO3H.99”
I’d say this is a slanderous statement to make…
where did it say that Green said Peter Lawwell was behind Sevco’s troubles
You need to retract this pal or you could find yerself in trouble
Lawell is up to his unwashed neck in it ,,, sue me !
Necks surely?
Isn’t it about time all you Smelltic fans worried about your own club instead of being obsessed with Rangers. You were all paranoid and you still all are paranoid. You keep telling gers fans their club is dead and as such the SPL can do ‘f’ all to ‘The Rangers Football Club’ as they ‘ARE NOT’ members of the SPL. You lot should be romping the SPL after all one of your new players says he’ll handle Messi ok, aye right, he’s as deluded as you lot. Humped by St Johnstone but you’re going to beat Barcalona? What at? Have they got a ‘ Being Paranoid’ competition coming up? Twats.
This article does nothing to help. For the terminally hard of thinking I’ll explain it again…. It’s got nothing to do with EBT’s…. It’s got everything to do with being clear about contracts with the governing body. It wouldn’t matter if they were paid in potatoes, if they don’t declare the exact amount of potatoes to the SPL they will forfeit every game that player plays in. And to repeat the bull about connections with Celtic seems deliberately obfuscating. Stick to the facts.
Rangers are getting more media cover worldwide than ever. 35,000 season tickets sold. Global fan membership growing. So much for dying off in 3rd division and not even playing well yet! This is history in the making how a team was almost destroyed a rose from the ashes to struggle to aim for the top again. No matter what is thrown at this red white and blue legion they keep getting back up, shake themselves off and prepare for the next battle!
well said. We will support Rangers thru thick and thin!
media coverage worldwide..lol..aye every country in the world laffin there fukkin heads aff at sevco….35.000 season books..aye at less price than most junior clubs charge…pmsl….history in the making..yip as the first new club to go intae liquidation within 12 months of its birth..hahahahahahaha…..
We DONT need to make history 1872 54 and counting*****
“how a team was almost destroyed a rose from the ashes to struggle to aim for the top again. No matter what is thrown at this red white and blue legion they keep getting back up, shake themselves off and prepare for the next battle!”
Your team/club WAS ‘destroyed’. It’s called ‘liquidation’ these days.
As for ‘what is thrown’ at you – the problems faced are from your own making – you club chose to go into liquidation rather than pay its debts. Stop blindly blaming others.
As for the military jargon – legion/battle etc – cut it out. It’s only football.
[soldiers are losing their lives in the Middle East as we sit comfortably on our couches typing into laptops]
No other football authority in the world would have subjected a club to the treatment singled out to Rangers. There is definitely something amiss! A full investigation into the behaviour of both the SFA and SPL should be expected if the club is stripped of titles. Do they honestly think they are above the law!
You have suffered nothing more than a transfer ban (and even that was based on the timing of your own choosing) yet you claim you have been treated unfairly? Rangewrs died (wenty into admisnitraton and now liquidation) – there is nothing to punish! You were treated with leniency (vis a is your application to join SFL3) and you are still complaining? Dignisty? Brilliant….
Geo, Davie Blue & any other crayon eater on here? L. O. L.
That is all.
Is there at least 1 oldco/rangers fan or newco/sevco fan who thinks that maybe that they should keep there head down while being thankful for being allowed to rejoin Scottish football at any level. The only excuse I’ve not heard is…I would of got away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky kids!! Scooby doo has more of a clue that sevco fans.
Good Luck with an attempt to portray the Independent Panel and Lord Nimmo Smith as a kangaroo court.
Sounds like an act of desperation by people who fear their guilt will be uncovered and the crime may involve offences beyond side contracts and illegal payments.
Wonder which of the previous regime will turn Queen’s Evidence first??
Turning Queen’s Evidence might be easier than returning Queenie’s taxes
THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS.
“Campbell Ogilvie, for instance, is current president of the SFA and was not only a director of Rangers during the period under investigation, but also company secretary of the club. It was his job to know about contractual arrangements with players.”
So the president of the SFA – the group responsible for the investgation of the SFA into dual contracts has been proven to be a recipient, and to have approved these “products” during thm time at Rangers – and yet CELTIC are in the dock? Outstanding obfuscation…. And yet sites like this are trying to portray themseles as neutral yet they give free rein to people posting libellous accusations about Celtic’s chief exec without a shred of evidience? HOPE YOU HAVE GOOD LAWYERS….
You people must really stop deluding yourselves.
It may be that your former club was despised the length and breadth of the country and beyond because of the moronic racist sectarian behaviour of the supporters. This however is not the reason for the present predicament.
The reasons are well documented and its too boring to re-state them here but they should be compulsory daily reading for the remnants of the “peepil” until even they understand them.