"Integrity" makes a comeback.

[der Berliner 3,246]

One would like to know who thise SPFL source is, but apparently the rules are clear here. Nonetheless, the wording is interesting, as "guilty" is used rather often, the actual point that we were guilty of not quite as much (and clear). Anyway, it would do well if someone at long last takes the Yahoos to the cleaners regarding soft-loans and land deals - under the headlines sporting advantage and integrity.

 

Celtic wade into Rangers EBT row but Hampden source says: They have already been found guilty.. title stripping cannot happen

 

06:00, 14 Nov 2015 By David McCarthy

 

THE HOOPS released a statement saying their position has not changed since the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission on the sporting advantage issue.

 

CELTIC last night waded into the Rangers EBT row – claiming they remain ‘surprised’ the Ibrox club was not found guilty of gaining a sporting advantage by using the tax avoidance scheme.

 

The Parkhead club issued a statement which stopped short of calling for the five titles won when EBTs were used at Ibrox from 2001-2010 to be wiped from the record books.

 

But Celtic made clear that they were unhappy with the verdict of the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission into the matter two years ago – and remain so now.

 

An HMRC appeal victory against Rangers in the Court of Session last week has brought the EBT issue back into focus – and although a Hampden source last night insisted there was no mechanism for the club to be ‘tried’ again, having gone through the courts in 2013, Celtic’s intervention will do nothing to calm a situation already inflamed by Rangers chairman Dave King’s threat to take to court any club trying to have their titles removed.

 

The Parkhead statement read: “We are aware of last week’s Court of Session ruling, which we note is subject to potential appeal.

 

“Celtic’s position on this issue is consistent – that this remains a matter for the courts of law and also the Scottish football authorities whose rules are intended to uphold sporting integrity.

 

“In 2013, we expressed surprise – shared by many observers and supporters of the game - over the findings of the SPL Commission that no competitive or sporting advantage had resulted. That remains our view.”

 

But according to a source close to the situation at Hampden, Rangers cannot be stripped of the titles they won during the EBT years – because they’ve already been found guilty of failing to disclose side letters issued to players who used the tax avoidance scheme and were fined £250,000 by the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission in December 2013.

 

It has been claimed that there is no mechanism to allow a ‘retrial’ in the wake of last week’s victory for HMRC in relation to the Employment Benefit Trust scheme operated by Sir David Murray between 2001 and 2010 – a period in which five titles were won by the Ibrox club.

 

Last week’s decision, which could yet be the subject of an appeal by liquidators BDO before December 2 and could see the saga drag on for months or years, sparked an outcry on social media for Rangers to be stripped of those championships – and a furious response from new current Ibrox regime, which claims it is ready to go to war to defend its history.

 

But the source told Record Sport: “There is no need for Rangers to take such a stance and there is no point in people calling for titles to be stripped because it can’t happen.

 

“There is no legal vehicle for it to happen. They’ve already been found guilty – it’s double jeopardy, if you like. They can’t be re-tried for something they’ve been found guilty of.

 

“So many people on both sides of this argument are speaking without knowing the facts or the legalities.

 

“And on top of that, it is my understanding that there is little appetite from other clubs to strip Rangers of their titles, even if they are not coming out and saying it.”

 

The independent Nimmo Smith Commission, appointed by the SPL at the time, found that Rangers gained ‘no competitive advantage’ by failing to disclose the side-letters. It stated: “Rangers FC did not gain any unfair competitive advantage from the contraventions of the SPL rules in failing to make proper disclosure of the side-letter arrangements, nor did the non-disclosure have the effect that any of the registered players were ineligible to play, and for this and other reasons no sporting sanction or penalty should be imposed on Rangers.

 

“Although the payments in this case were not themselves irregular and were not in breach of SPL or SFA rules, the scale and extent of the proven contraventions of the disclosure rules require a substantial penalty to be imposed.

 

“In all the circumstances the commission has imposed a fine of £250,000 on Oldco.”

 

The SPL, now the SPFL, claim that Rangers Newco agreed to take on all football debts, including that fine but the Ibrox club have denied that and have taken the case to arbritation. The matter is expected to be resolved in a number of weeks but if Rangers lose, it will cost the club £400,000 when legal fees have been added.

 

But irrespective of the outcome, it is the view in Hampden’s corridors of power that no titles can be or will be at risk.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-wade-rangers-ebt-row-6827750

[der Berliner 3,246]

A wee reminder ... (and it is ever resent in the media, isn't it?)

 

Co-op Bank slammed for dishing out £33m in cheap loans and overdrafts to Celtic Football Club

 

By James Salmon for the Daily Mail

 

Published: 22:38 GMT, 27 November 2013 | Updated: 09:25 GMT, 28 November 2013

 

The Co-operative Bank has come under fire for dishing out £33.2million in cheap loans and overdrafts to Celtic Football Club, which was chaired by former Labour home secretary John Reid.

 

MPs last night demanded an explanation for the rock bottom interest rates and accused the mutual of using the ‘hard-earned cash of millions of savers for political gain’.

 

It is the latest twist in the row over the troubled lender’s links with the Labour Party.

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/27/article-0-19AF31E800000578-583_634x337.jpg

 

Glasgow-based Celtic was chaired by Lord Reid, the former home secretary under Tony Blair, between 2007 and 2011.

 

Labour’s former energy minister Brian Wilson joined the Celtic board in 2005 and remains a director.

Insiders said the loan pre-dates both Wilson and Reid’s arrival at the club.

 

But Celtic has long-established links with Labour, which has controlled Glasgow City Council since the 1970s.

 

The latest company accounts for Celtic show it has a £12million overdraft facility charging an average of 1.5 per cent over the year to June 30 2013.

 

This is based on one percentage point above the Bank of England’s base rate, which is currently 0.5 per cent.

 

The remainder is made up of a £21.2million long-term loan, with an average rate of 1.65 per cent. This makes even Labour’s recent £1.2million cheap loan at 4 per cent – or 3.5 per cent above Base Rate – look expensive.

 

Co-op’s hugely generous terms once again highlight the close links between the scandal-hit lender and the upper echelons of the Labour Party.

 

The political connection has come under the spotlight after former Labour councillor and former Co-op Bank chairman the Reverend Paul Flowers was caught out allegedly organising drug-fuelled orgies with rent boys.

 

Mark Garnier, the Conservative MP and member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: ‘The questions about Labour’s influence over the management of the Co-op knows no limit. It now seems that cheap loans are available to organisations where Labour ministers have significant influence as well as directly to the Labour Party itself.’

 

He added: Why were Labour and their friends receiving cheap loans? What political outcomes was the Co-op trying to buy? Were the millions of savers at the Co-op bank told their hard-earned cash was being used for political gain? Have any of the Labour-related soft loans contributed to the £1.5billion black hole in the Co-op balance sheet?’

 

The first deadline to vote on a rescue package to plug a £1.5billion black hole in the lender’s finances falls at 4.30pm on Friday.

 

The Co-operative Party, the political wing of the Co-op, is the sister party of Labour.

 

In order to help shore up its finances Co-op Bank stopped lending to small firms in May.

 

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2514682/Co-op-Bank-slammed-cheap-loans-Celtic-Football-Club.html

 

And from the comments ...

 

Westhorn land valued at £5millions by Independent valuer, Geotechnical report commissioned by persons unknown, crucially Under freedom of information request, GGow City Council deny all knowledge of report despite previously arguing reports existence. Geo report devalues land resulting in land being sold to CFC for £675,000, reduction of £4,325,000, same day land sold, Co Op bank enter a charge of security on same land for 24millions which was CFC existing debt to Co OP bank. No further monies were borrowed, security for was money already borrowed, as Cemap qualified, this deal stinks to high heaven.

Edited November 14, 2015 by der Berliner

[ian1964 10,415]

Lifted from FF:

 

Sam_English

Sam_English is offline T.C.I.G.T.T.M.

 

Join Date

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Default Cabbage Head Spence Spouting His Anti-Rangers Crap Once Again.

 

'Scottish football seems to be in a permanent state of civil war and lacking the leadership to negotiate a peace treaty. On every front there are battles raging.

The media are constantly accused of being too negative by supporters about the national game, but looking at the current state of play it’s difficult to find many rays of sunshine among the gloom.

Currently many fans are demanding that the new Rangers be stripped of the titles that the old Rangers won.

This comes on the back of the Court of Session verdict that the club’s use of Employee Benefit Trusts was illegal.

The scheme ensured that Rangers could sign players who, as the judgment said: ‘If the bonuses had not been paid might well have taken their services elsewhere’.

Many fans of other clubs read this as a clear statement that the Scottish game was rigged by a kind of ‘financial doping’, in the period 2001-2009 when Rangers won titles using a scheme not open to other clubs, because it was unlawful.

Now the football authorities must decide whether or not those honours were tainted and whether to remove them from the club.

In arriving at their decision they must heed the principle of sporting integrity which underpins fair competition.'

[Scott7 5,168]

New Rangers - who they?

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

EBT's illegal? Since when? Who's getting charged with tax evasion then?

AFAIK Spence has a law degree. Worrying isn't it?

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

'that the new Rangers be stripped of titles the old Rangers won'

 

:roflmao:

[MacK1950 2,231]

Don't waste my time mentioning nonprofessionals anyway both are headed by E********n nuff said.

[der Berliner 3,246]

On a related sidenote, an FFer asked this:

 

Legal help required re Rangers / Insolvency / HMRC etc?

 

As there is an ongoing investigation into the handling of the administration of the company that previously owned Rangers Football Club, why are things like appellate tribunals going ahead in the interim period?

If it becomes proven that their was criminality during the process that lead to the previous holding company failing to exit administration could it be argued that all actions taken after the failed administration should be revisited, and that the company that indemnified D & P may be forced to make good to creditors HMRC included?

We lost £30m+ of players, HMRC and the previous holding company's other creditors missed out on the opportunity of a better settlement, if not settlement in full.

Surely there should be a moritorium on all other actions until it is known if the previous holding and it's' shareholders / creditors company experienced an insolvency event as a result of criminality.

[SteveC 150]

In an effort to take the word irony beyond all known limits, Spence is now complaining about so called experts on TV and radio not knowing what they are talking about.

 

The club should sue him over the above remarks, they are an utter disgrace.

[Bearman 9]

First he comes out with this as if he can't understand why...

 

'Scottish football seems to be in a permanent state of civil war and lacking the leadership to negotiate a peace treaty. On every front there are battles raging......

 

...then says this???

 

....the new Rangers be stripped of the titles that the old Rangers won.

 

What a fanny.