Steve1872

An MP is calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the taxman's pursuit of Rangers over the club's use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs). Brian Donohoe, secretary of the Rangers Supporters Club at Westminster, says HM Revenue and Customs’ approach was "cack-handed". The old company which ran the club was forced into liquidation earlier this year after HMRC blocked a proposed deal with creditors. Mr Donohoe, a Labour MP for Central Ayrshire, is calling for an inquiry into the taxman’s actions. He said: “I think it's cack-handed and it's been demonstrated as such. They've got now the decision of the tribunal. They're now even talking about the possibility of going to an appeal, and it really is time for them to get their act together. “And I'm hoping that Margaret Hodge in her committee, the PAC, will look at this more closely, in order that no football club will suffer the consequences of the HMRC action, as has been the case in this.” The tribunal sat for 29 days in Edinburgh. According to Murray International Holdings, the final tax bill could have been as high as £90m if they had lost. But by a majority, the tribunal judges ruled its use of EBTs had been legal. HMRC is now considering whether to appeal against the tribunal's ruling and it could come under pressure from some quarters not to let the matter drop. The National Audit Office at Westminster criticised HMRC for not doing enough to clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance schemes. Experts said it was unclear what would happen next. Neil Patey, from Ernst and Young, told STV News: “I think they will think long and hard before deciding one way or another. I think there is a chance that they will go ahead and appeal this, but if they do, that will take a long time. “We're talking months, probably years, before this gets through the whole appeal process. They may decide, based upon yesterday's findings, that that's enough for now and they will pursue other cases on other merits.” In light of the tribunal's findings, Rangers fans are calling for the SPL to scrap its investigation into allegations that the club made undisclosed payments to players. Ross Blyth, from the Rangers Supporters Assembly, said: “There's a perception in the country, created by a lot of people - football people, by some parts of the media as well - that Rangers were guilty before trial here. I think they should just scrap that SPL investigation now into stripping of the titles before they further embarrass themselves.” The Scottish Premier League declined to comment.

The Wheels have come off. The wheels have well and truly come off. The wreckage of the bandwagon lies strewn, twisted and mangled, a testament to an endeavour gone disastrously wrong. Barely nothing recognisable is left of this once proud vehicle ridden so gleefully by its passengers. You see, this bandwagon wasn’t powered by a traditional combustion engine running on petrol or diesel. No this was an experimental “integrity” engine fueled on a potent yet toxic mixture of righteousness, bigotry, malice and hatred of Rangers Football Club. This powerful concoction drove the wagon to speeds unreachable by the humble combustion engine propelling it exponentially faster with each passing day. When it finally collided with an obsticle the laws of physics resolved the impossibility of two sets of matter existing in the same space and time the only way it could, the complete and total destruction of the weaker party…the bandwagon. If you look closely at the wreckage you can see the contorted bodies of the passengers, battered, bruised and in a total state of shock after such a violent encounter. Fortunately there was only one fatality, the death of a dream. The dream that Rangers Football Club had died and that the record books would be re-written to remove its titles won fairly on the field of play. The passengers should count themselves lucky though as had the bandwagon they so joyfully leapt onto been travelling any faster they would surely have been vaporised. Let’s look then at some of these notable passengers of the bandwagon who for the past year have been decrying Rangers Football Club as scoundrels and cheats with accusations of financial skullduggery, financial doping and cheating the tax man out of millions of pounds. Now the naming and shaming can truly begin as we expose those individuals, bereft of any proof of wrong doing (not to mention morals, integrity and basic decency), dragged the name of Rangers Football Club through every cesspit they could find. Now begins the reckoning we Rangers fans have been waiting long and patiently for. Rangers Tax Case. A.k.a (Tony Mckelvie) This individual has dedicated a sizable chunk of his life to the pursuit of truth (well what passes for it in his universe) about the misdeeds of Rangers Football Club. In his blog, the internet equivalent of a backstreet chop shop he took any merchandise regarding Rangers Football Club that had fallen off the back of a lorry, scratched the serial numbers off, sliced them up and recombined them to flood the market with insidious misinformation and outright lies. At yesterdays verdict Tony went into complete meltdown as we can see from his twitter feed. One cannot help but be reminded of many a Scooby Doo villain as they protest “And I’d have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you pesky kids”. Despite Tony’s protestations that this is far from over it hasn’t stopped him from deleting his entire back catalouge of RTC blogs. Tony, in all seriousness now. Seek help. Graham Spiers The succulent lamb muncher himself. So safe did Graham Spiers feel on the bandwagon that he released a number of statements branding Rangers Football Club cheats. What he overlooked however, probably distracted by the dizzying speed of the bandwagon, was that there was no seat belts. Last night, in response to an excellent performance from Chris Graham (take a bow sir) a bumbling Spiers attempted an escape that even Houdini would be proud of. Rigorously he defended himself stating the following: “I’ve never used the phrase ‘financial doping’…in cheating I didn’t refer to the big tax case, I was referring to the small tax case and I was referring to the non-payment of tax under Craig Whyte” Except that’s not strictly true now is it Graham? No Mr Spiers won’t quite so easily worm his way out of this one considering twitter was awash with Spiers’s comments that he claimed on television he did not make. I don’t think Spiers articles have ever been so popular, none more so than this article of Grahams where he compares Rangers use of EBT’s with the Juventus match fixing scandal. That succulent lamb must now taste like ashes in that mouth of yours, probably explaining why you looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp. Brian McNally Some Rangers haters are more obvious than others and none quite so obvious as Brian McNally. I think we should take a look at a few of McNally’s highlights on twitter regarding Rangers Football Club. This is the same McNally that accused Rangers fans of singing the famine song then only to slip out a meek half apology on the same day as the FTTT statement hoping no one would notice it. Well we did notice it Brian and it wont be forgotten. Alex Thomson Dear old Alex Thomson, a man whom I’ve very familiar with. Alex is quite taken with Rangers Football Club with 59 blogs under his belt. He got on the case because he wanted to report on one of the “major corporate failures of Scottish business history”. Here’s what he had to say about the FTTT verdict. Poor Alex, so sour those grapes must be that this is what tweets to his followers. This is the journalistic equivalent to “move along folks there’s nothing to see here”. Perhaps Alex Thomson is regretting putting his name to and promoting what he calls a “factual” book regarding the financial meltdown of Rangers Football Club. Alex will surely now report on how Rangers Football Club were liquidated because of an imaginary debt held by HMRC? I wont be holding my breath on that one. Phil Mac Giolla Bhain The less said about this toxic individual the better tarred as he is with a sickening sectarian brush. Needless to say his “factual” book will now be re-housed in the bargain bin of the fiction section in any good bookshop. Neil Lennon A surprising inclusion in a list of bandwagon jumpers. You’d think the manager of a football club would have more concerns than to comment on an ongoing tax tribunal of another club. Neil Lennon has never been the sharpest tool in the box and as shown by his disgraceful temperament as a player and a manager, is ruled by anger and is unable to keep his personal feelings in check. Neil Lennon very publicly stated if Rangers are caught cheating that they should be stripped of titles adding more fuel to the bandwagon. It appears Neil there is only one tax evader here…and that is you… SPL An organisation falling over itself to punish Rangers from as far back as June of this year were dealt a knock-out blow by the FTTT. In the coming weeks and months we should see the EBT title stripping investigation quietly dropped by the SPL as other headlines of its own financial meltdown take center stage. However the blinding stupidity and malice shown by the SPL in recent times means that this is in no way guaranteed and they may very well continue their now doomed to failure investigation. Why doomed you say? Well how can you investigate the nondisclosure of payments that have ruled by the law of the land to be lawful discretionary loans? I’ll be interested to see how they work that one if at all. The Rest This is by no means an exhaustive list. Missing are the hoards of internet users frantically beating their keyboards and howling with derision at the FTTT verdict. The SPL ‘fans’ who demanded Rangers be cast out of the SPL for their cheating ways can now only watch as their own clubs slip ever closer to financial ruin as a result of their bitterness and bile. We must now take the fight to them. Emboldened by our rightful victory it is the duty of every Rangers fan to hound these individuals and to never again let them back us into a corner with their slander and lies. Eternal vigilance is the price we now have to pay if we want to proclaim “we are the people”. http://thedailyranger.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/the-reckoning-starts-here/

Chris Graham‏@ChrisGraham76 The moral compass of Scotland is being set again. Lying on live TV is apparently fine. Minimising the tax you pay is morally wrong

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Rafa Benitez till end of season

ScotlandTonight‏@ScotlandTonight On #scotnight we speak to Paul Baxendale-Walker, the man behind the EBT tax avoidance scheme which sparked the collapse of oldco Rangers....

Colin Shearer‏@SupportTheDCC @DEVILSADVOKAT Please RT HMRC v Rangers petition for an http://www.causes.com/causes/803037-demand-an-enquiry-into-hmrc-v-rangers-fc 1077 signed today already

Traynor - "Embarrassing the way Scottish journalists have conducted themselves over the Rangers story" "These journalists know who they are, it is up to them to square their conscience in regards to the way they have conducted a shameful vitriolic campaign"

Graham Spiers‏@GrahamSpiers I've just checked Twitter and the mad internet: there is going to be mass suicides among Celtic fans if, heaven forfend, RFC win HMRC case. 1 April 2011

Independent hearing into allegations of dual contracts at #Rangers now to start late Jan or early Feb

the other clip is 1 specific clip of lying

Graham Spiers‏@GrahamSpiers @rossejhendry Call years of non-payment of taxes whatever the heck you want. I'll happily - and reasonably accurately - call it 'cheating'. Graham Spiers‏@GrahamSpiers @kevinhamill I agree. It seems very, very wrong. Rangers to me have been at it with these EBTs. Honest it wisnae me

This guy is suffering Brian McNally‏@McNallyMirror Happy to point out the song sung by Rangers fans at Clyde was 4 Men had a Dream which shares the tune of the Famine Song.

The lies!!!!!!!!!!

THE Board of The Rangers Football Club issued the following statement today. Charles Green, chief executive commented: “I am sure that all Rangers fans will welcome that a judgment has been reached on this case at last. “That said, the judgment will not affect the operations of the Club nor the proposed flotation of the business as a public company. “This case is historic and was a matter for The Rangers Football Club plc ('oldco') which is in liquidation. “The Rangers Football Club Ltd is a corporate entity formed following the acquisition in June this year, by a consortium led by me, of the business and assets of Rangers, including the Club and its honours. “As HMRC stated in June when they decided to vote against the proposed oldco CVA, no tax liabilities relating to 'oldco' would transfer across to the new company. HMRC have recently reaffirmed this position to the Club's tax advisers, Deloitte. “The Rangers Football Club Ltd is a company free of external debt. “The judgment serves to further undermine the validity of the SPL Commission into the use of EBTs. “As we have said all along the SPL decision to press ahead with a commission was ill-timed and fundamentally misconceived.”

Dutch tv http://nos.nl/video/442037-rangers-ver-weg-van-hoogste-podium.html

On this day in 1943 Willie Thonrton recived the coveted Military Medal for his gallantry. His heroics came on Sicily as American and British forces overcame the Germans during a crucial phase of World War II.

Our Founder Peter Campbell was part on the victorious Rangers side in 1879 which won the Clubâ??s first ever Trophy (The Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup) in a thrilling encounter with our old foes Vale of Leven. Here now is an account of a quite incredible story that brings our Founders directly into our lives today. At recent Rangers Supporters Trust meeting the subject of a Rangers F.C. museum was discussed; that sparked my interest in a medal I have been aware of for many years. It is an 1879 Glasgow Charity Cup medal, Rangerâ??s first ever trophy, won by Peter M. Campbell. It belongs to a friend of mine named Stephen. When Stephen was a schoolboy in the late sixties he found the medal in an East Kilbride park while walking to school one morning. Stephen handed the medal into the local police and after a certain length of time (he thinks it was a year) as no claim or report had been made about it, the medal was returned to him. Stephen made contact with Rangers at the time in order, if possible, to return the medal to Peter Campbellâ??s family; Davie White was the Rangers manager at the time. Rangers could only find out some of the basic information and were unable to trace any surviving family. I started working with Stephen about ten years ago and as we both are Rangers supporters the subject of the medal naturally came up. Stephen knew very little of the medalâ??s history but after some research this medal has turned out to have major significance in Rangers F.C. history as well as the tragedy of Peter Campbellâ??s drowning. To my limited knowledge, and I am willing to stand corrected, this medal is unique. In conversations with Stephen his preferred choice was to retain ownership of the medal but loan it to Rangers F.C. to display it in the Trophy Room and in any future Rangerâ??s museum, instead as he has said â??gathering dust in a drawerâ??. It is now on display in the Ibrox Blue Room. William Mason

A question has been asked.. What are the accumulated fighting fund finances going to be used for? The Fighting Fund was set up to allow the Rangers family the opportunity to support our club financially through the administration process we found ourselves in, without our backing the entire foundations of The Rangers was at serious risk of extinction. With fantastic success, Rangers fans helped protect the traditions and history of our proud football club. Not only did we manage to finance the re-turfing of Ibrox Park, the training pitch at Auchenhowie, we also funded some football debts, (that were found to be acceptable), paid for the operation for one of our best youth prospects, and funded our youth teams involvement in a European tournament, that greatly enhanced their football knowledge, experience and most importantly their development. At present we have £530,000 in the fund, so what is it to be used towards? The answer is clear... If our original mission statement was to safeguard our proud history and traditions then now more than ever, we have individuals with motives well beyond fairness, and the now common phrase "SPORTING INTEGRITY" trying to disrupt the very foundations of our glorious and illustrious clubs achievements. At present the SPL, are showing clear motives to try and remove league titles and cups won within the last decade or so. It seems strange that whilst this poverty stricken franchise is screaming out for money and investment, that some individuals who run the show, have taken it in their ultimate wisdom to fund expensive legal teams to try and find fault with the Rangers, to then potentially strip us of cups, titles and anything else to the detriment of our football club. There seems to be a belief that they can do what they like and no one can defend us against their accusations. "HOW WRONG THEY ARE" Although our new owners have assured that they will protect our heritage and fight tooth and nail to honour the trust that they have found in the best supported football club in our land. Be assured that the finances within the Fighting Fund as well as further pledged monies, if required, will support any legal action taken on behalf of protecting our historical victories. Legal advice has already been taken from some of the highest qualified individuals in the country, their views are simple. Once again and as before we will take our doubters to the highest levels of the law and prove their wrong doing and our innocence. Upon the conclusion of safe guarding all that is the Rangers, our titles, our cups and when our accusers hang their heads in their failure to tarnish our club, that is when we look at where the funds will be used best. At this stage all remaining monies inclusive of fund balance and any finances claimed from any costs incurred protecting Rangers, will be put to the best uses for our club. A meeting will be called of all supporters groups and suggestions will be discussed followed by an immediate decision to the direction of the fans monies best use. Be that a fans museum, funding directly to the Ally's squad, funding to the youth team or any number of fans proposals will be debated and then allocated. The summary of the above is simple; this is the fans of the Rangers that have helped protect our proud football club, with not only finance but with a loyalty that does not exist anywhere else in world football. We the fans have raised these funds, used them to the best of our integrity for our club, will use it until this battle is won and finally the fans will decide the direction of every single penny. We the committee of the Fighting Fund thank you for your loyal and unending support of all that is the Rangers. http://rangersfansfightingfund.com/

from RM All, Last night I was on the phone to Donna, Captain Barrie's sister who works in the Louden Tavern with me and for big Rab. She asked me to post on Follow Follow and also RM that her and all the family are very grateful for all the support and kind messages that they have received from fellow bears and other people that they have been shown in this sad time and for what everyone is doing for them. Wont go in to full conversation but she said, and in her own words "That they have lost a family member too, will you do that for me please" meaning us, Rangers Football Club and all the fellow bears and our military as one big family. She also said that the support given to her and the family has been her "Rock" to carry on.

Alex Willoughby rejected a move to Manchester United. When asked why, he replied: "They can’t give me the blue shirt of the Rangers."

"I think Jock Wallace made me captain because I knew more versions of The Sash than he did." - Jimmy Nicholl.

Rangers FC Official‏@RFC_Official Rangers will wear black armbands on Saturday against East Stirlingshire as a mark of respect for Captain Walter Barrie.

Walter Smith, Ian Hart and Charles Green at Ibrox tonight. #TogetherRFC pic.twitter.com/yp5dNIQn View photo Hide photo Reply RetweetedRetweet Delete FavoritedFavorite

Rangers FC Official‏@RFC_Official Former Manager Walter Smith and Ian Hart take their place on the board of directors with immediate effect: http://bit.ly/Rv99w0 Expand Collapse Reply RetweetedRetweet Delete FavoritedFavorite 6mRangers FC Official‏@RFC_Official The Rangers Football Club has announced the appointment of two non-executive directors to the Clubâ??s board of directors http://bit.ly/Rv99w0