ian1964

BBC Scotland has decided to publish further evidence about a suspected conflict of interest concerning the administrators of Rangers. David Grier, a senior partner from administrators Duff and Phelps, had said he was unaware that London finance firm Ticketus funded Craig Whyte's purchase of the club. But the BBC has seen evidence that Mr Grier attended a dinner to celebrate the acquisition of Rangers alongside a Ticketus executive shortly after Whyte finalised the deal. Duff and Phelps deny there has been a conflict of interest. The BBC can also reveal that emails about an invoice arranged by Mr Grier appear to relate directly to a tranche of invoices which were submitted to Ticketus for £24.4m - which had been used to fund the purchase of the club. A leading insolvency expert has told the BBC that if the allegations of a conflict are proved, Duff and Phelps should resign. 'Information withheld' The BBC has seen emails which show that a small number of people were invited to a dinner to celebrate completing the acquisition of Rangers, on 16 June 2011 at exclusive London restaurant, Langans. Continue reading the main story â??Start Quote This was a dinner organised by Craig Whyte and I did not know what others in attendance knew or didn't knowâ? Nine people attended, including Craig Whyte, his lawyer Gary Withey, Rangers director Phil Betts, David Grier and Ross Bryan, the executive from Ticketus who oversaw the deal with Rangers. The four other attendees were the lawyers, accountants and financial advisors who helped put the deal together. Mr Grier has told the BBC that he was kept in the dark about the full extent of the Ticketus deal and that "material information was withheld to us". The BBC understands that each of the eight other people attending the Langans event that night were fully aware of the details of the financing of the purchase. The BBC put it to Mr Grier's PR team on Friday that it "stretched credibility" that he was the only person invited to the celebration that night who did not know about the Ticketus deal. In a statement Mr Grier said: "I attended the function you refer to in the full knowledge that the club had an ongoing and existing relationship with Ticketus. "This was a dinner organised by Craig Whyte and I did not know what others in attendance knew or didn't know. As statedâ?¦the matter is now in the hands of our solicitors." Ticketus transaction Mr Whyte completed the takeover of Rangers on 6 May 2011, but came under serious criticism after it was revealed he had used Ticketus to fund the purchase of the club by selling off most of the next three years' worth of season tickets. The Ticketus deal, if it stood, would make Rangers a much less attractive proposition to any potential buyer, since more than half of the club's income stream for the next three years would be paid out. Craig Whyte Craig Whyte purchased Rangers from Sir David Murray for £1 In a BBC Scotland documentary broadcast on Wednesday - Rangers: The Men Who Sold the Jerseys - it was revealed that emails were sent to Mr Grier concerning the Ticketus transaction in April 2011 - two weeks before the deal completed. Mr Grier has denied knowing that Ticketus were funding the purchase, and his PR team has claimed he was only aware of a much smaller arrangement of around £5m with the finance firm to fund a working capital shortfall. The BBC has not been shown any evidence that a smaller Ticketus transaction for working capital existed. In this email dated 24 June 2011, Mr Grier agrees to arrange an invoice for Ticketus, and backdate it until 9 May. The BBC has evidence that three invoices were raised to Ticketus dated 9 May. Each related to one seasons' ticket sales for 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14. The combined total for all three was £24.4m. The Ticketus funds had by this time already been used to pay the club's £18m bank debt, which had been a condition of the sale. Mr Grier has denied knowing that Ticketus money was used in the purchase, and maintains his knowledge of Ticketus only went as far as some short term working capital funding. In a statement, Mr Grier said: "My position is clear in that I did not have information on the nature of the Ticketus proposal prior to the takeover. "The matters that are now referred to are post transaction and we (MCR) took steps to understand and raise concerns once we had full visibility on what had taken place. 'False allegations' "At all times we have acted correctly and firmly on matters of financial propriety and kept HMRC appraised of all developments. "The BBC is ignoring the fundamental point that my knowledge prior to takeover was that Craig Whyte's legal advisers provided assurances that their client had £30m to be used for the purchase of the club and access to additional funds to invest for the future and meet potential liabilities. "Saffery Champness conducted the financial due diligence - we did not have access to the data room or cash flow models as that was not our role. "The false allegations made by the BBC in recent days are now in the hands of our solicitors." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18212287

ALLY McCOIST has assured Rangers fans: I STILL donâ??t do walking away. Former Ger Mark Hateley claimed his pal could QUIT after a transfer ban was slapped on the club. But McCoist insists that thought has NEVER entered his head â?? and that heâ??s committed to helping haul Gers back from the brink. He said: â??That has not crossed my mind at all. â??I understand where big Mark is coming from but leaving the club in this situation is the furthest thing from my mind. â??The punters absolutely deserve someone they can trust and who will do their best. I may well make mistakes but I guarantee Iâ??ll do my best for this club. â??As I say, I think that is the least the fans deserve.â? Charles Green continues to plot his takeover, with the June 6 deadline to deliver a CVA looming. McCoist has made clear to the ex-Sheffield United chief executive what he believes is needed on the playing side. Wage cuts agreed in March return to normal this Friday with top-earning players having sell-on clauses written into their deals that could see them flogged on the cheap. McCoist added: â??I havenâ??t spoken to Charles Green an awful lot. I have met with him two or three times but he has been in meetings with the SFA, the SPL and dealing with other things around the club. â??I have, though, met him enough to let him know that we have lost so many players this season. â??I have told him what I think we need to make us competitive and have a realistic chance of winning things next season. â??We just need to wait and see what everyone comes up with. While the embargo stands, hanging on to current key players and renegotiating their clauses is priority â??We must get our players that have been loyal to the club and each other back next year. â??For me, that is the immediate target. At least that would give us a reasonable solidity. â??We have lost big players, the likes of Jelavic and Bougherra. â??But if we can keep a spine of the likes of McGregor, Davis, Naismith and all those boys then that would certainly be positive for us.â? Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/4339250/I-still-dont-do-walking-away.html#ixzz1vvSFckBK

Gennaro Gattuso cannot sign for Glasgow Rangers, but insists he has â??already given my absolute disposalâ? to the troubled Ibrox club. The midfielderâ??s contract with Milan expires this summer and he has confirmed he wonâ??t remain in Serie A. â??My adventure has finished in Italy. After 13 years at Milan I really donâ??t feel ready to wear another jersey,â? the 34-year-old told Rai Sport. â??I have already given my absolute disposal to Glasgow Rangers. That is where it all started for me and my wifeâ??s family still lives there too. â??At the moment they cannot sign players because they are under administration.â? It is not clear how Gattuso hopes to get around the transfer embargo, which stops Rangers registering new players over the age of 18 for the next 12 months. http://www.football-italia.net/19223/gattuso-i-want-glasgow-rangers

Mark Daly ‏@markdaly2 We'll be publishing a bit more of our Duff and Phelps conflict of interest evidence tomorrow. Will be online shortly after midnight #bbcsi Expand Reply Retweet Favorite

Look mate,I'm not even going to bother discussing Ally as a manager,so I'll just finish on saying I'm willing to give him my backing and support for this season

So after his first season in charge he doesn't/can't learn and he is a failure as a manager?

A nice wee tournament would sell out nicely I think

Rangers have asked the Court of Session to overturn a year-long transfer ban imposed on the club by the Scottish Football Association. Lawyers acting for the financially-stricken Ibrox club said the ban would cause them "utterly irretrievable" prejudice if it was upheld. They claim the embargo is unlawful and outside the powers of the SFA tribunal. The club's administrators are seeking to have the ban suspended in a judicial review. The sanction was imposed on Rangers along with a £160,000 fine after it was charged with bringing the game into disrepute. Richard Keen QC, acting for Rangers FC plc, said an agreement which saw senior players accept substantial pay cuts is due to expire next month. In return for agreeing to the pay cuts, the players will be able to seek a transfer from Rangers for only about 25% of their perceived market value. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote If the additional sanction was to remain in place for all or the material part of the transfer window the prejudice on the petitioners would be utterly irretrievable” Richard Keen QC Mr Keen said the players would have "every incentive to go" because they would likely be able to secure a "golden hello" from buying clubs signing them for a knock-down transfer fee. "If this sanction is in place they cannot be replaced by players over 18 years of age," he told the court, adding: "If the additional sanction was to remain in place for all or the material part of the transfer window the prejudice on the petitioners would be utterly irretrievable." Mr Keen said an appeal tribunal held to review the original SFA decision had heard the suggestion that Rangers had a squad of more than 40 players. However, he said 25 of those players were aged 18 or under. "If the additional sanction was to be suspended they would be able to sign replacement players for those who are in all probability leaving," he added. Mr Keen pointed out that administrators Duff and Phelps were also seeking to finalise arrangements for the takeover of the club with Charles Green, a former Sheffield United chief executive. "The indications from him are that he would be willing to proceed even if the additional sanction is in place", Mr Keen said. "However, the preferred route for any resolution of the present difficulties is a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) and it is not clear all other creditors would take the same view of the company's prospects if the additional sanction was in place." Administrators were called in at Rangers in February following an unpaid tax bill and the club was charged by the SFA for bringing the game into disrepute. Mr Keen argued that it was not competent for the tribunal to impose the additional sanction on the club and that it was outside its powers. He said that a fine, suspension, expulsion and termination of membership were available, but added: "The sanction of suspending the registration of players is not available under the general disciplinary rules to the tribunal in respect of an alleged breach. 'Suspension or expulsion' "It follows in my submission that the purported additional sanction imposed by the tribunal and confirmed by the appeal tribunal was not a competent sanction and was not one available to the tribunal. "My understanding is that those representing the SFA at the original hearing were as surprised as we were when the tribunal came back to impose such a sanction, or I should say purported sanction." Aidan O'Neill QC, for the SFA, said the tribunal had sought to find a punishment or sanction which would fit the breach. "They did not want to be in a situation of giving a sanction which is not effective and not dissuasive, or a disproportionate sanction - which is suspension or expulsion," he said. He said it was understood within the sport that a transfer ban preventing the registration of new players was a sanction. "We don't want a clunky reading of these rules which means either we have a useless sanction or a nuclear option. That is just nonsensical," he said. Mr O'Neill argued that the tribunal had properly applied its mind to come up with what it considered to be an effective and proportionate outcome. "This club brought the game into disrepute because it did not pay its taxes, among other things," he said. The hearing is due to continue next week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18211947

Statement on Court of Session proceedings Scottish FA spokesperson: “We note Rangers FC’s initiation of proceedings at the Court of Session in relation to the sanctions imposed by an independent Judicial Panel, which were subsequently upheld by an Appellate Tribunal chaired by Lord Carloway. “With the hearing continued until Tuesday, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.” http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=9934&newsCategoryID=1

Everybody learns,no?. However I posted tongue in cheek,we may not have many players to choose from,other than kids,and we won't have European ties to worry about.

RFC_Official: D&P Statement: "The Club started proceedings at the Court of Session today in an attempt to challenge the imposition by an..." (1/3) RFC_Official: "... SFA Judicial Panel of a player signing embargo. The process will continue at the court on Tuesday & it is the Club's position.." (2/3) RFC_Official: “…that the Judicial Panel did not have the powers to impose such a sanction.” (3/3) RFC_Official: Duff & Phelps: “The Club and the administrators are grateful for the support of the Rangers Fighting Fund on this matter."

Well I think this pre-seaon will be a little bit different :smile:

Rangers have applied to the Court of Session to overturn a player signing ban imposed on them by football authorities. On Friday, legal representatives argued that the 140-year-old club would suffer "utterly irretrievable" prejudice if the ban was not withdrawn. The club are seeking a Judicial Review of the sanction imposed by the Scottish FAâ??s (SFAâ??s) judicial panel imposed a 12-month player registration embargo on the Ibrox club for a number of rule breaches including bringing the game into disrepute. Richard Keen QC told the Court of Session on Friday that an agreement had had to be reached with senior players that expires next month under which they took a substantial wage cut, but in return would be able to seek a transfer from the club for a low fee about 25% of perceived market value. He said it would be of considerable benefit to the individual players as they would be able to secure "a golden hello" from buyers and added: "These players have every incentive to go." The Dean of Faculty told Lord Glennie that although the wages limit ended in June, when the summer transfer window opens, "the knockdown prices" did not. http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/103244-rangers-take-scottish-fa-to-court-over-player-signing-ban/

Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas believes learning lessons from the crisis at Rangers is more important than imposing sanctions. Rangers, who are being investigated by the Scottish Premier League over possible dual contracts, have been in administration since February. And the Ibrox club may seek to remain in the SPL as a new company. Continue reading the main story â??There are a lot of systematic problems that should be addressed by acting togetherâ? Sergejus Fedotovas "Justice is very important, but lessons learned are more valuable," said Fedotovas. "Rangers' situation has shown certain problems and many clubs see punishing Rangers as the most important objective. "The situation has highlighted issues that are much wider and Scottish football should not be narrow-minded and should not put all focus on the punishment, but address the roots of the problem." Several SPL clubs have highlighted the importance of integrity and reputation when considering how to deal with Rangers while others have stressed the financial rationale for keeping the Ibrox outfit in the top flight. The league has twice delayed voting on new financial fair play rules for next season, including the imposition of a 10-point penalty for two seasons on clubs who relaunch as newcos. The member clubs are due to meet again on Wednesday. "Some problems are personal to individual clubs but there are a lot of systematic problems that should be addressed by acting together," added Fedotovas. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18205927

I know this is about the football creditor rule which doesn't apply in Scotland,but does it have any bearing on our application for a CVA?. THE HIGH COURT has dismissed the taxman's challenge against a controversial football insolvency rule. At the Royal Courts of Justice, judge David Richards dismissed HMRC's latest attempt to overturn the football creditor rule. An HMRC spokesman said: "We are naturally disappointed with today's judgment. "Our view remains that the football creditor rule is unfair to all other unsecured creditors who are forced to make do with much smaller returns - if anything - on monies owed to them by Football Clubs which enter administration. "We will carefully consider the detail of the judgment before deciding whether an appeal is in the public interest." The taxman had filed a legal claim against the Football League in May 2010 claiming its Football Creditor Rule (FCR), which prioritises some creditors over others, was unlawful. The taxman was battling to have the football creditor rule overturned because it believes the rule - which prioritises payments to creditors such as players, managers and clubs in the event of an administration - is "unlawful". If a club enters administration then all football creditors are paid in full with remaining funds then divided among creditors. HMRC and the Football League began their legal battle on 30 November 2011 with residing judge Mr Justice Newey allowing the Premier League permission to "intervene" and fight its corner in the proceedings because both leagues enforce the same rule. The case was originally postponed for several months to allow both the Premier League and HMRC to wade into a different legal argument involving collapsed bank Lehman Brothers administrators and a consortium of investors. The two sides made written submissions to the court, in which Lehman Brothers' administrators were battling to defend the insolvency principle that creditors should be treated equally. However, the Supreme Court specifically mentioned that it did not want to pre-judge the HMRC and the Premier League case. In May last year, the taxman and the Premier League became embroiled in a Lehman Brothers Supreme Court case over insolvency principles. Read more: http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2179734/breaking-hmrc-loses-football-creditor-rule-court-battle#ixzz1vsckBCR8'>http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2179734/breaking-hmrc-loses-football-creditor-rule-court-battle#ixzz1vsckBCR8 Accountancy Age - Finance, business and accountancy news, features and resources. Claim your free subscription today. http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2179734/breaking-hmrc-loses-football-creditor-rule-court-battle

Lifted from FF Ever since it became apparent that Rangers had an issue with HMRC over "The Big Tax Case", the Rangers Tax Case blog has been one constant source of information on Rangers' affairs. In fact, it has been at the forefront of information about the tax case, and numerous other problems at Ibrox. Going through the archives it becomes apparent that, while the site was primarily set up to cover the tax case, it also made a huge deal on leading the investigations by the Celtic Minded obsessives about the dealings and background of Craig Whyte. Starting in March 2011, the blog has received awards, acclaim after acclaim and "real" journalists of a Celtic persuasion have been falling over themselves to tell the world just how good it is. What has always been rather odd is the secrecy and anonymity of the blogger, or bloggers behind the site. Despite the fact that many anti-Rangers journalists are free to go about their business without fear or favour, the RTC blog has remained shrouded under a veil of secrecy. Despite numerous requests from "mainstream" journalists for interviews on radio stations and newspapers, the stance of anonymity has been resolute. The question is, why? If Graham Spiers (the discredited journalist) (the discredited journalist) (the discredited journalist) (the discredited journalist) (the discredited journalist) or Phil Gillivan can spend every waking hour attacking Rangers without any come back, why should those behind the RTC be any different? I could probably fill this page alone with anti-Rangers activists masquerading as writers, bloggers or journalists who have no worries about undertaking their work under their real identity It does seem strange doesn't it? Given that VB has been the site responsible for uncovering the works of Gillivan and his friend Kieron Brady, we have been contacted on a number of occasions by people claiming to know the identity of the RTC blogger. As we here at VB are VERY thorough, we always check the claims out comprehensively and have to say most of these claims never go anywhere, are not credible enough to work with, and are certainly not fit to publish. On this occasion though, the information was credible from the off. We received some screen shots of some interesting dialogue that took place on Twitter, dialogue which appears to have uncovered one of the brains behind the blog. Who is he? Mark Leiser of Newton Mearns, Glasgow. The interesting Twitter conversation is below, where Leiser does not deny his involvement, and in fact looks to be defending the blog, specifically how it was (and is) produced. Could he be the man? He then threatens Willhelm with defamation in an attempt to intimidate him in to silence, despite Willhelm simply asking a question. Leiser could simply have denied any involvement, and categorically stated that the blog had done nothing illegal, from his experience in law. That may, however, have implied some illegality from inside HMRC which is a distinct possibility. Simply stating that the much talked about Rangers Tax Case blog is run by Leiser would be easy, even if slightly misleading. What is 100% certain is that he contributes, and is in daily contact with a small but very influential group of Celtic supporters including the RTC twitter account. Our understanding is that Leiser is part of a collaborative group who contribute, but his activity on Twitter prior to the drawing out exercise pointed at him being not just an outsider contributing, but being at the hub of a lot of the activity connected to the site. What is more interesting is the network of people he is connected to. Leiser spent last summer working for the very well known Scots Lawyer Aamer Anwar. http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/mark-leiser/ Of course there is no suggestion that Anwar knew about Leiser's involvement in the blog, or indeed that Anwar's legal and personal friend, the late Paul McBride, had any knowledge of it. The prospect of Celtic's former lawyer McBride having any knowledge or link to this blog is one I daren't comprehend. While Leiser worked for Anwar last year, his relationship with him didn't die completely once he left, with him recently accompanying Anwar to the Leveson enquiry https://plus.google.com/105289982691060086995/ https://plus.google.com/105289982691...60086995/posts Leiser also apparently condones the illegal activity of the pirating website "The Pirate Bay", which is now banned by all the major ISPs in the UK https://plus.google.com/105289982691...ts/4EUtBEqUKjz Interestingly, one of his posts on his Google+ account has been deleted by Google, due to breaking US law. Not good form for a lawyer. His own background is also very interesting. He's been a busy man. Not only has he lived in some interesting places, he's also had the time to run a few businesses, with one of them definitely dissolved. He also has more than one Director Registration. http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/910682166 http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/916207048 http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/909447507 Isn't it Ironic that the RTC made such a big play of Craig Whyte having several Director Registrations, don't you think? His current firms are MRL trading, and Vision Electronika http://companycheck.co.uk/company/SC404722 http://companycheck.co.uk/company/SC292687 One can only hope that these firms are squeaky clean and are up to date with HMRC contributions. Vision Electronika claims to be a manufacturer of electrical equipment, but its postal address is at a "Mail Boxes Etc." shop in Shawlands, Glasgow. Isn't that odd? What is predictable is that Mark's social network includes some familiar names, from Phil Mac Giolla Bhain AKA Phil Gillivan/O'Gorman/McGillivan, to Gregory Ioannidis who is a high profile sports lawyer, to the Anarchic "Anonymous" organisation, to David Hillier the finance expert, to the BBC's Chris McLaughlin. Hillier, who has successfully positioned himself in the Scottish media as a seemingly genuine objective observer on Rangers situation is an intriguing character. We'll return to him in future. We'll also return to various strands of both Leiser's network, and the network of anti-Rangers activists involved in various other blogs and websites. I could go on, but I'll leave that to Scotland's many "investigative" journalists that the RTC slates for being lazy. Perhaps the much lampooned "main stream media", will actually show Leiser and co just how thorough they can be. Maybe Leiser will appreciate the investigative talents of *************, because we have only just started. The work is done. All we need to do now is publish when we see fit.

RANGERS' administrators say they will take legal action against the BBC over their documentary into the sale of the Ibrox club a year ago. The men from Duff and Phelps have been to their New York HQ to firm up a response to the programme with sources saying they've taken enough of a kicking. Apparently they have had enough of being "used as a football". Now they know how Rangers' fans feel as their club lies on the floor broken and discredited. There's little supporters can do but refuse to buy season tickets until they are told enough to convince them Charles Green, the latest would-be owner, has the club's best interests ahead of his own. That is about all the masses can do but the administrators believe they can kick back, at the BBC at least. It's understood Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, as well as Duff and Phelps partner, David Grier, who was accused of being less than truthful in the documentary but denies any wrong-doing, were in New York taking instruction - another indication the clamour surrounding this saga resonates far beyond our own little country. And so Duff and Phelps are heading back to court. First it was Ticketus, then Collyer Bristow and now the Beeb. Their programme made a decent attempt to prove Grier knew discredited owner Craig Whyte secured £24million from Ticketus to buy Rangers from Lloyds Bank. The administrators claim they've been defamed but the BBC are standing by their programme insisting they have enough evidence to prove Grier - who while he was with another company, MCR and advised Whyte on his £18m takeover - was central to the Ticketus deal. The BBC have other emails which they say make it clear Grier must have known how Whyte was funding his buyout. The notes do refer to Ticketus and invoices but not for specific amounts or deals. Duff and Phelps will argue the emails don't prove conclusively that Grier knew of Ticketus money being used to buy Rangers but the administrators have been given the go-ahead from their American masters to sue. The BBC have been here before, of course, because Whyte himself threatened court action last year. That was when he was the subject of a first documentary into this saga which continues to throw up more questions than answers. For instance, if Duff and Phelps, who swallowed up MCR after the Ibrox takeover, or Grier knew of Whyte's Ticketus deal why would they have gone to the High Court in London to have that agreement ripped up? Wouldn't Ticketus' lawyers have stated they had evidence proving Grier knew of the deal his new firm were now trying to have shredded? Ticketus haven't done that and neither have Collyer Bristow, the London legal firm used by Whyte during his takeover. Nor Gary Withey, who was with Collyer Bristow at the time and who also became Rangers' company secretary after Whyte had gained control. Withey and his former company are being sued by Duff and Phelps for £25m but the question remains: Why would the administrators put themselves in a vulnerable position and invite the people they're taking to court to slap down documents proving Grier, therefore Duff and Phelps, must have known what Whyte was up to with Ticketus? That doesn't make sense and neither does HMRC's approval of Duff and Phelps as administrators. The tax man could have objected to this appointment but didn't. Surely if HMRC believed Duff and Phelps were compromised they'd have prevented them from becoming involved? But they didn't. Mark Daly, the BBC reporter, did his best to move the story on and will stand firm even if Duff and Phelps do drag this into court but the onus is on them to clear the suspicions which have been swirling around since they were appointed. In fact the Daily Record were the first to raise concerns about Grier having been with MCR, who earned about £350,000 having been brought in by Whyte's company Liberty Capital before reappearing with Duff and Phelps. The BBC's man went to England to try to clear up the issue about a £250,000 payment from Rangers to "Regenesis Ltd - deposit for Banstead Athletic" but again the Record had been there first. It was also the Record who revealed the Ticketus deal which was the beginning of the end for Whyte but with their on- screen graphics the Beeb made it all seem fresh. It was, however, a decent effort to drag this sorry story down a different path. Although we might have expected greater revelations from Daly, who had worked on his telly doc for months, it was interesting viewing. It might even have been more than that if less screen time had been taken up by the Rangers supporter who looked like a caricature fan out of Only and Excuse. Or do the BBC believe all Rangers fans are like Sammy Paterson? And incidentally, surely they could have dredged up a proper newspaperman to appear on the programme rather than one who has no more than a vague idea of what this story is all about. Even Sammy was more plausible. http://blogs.dailyrecord.co.uk/jimtraynor/2012/05/bbc-documentary-reopens-ranger.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDailyRecord%2FJimTraynor+%28The+Daily+Record+-+Jim+Traynor%29

FORMER Rangers cult hero Marvin Andrews has emphatically denied doing anything wrong during his time at the club â?? and claims he paid his taxes and has the wage slips to prove it. The giant defender, who is a lay preacher, was one of 87 ex-Ibrox players and staff who were named in a BBC TV documentary on Wednesday night. It was claimed in the programme that Andrews was involved in the Employee Benefit Trust scheme (EBTs) which has dragged the club to the point of extinction. The astonishing revelations claimed more than £47million was paid into the scheme and then divided into sub-trusts for employees from the period 2001-2010. Andrews was said to have benefited to the tune of £316,025 from having an EBT in place. However the ex-Livingston and Raith Rovers stopper, who signed for Rangers in 2004 and spent two seasons at the club, insists he paid his dues and knew nothing about any financial loopholes. Andrews is not concerned about the current SPL probe into the use of the monetary scheme which HMRC claim is used for means of tax avoidance and said: â??I am not worried or concerned about the furore surrounding the use of EBTs. â??Everybody who played for Rangers during the last 10 or so years is being implicated in this financial offshore account thing. â??I canâ??t deny or hide the fact that I played for the club during the time in question but I got my salary like everybody else and I paid my taxes as normal. â??I collected my wages at Rangers and have the pay slips to prove it. I could see for myself where the tax had been taken off and everything I had done. â??My main concern was playing football, winning trophies and achieving success for Rangers. I did not know anything about financial loopholes. â??As far as I am concerned I have done nothing wrong and everything was above board. â??I canâ??t comment on any other stuff that was happening at Rangers during that period because I donâ??t know for sure what went on. If I make any other comment I would be lying as I do not have the slightest idea what was taking place.â? The 36-year-old deeply religious former Trinidad and Tobago international is aware Rangers are toiling but insists the Light Blues will have to suffer the consequences if they are found guilty of breaking Scottish football rules. However, he revealed he would hate to see Rangers punished heavily and hit with more severe sanctions and that the sorry saga has reflected badly on the whole of Scottish football. Speaking at a Show Racism The Red Card event at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride, he said: â??These are difficult times for Rangers. Things are coming up now about what happened in the past and what the club has done. â??People donâ??t rate Scottish football and what is happening now with Rangers makes it 10 times worse. I would not like to see them punished heavily for what they have done but I am a man of God and the bible says: â??You reap what you sow in the worldâ??. If they have done things wrongly and unjustly then they will reap what they sow. â??If they are found guilty of whatever charges then they will have to be punished and pay the penalty for it. â??I would not want to see terrible things happen to the club and not just because I played for Rangers and I am living in Scotland. â??If the club was to fold or be liquidated â?? which I would not like to see â?? it would affect the rest of Scottish football. â??I want to see Rangers come out of the situation they are as soon as possible. â??Hopefully things will work out and they can get their books straight and get everything sorted and get the club back to where they belong.â? http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/rangers/2012/05/25/rangers-in-crisis-marvin-andrews-denies-any-tax-evasion-during-his-time-with-ibrox-club-86908-23872430/

THE club Craig Whyte targeted as a breeding ground for new Rangers talent have suffered a walkout of their entire first-team squad. Mickey Mouse? Banstead Athletic boss Dave Tidy has quit in disgust and canno longer afford to take his boy to Disneyworld after dipping into his holiday fund to pay players from hisown pocket. Best pal Graeme Banyard walks down the aisle in three weeks and still hasnâ??t told his wife-to-be about raiding cash from their wedding pot in a vain bid to keep the squad together. So much for the club that was supposed to be responsible for developing the new Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker and Allan McGregor. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the £250,000 forwarded to Banstead Athletic last August, from the Rangers account at Collyer Bristow, remains as much a mystery as the minnow outfitâ??s starting 11 next season in the Combined Counties championship in Surrey. Record Sport has been forwarded a letter to Banstead from Taylor Wessing, lawyers to Rangersâ?? administrators Duff and Phelps, dated April 11, 2012. It states that £250,000 was paid on August 24 last year and asks Banstead to confirm they received the sum and on which basis it was made. Chairman Terry Molloy said: â??Iâ??ve replied to them and told them weâ??ve not seen the money and can be of no further use to them.â? Tidy has been asked so often about the supposed tie up between a giant of the Scottish game and a humble outfit that struggles to attract 30 fans to matches that his head hurts at more than just the thought of telling his son their dream holiday is off. TRUMPETED Tidy said: â??Iâ??m a broken man. Iâ??m fed up, hurt and angry. â??All those people in Scotland have been shafted by the people involved in this, including proud Rangers fans. Unfortunately, me and my mate have been coupled on to this nasty train ride.â? Former bankrupt and venturecapitalist Aidan Earley, a pal of Whyteâ??s and a leading sponsor of Banstead, has previously trumpeted their youth academy project as a £3million scheme that has been almost three years inthe planning. Not a single JCB has yet trundled into the clubâ??s modest ground at Merland Rise, on the fringes of Epsom racecourse. The ground is as empty as the promises made by chairman Molloy as Tidy, a telecoms engineer, pulls specks of fluff from his pockets. Tidy said: â??Matters came to a head recently when the boys halted training in the middle of a Thursday night session and declared they were boycotting our next game. â??They hadnâ??t been paid again and weâ??re not talking massive sums, between £30-£50 a week. I rustled money up with the help of Graeme and, in total, weâ??re out of pocket by £3250. â??Iâ??m just a normal guy. That money was to be used to take my son, George, on holiday to Orlando this summer. â??How can I tell a seven-year-old his dad can no longer afford to take himto America? â??Graemeâ??s a taxi driver and is getting married on June 16. He withdrew some money from his wedding fund to pay for squad costs and hasnâ??t even told his missus Gemma. â??The players appreciated our gesture â?? our money covered running costs for about five weeks but enough was enough, they realised that as well. â??There was a principle at stake. Now all the players have left the cluband Banstead are currently without a first-team squad. â??There has been all this talk abouta link with Rangers and £250,000investment and yet I ended up having to beg down the phone to the chairman for money. â??Iâ??ve gone through so much this season. Iâ??m a nice guy and donâ??t deserve to be treated this way.â? Tidy, a former youth coach at Charlton, took over from Banyard as first-team boss in October and reservations about the financial stability of the club began to surface. Still, there was a surprise at Christmas when he was called to a meeting at the club, the equivalent of a Scottish junior outfit, for discussions with chairman Molloy and shirt sponsor Earley. He added: â??Terry and Aidan set out what they were looking to do and, true enough, Craig Whyte did send a letter backing the plans for the development of Banstead. â??We were told our club would have new astro pitches, with the focus on youth and hopefully with Rangers riding on the back because they wanted to branch out in the south of England. â??It made sense to me. I was excited about pushing Banstead forward and proud to be linked with a club of the stature of Rangers, a massive brand. EMBARRASSING â??It has been downhill ever since at Banstead and as the frontman at the club I had to deal with a lot of media interest when I knew next to nothing. â??I was told by the chairman and Aidanâ??s associates, â??Donâ??t comment on this, donâ??t say thatâ??. â??What do I think about the Rangers thing now? Itâ??s embarrassing.â? Fears over the Banstead Athletic project appear well founded. Reigate and Banstead Council gave planning approval for eight five-a-side pitches in January, subject to successful renegotiation of the lease for the council-owned site and funding guarantees. However, the council are now forging ahead with their own plans, including new football pitches, a leisure centre and youth and community facilities at a different site. Earley said: â??I am not a director or shareholder of any of the companies involved and so am not authorised to disclose confidential information.â? Molloy says Banstead are â??still in negotiationâ? about their academy and claimed not to know anything about the councilâ??s own leisure proposals. It remains to be seen if Rangers fans will ever see their badly-needed money reinvested back into their club as it stands on the brink. Molloy also flatly denies owing money to Tidy and Banyard and said: â??We finished bottom of the league and Dave Tidy was the first manager to get this club relegatedsince 1944.â? Tidy is incredulous but keen to look forward. He has just taken up a post as reserve team manager and goalkeeping coach with Farnborough, who play in the Conference South, a step up from the Combined Counties. He said: â??People who live in Scotland and love their club have beentrampled on â?? and I have as well. â??If they think Iâ??m going down with a whimper, theyâ??ve got another think coming. â??In life and football Iâ??ve been told never to burn bridges but Banstead is one bridge Iâ??m happy to burn.â? http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2012/05/25/rangers-in-crisis-craig-whyte-said-he-gave-us-250k-but-i-had-to-use-my-kid-s-holiday-money-to-pay-players-says-banstead-athletic-boss-86908-23872462/

If the club think it's unfair and if they think this decision is illegal then they have no option but to fight it. Or maybe the RFFF could be used by the fans to seek legal advice on this?.

DAVID LOW is suspected of being ready to try to gatecrash the Green Gang, which is now on the very brink of taking over Rangers. Low is the rabid Celtic supporter and financial consultant who was at the centre of the Fergus McCann takeover of Celtic in 1994 and who masterminded McCannâ??s moves. Now I understand that Low has opened a channel of communication to Charles Green, the man at the centre of the latest group of bidders for Rangers to be granted privileged status by the now seriously compromised administrators, Duff and Phelps. It is not yet known what the exact nature of the communication between David Low and Charles Green has been. But SO FAR, David Low is not yet believed to be acting as an advisor to Charles Green and the Green Gang. This latest news about who is linked to the Green Gang will come as another stunning blow to Rangers supporters who are already deeply suspicious of the MEN of MYSTERY who are behind front man Green and who Green refuses to name. Already, disgraced agent Paul Stretford and his pal and one time business partner, Kenny Dalglish, have been named as those who are being lined up to play a part in running Rangers if Charles Green and his Gang get their hands on the Ibrox title deeds. Now it is believed Lowâ??s name can be added to those linked with Charles Green. David Low is believed to have been in touch to offer his services to the Green Gang. Low, who has described himself as being an unreconstructed Celtic fan, is a season ticket holder at Parkhead. As well as acting as a financial consultant, David Low is also a publican in Glasgow and he owns McPhabs on Sauchiehall Street, just west of Charing Cross. It is claimed that at a Champions League Final pub party on Saturday night there was wild talk among some Celtic fans about David Low getting his feet under the Ibrox boardroom table and milking Rangers. The news will not come as any surprise to those with long memories. For this is not the first time David Low has been involved in a bid to take over Rangers. Lowâ??s first foray was revealed in a bombshell story in the Daily Record in April 2010 when David Low confirmed he had been asked by a senior member of the Rangers Trust to address a small Trust sub-committee and give them advice on how to organise a fansâ?? buy out. Low never got the chance as, according to the story, three of the members of the Trust sub committee refused to give their permission to allow the Celtic man access to their plans. Six months earlier, in October 2009, in an interview with Hugh McDonald in the Herald - Lowâ??s favourite newspaper - Low boldly stated: â??This is a good time to buy Rangers.â? David Low has a close relationship with the Herald and in December 2009, two months after that interview with Hugh McDonald appeared, the Herald published an extract from David Lowâ??s book, The McCann Takeover: The Inside Account, written with Francis Sheenan and published by Bolista, which charted the key role he played in wresting Celtic away from the White and Kelly families and bringing in Fergus McCann in 1994. Now it is believed David Low, a self confessed unreconstructed Celtic supporter, who in October 2009, declared it was a good time to buy Rangers, may still believe it is and may now want to be part of Charles Greenâ??s mysterious and extremely suspicious bid to snare Rangers, with the help of the probably soon to be under investigation administrators, Duff and Phelps. And in another twist which will horrify Rangers supporters, I can reveal that David Low is a close confidant and contact of Odious Creep and if Low links with the Green Gang and moves in to take control of Rangers, Creep will be given unfettered access inside Ibrox. Of course there are many Rangers supporters out there who will now accuse me of scaremongering. But they are the same fans who dismissed my attacks on Bill Ng, Bill Miller, the Chicago Mob and Andrew Ellis as scaremongering. And who also questioned my constant attacks on the credibility of Duff and Phelps, plus the questions I have posed about the integrity of Duff and Phelps and in particular Duff and Phelps managing director, David Whitehouse and senior partner, David Grier. As I have been right about all of them, I wonder what chances my critics will give me of being correct about rabid Celtic fan and self confessed unreconstructed Celtic supporter, David Low?

No-one likes us we don't care......................... I always knew this but maybe we should change the words to everyone hates us?. The scale of hatred being shown towards Rangers FC from almost every club and fans is quite astonishing. Hate is a very strong word and one I use very sparingly but there is no doubt we are seeing the word in it's truest sense coming from the other SPL clubs and their fans,they want us dead,finished,such is their hatred for Rangers. Is it really just because we are the biggest,most successful club in Scotland?,or is it a lot deeper,other reasons?,I don't know but I hope we remember the hatred directed towards us when we get all this mess sorted and start building again and taking our place at the top of the table of Scottish football.

RANGERS' administrators Duff & Phelps plan to release full details of the Charles Green consortium's takeover plans today and ask creditors to vote it through. The proposal being put to those who are owed money by Rangers is to accept a specified pence-in-the-pound return and allow the club to come out of administration via a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). Creditors will be invited to vote for that at a meeting, probably held at Ibrox, 16 days after the proposal goes out. There would then be a 28-day "cooling off" period before the CVA would be formally approved. Duff & Phelps has come under heavy criticism, with a BBC Scotland documentary alleging a conflict of interest because senior partner David Grier had acted as a consultant to owner Craig Whyte during the takeover. The programme claimed Mr Grier worked on the deal to fund Whyte's takeover using money raised from selling season-ticket rights to Ticketus. Mr Grier denies that and said he believed money from Ticketus would be used to provide some working capital, but not to fund Whyte's entire buyout. "I don't think I would have any problem with a full investigation of the process," joint-administrator Paul Clark told The Herald, but he said the immediate priority was to work on a CVA. The CVA proposals were due to be released on Monday but, barring any late hitches, they will come out on the club's official website today. "We're almost there now, albeit a bit later than everyone had hoped," said Mr Clark. "They are going to be substantial documents and when they are issued and made available publicly I'm sure there will be a lot of interest in what Charles Green has to say." Mr Green's consortium proposes a £8.5 million takeover. Mr Clark said he had been shown proof of funds for both the buyout and Rangers' running costs until a CVA is approved. They will become heavily loss-making again from June 1 when the players' temporary pay cuts end. The earliest the club could come out of administration would be around July 9. Mr Clark claimed that two main creditors who could block a CVA, Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs and Ticketus, had given him encouraging feedback. "We have had regular dialogue with both parties and we have shared with them the outcomes based on CVA and other processes and we remain confident we will be able to get the requisite approval for the CVA, because we think it is in the best interests for Rangers," he said. "This would be a straightforward CVA so we're not embarking on that without thinking that we can deliver it. We have found a buyer and the bid is progressing towards its conclusion." Whyte's floating charge over Ibrox and Murray Park had been rendered irrelevant by the deal he had signed with Mr Green, said Mr Clark. He added: "My understanding is that as part of the documentation between Mr Whyte and Mr Green the floating charge – such that it could have any value – will fall away. It will have no value. He could sit there with a floating charge registered at Companies House, but it has no value because he didn't actually pay any money into the bank or the company to acquire any value." That meant Whyte could not block a CVA, said Mr Clark. However, the accusations against Mr Grier, and the delays and confusion in finding a buyer for Rangers, appeared to have turned many against Duff & Phelps. "Virtually every fan is unhappy with their performance," said John Macmillan of Rangers Supporters' Association. "I think Duff & Phelps' handling of this administration has been a shambles." http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/h...ealed.17692538

While the full extent of Rangers' use of Employee Benefit Trusts was laid bare by BBC Scotland's investigation, The Men Who Sold The Jerseys, the club must still wait to discover the consequences of the tax scheme that ran for a decade. The first-tier tribunal is currently deliberating over Rangers' appeal against a £24m tax assessment delivered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, with additional interest and penalties, but the Ibrox side is also currently the subject of an investigation by the Scottish Premier League into undisclosed payments. Harper McLeod, the Glasgow-based law firm, is conducting the SPL's enquiry â?? despite disquiet among Rangers fans since the firm has also represented Celtic â?? and requests for paperwork were made to Duff & Phelps, the administrators, last March. The SPL is believed to have now set a deadline to receive all documents, or sanctions will be applied. Seventy-two Rangers players, staff and coaches benefited from the EBTs, and paperwork presented to court revealed that HMRC has evidence that 53 of these individuals also received side letters, detailing income that would be paid through the scheme. EBTs are legal as discretionary payments, involving money loaned from a trust fund that is then not liable to income tax rates. It is HMRC's contention that Rangers used EBTs as an additional means of paying wages, so were running a tax evasion scheme. "If the evidence is that the players had side contracts, this will substantially undermine Rangers' case," says Elliot Weston, tax partner with the law firm Lawrence Graham. "HMRC need only show that the Employee Benefit Trusts operated as a means of channelling additional remuneration from employer to employee as a reward for services." Rangers may argue that all payments were discretionary. The club would also then make the case that the EBTs â?? which were detailed in the club's accounts â?? did not have to be disclosed to the SPL, whose rules D9.3 and D1.13 "impose a prohibition on players receiving payments for playing football ... except where such payments are made in accordance with a form of contract approved by the SPL." The SPL's investigation is ongoing, but is likely to conclude that there is enough cause for an independent commission to be established. If any rule breaches are established, there are 18 possible sanctions available that are unlimited in scope. It may not necessarily follow that any breaches would mean that the contracts of these players would be invalidated, or results in games they played overturned. "The view that the SPL took was that there was sufficient evidence to indicate that the way that Rangers had been paying their players was via a dual method, the payroll and EBTs, so there was a case to answer for," says David Roberts, of the legal firm, Olswang, that represented Bill Miller during his bid for the Ibrox side and held discussions with the SPL. "What Duff & Phelps said to us was that there may be some reticence pushing the investigation forward because a beneficiary of the EBT payments [Campbell Ogilvie] was now on the SFA board, but we saw no evidence of that. My genuine belief was that this was an issue that gave rise to a potential breach of the rules and the SPL were discharging their governing body duties by looking at it. It may also breach the SFA rules as well. It was something being taken very seriously by the authorities." http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/caught-on-camera-contract-issues-at-heart-of-tax-case.17694754

RANGERS are considering whether to seek a Judicial Review of the SFA's decision to impose a year-long transfer embargo on the club. Senior figures at Ibrox are weighing up whether to contest the ban in the Court of Session on the basis that they could argue the punishment is legally unsound. Duff & Phelps, the administrators, and Charles Green, the figurehead of the consortium intending to buy the club from Craig Whyte, have taken advice on whether applying for a Judicial Review would be worthwhile. While any review was being held, Rangers would argue that the embargo should be lifted and, if the club can get out of administration, it would be able to sign players this summer. However, taking on the SFA in court would be fraught with difficulties. The process would be expensive and potentially time-consuming, and it may have little chance of success. When Rangers were fined £160,000 and banned from registering any player older than 18 for 12 months â?? as punishments for Whyte and the club bringing the game into disrepute â?? they lost an appeal to the SFA. A three-man tribunal including Lord Carloway ruled the sanction was "proportionate to the breach, dissuasive to others, and effective in the context of serious misconduct". Any legal challenge could have wider repercussions. In January, football's world ruling body, FIFA, threatened to ban the Swiss Football Association if it failed to impose a transfer ban on FC Sion. The club had been put under a transfer embargo but signed players anyway and when UEFA expelled them from the Europa League, they took the case to court. Neither FIFA nor UEFA approve of member clubs taking on their national association in court. Rangers could face fresh domestic sanctions unless Duff & Phelps comply with a request from the Scottish Premier League for documentation relating to their investigation into alleged undisclosed payments. The SPL first asked the administrators for information in March but has still to receive much of the paperwork it requires. The allegations of undisclosed payments were made by Hugh Adam, a former director of Rangers, and the SPL wants to examine contracts and documentation dating back to 1998. On Wednesday, the BBC alleged that 53 Rangers players and staff had received "side letters" which were not lodged with the SFA or SPL, but covered money paid to them via Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs). Duff & Phelps have declined to comment on the EBTs issue until learning the outcome of the "big tax case" dispute with HMRC. Joint-administrator Paul Clark yesterday responded to criticism by Paul Murray, the former Rangers director who leads the Blue Knights group that tried to gain control of the club. Murray had called for an investigation into Duff & Phelps after the BBC Scotland documentary alleged a major conflict of interest because one of their senior partners, David Grier, had advised Whyte during his takeover and knew of a potential deal involving Ticketus. "This matter has to be investigated as a matter of urgency by the regulatory bodies," said Murray. Grier has denied that he knew the extent of the money Whyte wanted Ticketus to provide â?? initially £24.4m â?? or that it would fund his entire takeover. Clark yesterday insisted Duff & Phelps had nothing to hide and accused Murray of attempting to derail Green's takeover. "I don't think I would have any problem with a full investigation of the process," he said. "But Paul Murray was suggesting it should be immediate. Enough is enough. We have been put under pressure for the last 13 weeks. There is so much hysteria around the whole administration. "My real fear is that having tried to upset the process throughout, this is just another attempt [by Paul Murray] in some vain effort to put off the current bidder, who has made a huge amount of progress, who is at Ibrox almost daily, and who is working with my team to get ahead of the information curve. Is this some attempt to just derail that process? I wouldn't know why someone who is acting apparently as a fan of Rangers would want to do that. If Paul Murray wanted to bid with whoever it was, and go head-to-head and bid whatever he could, he had 11 or 12 weeks to do that." Little is known about Green's consortium, which includes Indonesian businessman Jude Allen and Middle Eastern lawyer Mazen Houssami, but Clark said many more details had been provided to the administrators. Details of a proposed CVA could be released to Rangers' creditors later today. "We have seen proof of funds," said Clark. "Someone has underwritten the deal. Well, parties have underwritten the deal. We have more information than is in the public arena. If you were to ask whether it's five, 10 or 15 parties who are going to invest, I don't know. It's not something that's going to have a major impact for me, although the football authorities and the fans, will want to know. We have had sufficient proof of funding and we know some of the parties. For my part, what is of significant interest is that the body in total is sufficiently co-ordinated and financially prepared." http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/exclusive-rangers-consider-challenging-transfer-ban-in-court-of-session-as-duff-phelps-strike-back.17694700