Great letter to the SFA/SPL from JCDdigger on RM

[North Rd 0]

Posted Today, 06:15 PM

 

POPULAR

Rangers Football Club, its fans, employees, players and minority shareholders are victims of Craig Whyte and his accomplice(s). Other victims are the ordinary creditors, including HMRC. Until the sudden removal of Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre from their positions, Rangers FC paid all its creditors within 30 days. Of course the Club had debt, very few other football clubs don’t, but the debt level was reducing and the repayment terms agreed with the Club’s bank. That all changed last summer when Craig Whyte took over following what transpired to be a buy-out based on fraud and deception. Whyte borrowed millions from Ticketus to buy Rangers FC using the Club’s future season ticket sales as leverage for the deal. No-one at Rangers knew of that scenario which may prove to have been an illegal move by Whyte.

 

Once he had removed Messrs Bain and McIntyre, Whyte placed severe restrictions on the Club’s financial manager, Ken Olverman, limiting him to only signing cheques to a maximum value of £100, placing an embargo on the man from divulging any information to anyone, including and especially the other directors. In retrospect, it is abundantly clear that Craig Whyte deliberately withheld PAYE, VAT and just about every other creditor expense to further his own ends. There are outstanding charges awaiting the outcome of legal action for (alleged) falsification of invoices, forging signatures, etc. The Rangers Football Club was not complicit in this devious plan of Mr Whyte, which must now be apparent to any fair-minded observer of the events which have unfolded during the last few months.

 

We have had numerous football officials and media sources constantly referring to the new football catch-phrase “sporting integrity”, which phrase had been the sole copyright of Celtic’s Peter Lawwell since 2008. The phrase itself is a complete misnomer in the 21st century as there is no sporting integrity in professional sport in general and particularly none in football. For instance, in 2008, the aforementioned Mr. Lawwell claimed that in the interests of sporting integrity, that year’s league season could not be extended to allow a Scottish club to prepare for a European Final without having to play 4 games in a matter of some 8 days in the lead up to that final. Mr Lawwell also cited that his club were scheduled to play in Japan at the end of that season, a tour which has still not taken place 4 years later. Earlier in 2008, Celtic cynically used the tragic death of Phil O’Donnell to get an Old Firm game postponed as they had injuries and suspensions. Dundee United were denied a request for a postponement in the week after Phil’s death despite their team having been on the same pitch when the poor man collapsed.

In subsequent years, Celtic in particular have been guilty of a total lack of any sporting integrity, for example, they blatantly influenced the SFA and put undue pressure on referees, so much so that referees were reluctant to give any adverse decisions against Celtic and resulted in the referees voting for strike action. The same club also complained to such a degree about their paranoid view of the SFA that they then managed to get their club’s directors on various committees within the SFA.

 

In a further show of Celtic FC’s lack of sporting integrity, they appealed against an 8 match ban for Neil Lennon, managing to have the ban reduced to two separate 4 match bans, but to run concurrently. Using a technicality and the threat of a legal appeal, Celtic managed to half their manager’s rightful suspension term. Where is the sporting integrity there?

 

There are players at most clubs who are guilty of simulation and a prime example is the incident where Hibs Gary O’Connor blatantly dived in a match where television replays highlight that there was no contact whatsoever. O’Connor was (unbelievably) cleared of simulation and Hibs said nothing. Where is the sporting integrity there? Now the Hibs chairman has the audacity to cite “sporting integrity” in his call to have punitive sanctions levied against Rangers.

 

Where is the sporting integrity of changing the rules to ensure that one club in particular is subject to new sanctions?

 

Where would sporting integrity be involved if the SPL only had one Old Firm club in the SPL? There is no sporting integrity when the competition is rendered impotent by removing the only opposition likely to challenge Celtic. Where is the Sporting Integrity when the sanctions against one club ensure that Celtic will obtain Champions League entry every season and the increased revenue from such participation? Such increased revenue will only make one club stronger and weaken all SPL opposition for years. How does that equate to sporting integrity?

 

In recent weeks we have heard calls from all sides for Draconian punishment to be handed out to Rangers FC. The chairmen of Dunfermline, St. Johnstone, St. Mirren have all been reported in the media demanding punitive sanctions be foist on Rangers FC which beg the question, why now? Why must it be Rangers FC to receive such demands? Why were Motherwell and Dundee not subject to similar calls when these clubs were in administration? It has been suggested that it is due to Rangers being in debt to HMRC but so were the other clubs. The major difference in the case of Rangers is that Craig Whyte deliberately withheld payment to HMRC in what appears to be part of a fraudulent plan. I get the distinct impression that some SPL club chairmen see this as more of an opportunity rather than any quest for justice.

 

In times such as this, it would normally be the case that other clubs and governing bodies rally round to try to assist a member club in such dire straits. That is patently not the scenario in this instance. In actual fact, it is abundantly clear that the agenda for some is the total demise of Rangers Football Club. No matter that the Club employs hundreds of people, no matter that the Club is 140 years old, no matter that the Club provides massive financial input to Scottish football through its supporters, no matter that the Club could repay much of its debt through continuing to operate, no, the aim of a vocal cabal is the death of Rangers Football Club. Rivalry and envy have been displaced by vindictiveness and outright hatred. There is now a “hate fest” against Rangers FC. These people no longer seek justice; they seek to finish Rangers Football Club forever. They “smell blood” and any hint of fairness is cast aside as they gather and circle a wounded giant. The Scottish media are happy to whip up the level of animosity by printing and broadcasting as many negative articles as possible. BBC Scotland is a particular offender and the content of its programmes is always of an anti-Rangers nature. Its impartiality is non-existent in consideration of the facts, the recent documentary by Mark Daly (Celtic fan), the football bulletins by Chris McLaughlin (Celtic fan), the special (anti) Rangers themed Scottish Newsnight programme (produced by a Celtic fan), the “renowned football legal expert” Gregory Ioannidis interview (Mr Ioannidis is a Celtic fan and Samaras’ agent), these are all examples of a campaign against Rangers Football Club. There have been no opportunities for anyone to properly represent Rangers and give the opposite view or at least a case for the defence. Sporting integrity and justice? Nowhere to be seen!

 

As for the Scottish Football Association and its Chief Executive, Stewart Regan, it is strange that the investigative journalists currently forming a queue to peer into everything Rangers have not even glanced at the appointment of Mr Regan. Mr Regan’s connection with Celtic’s Mr Lawwell, the involvement of Nolan Partners in this matter and that company’s connections with Celtic, the possible conflict of interest of a member of the selection board, all are worthy of at least some investigation if only to remove any element of doubt. I digressed for a moment there but only to highlight what could easily be considered a prime example of double standards by the Scottish media.

 

In essence, my point in writing this letter is to try to show that Rangers Football Club and its supporters, players, employees, etc. deserve fairness and a degree of compassion. They are victims and Craig Whyte is the real offender. When is it acceptable to find the victim guilty of the crime committed against him? After WW2 the Allies did not crush Germany and Japan into the ground, in fact they helped these two nations to rebuild for a better and peaceful future. Only the real war criminals were executed. An extreme example I admit, but surely food for thought with regard to the Rangers FC situation. Is it really too much to ask for a degree of sympathy from fellow football travellers? I certainly hope not. All anyone involved with Rangers Football Club can hope is that those sitting in judgement remember to separate the innocent from the guilty.

 

JCDbigbear

[forlanssister 3,050]

Don't see much in there that I could disagree with.

[North Rd 0]

Sorry got name wrong it was JCDbigbear

[54andcounting 0]

Well written, but will the powers that be even bother to read it?

[Guest superrcooper7]

No is likely to be the simple answer.

[Waltersgotstyle 297]

Very well written piece

[CumbernauldGers 0]

Great letter, but author would have been as well pissing in the wind. these things do nothing.

[aweebluesoandso 290]

Admire JCD's effort, but outwith the Rangers family no one gives a f@ck. We are on our own, but what goes around comes around, when it does i'm my boot is going rapid and often to these coonts.

[pete 2,499]

Admire JCD's effort, but outwith the Rangers family no one gives a f@ck. We are on our own, but what goes around comes around, when it does i'm my boot is going rapid and often to these coonts.

 

If you don't try, you don't get. At least this letter will let them see we understand what is happening. It will probably be given a rubber ear but it is better to have fought and lost than not to have fought at all.

[pete 2,499]

I was just thinking that the only difference in the chaos Whyte created at Rangers and the chaos Regan is creating at the SFA is that Whyte knew what he was doing and Regan hasn't got a scooby.