Only those who have not been paying attention would have been surprised by the terms of the SPFL statement today.
It is at times like this that Planet Fitba really feels the absence of Paul McBride QC.
His brilliant forensic mind and media savvy would have boiled this down very quickly for a piece to camera today.
At the same time, my late friend Paul McConville would be writing a lengthy legal Satnav for the rest of us.
I’m sure they would have made hay with the following:
“It is understood that the historical awards of Championships or Cups are amongst the ‘assets’ of Oldco purportedly ‘sold’ to Newco, through the agency of the administrators by Oldco, in June 2012”
However, sadly we are bereft of both of these fine men.
Grant Russell of STV was quick onto Twitter with this caustic observation.
Prima facie the legal opinion given to the SPFL is that there is no way that they can re-visit the matters that were considered in 2013 by Lord Nimmo Smith.
Colour me cynical, but that’s mighty convenient for folk who might not want to experience life as lived by the Hampden Three and others.
Late last night an impeccably placed source called me and said that there was extreme pressure being put on clubs to remain quiet on the entire matter.
The reason for this was that the guilty men in this saga wanted Celtic to the lone dissenting voice.
So far they have succeeded.
Of course, it is not just fans of Celtic who want this scandal re-examined.
The whole of Scottish football was cheated by Rangers (1872) during the EBT years.
As ever it will come down to decent people joining together to act with good authority.
I am aware that privately funded legal moves are afoot, but acting in haste would be folly.
Therefore, I do not think that Gerry Moynihan Q.C will be the last learned opinion on this matter.
Perhaps it is my 1916 DNA that brings my thoughts to the possibility of sourcing gallant allies in Europe.
In 2008 EBT FC fielded side letter carrying players on the road to trashing Manchester:
Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina.
Any of this quartet were denied progress in the competition by a club fielding ineligible players.
Moreover, their fans, on reaching Manchester would have behaved like fully formed human beings.
I’m sure that if UEFA were asked to look at these matches by any of these clubs then it could prove interesting.
It is clear to me that the people on the 6th Floor at Hampden want the EBT years to be quietly forgotten.
In the words of Neil Francis Lennon:
“This is just the beginning”.
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It will only go unchallenged when the last of us chuck it. Not going to happen. I’m with those of us, and there are many, who will carry on fighting. This is nowhere near finished. Time for all supporters to pressure their clubs to get of their butts. Celtic must take the lead. Refuse to handle away tickets and play home cup ties behind closed doors. Explore all legal opinions including referral to the CAS. That’s just for starters.
R.I.P. Paul McConville & Q.C. Paul
both men sorely missed!
Think Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Shylock. You cannot separate flesh from blood. What is football without the fans ? What is a club but the fans, the players and the people who run the club, the admin side. They are all one. So this charade of separatism must be stopped. It must be “deemed to be unacceptable ” in the body of fee paying football supporters associations that this is the case. Collective action is required.
Move on, my arse⚖️ Starve them of every penny.
Done with football, Both Scotland and England, too much money has destroyed the English game and Rangers FC the Scottish.
Done with the UK and their crazy bankruptcy laws ( where you can give everything to your missus, stick two fingers up at everyone and continue enjoying the high life )
Done with the government who sit back and no nothing.
Done with UEFA and FIFA.
Done with the Champions league, full of non-champions just because they can bring in a few quid
Done with sport, it’s not sport when some spiv is profiting.
Done with Parks of Hamilton, wont be using them again.
Done.
????????same here
Don’t give up the game, get out and play the game
Honours belong to clubs, not their holding companies. If anyone is talking about an oldco settling honours to a newco then they are accepting that the oldco was a club and that newco is a new club. If there was a continuity of club then there would be no need for the honours to be sold. Plus, of course, the whole idea of selling honours and history is a nonsense. Could Sir David Murray sell me his knighthood?
Offer him a quid and he might sell you his title
Lend me ten pounds and I’ll buy you a drink, but you won’t be very happy in the morning.
Celtic as a club should now withdraw any and all cooperation with any club which refuses to support their case including refusal to loan players to those clubs.
Celtic fans should boycott all away games and Celtic should refuse to handle away ticket sales.
Celtic fans should boycott Scotland games and the Club should( if possible) refuse to release players for Scottish international duty.
Leave the tax situation aside and there is still the question of players improperly registered by failure to disclose side letters. This alone should see results reversed in every game one or more of those players participated in.
What will it take for EUFA to take action against blatant cheating?
In my mind Aberdeen and Milne have received good business from Celtic in the last few seasons. I believe Milne’s statements have been two fingered salutes to Celtic fans and Aberdeen fans.
Legally proven cheating has occurred over two years of Rangers DOS and ten years of Rangers EBTs. And Milne says forget all about it.
Not fit to be in Association football.
The SPFL board is not fit to be in Association football.
Seems easy to me. Boycott every game we can. Deprive them of our money. Don’t spend a penny towards Budge’s new stand. Don’t pay a penny towards the ailing tribute act. If our own board say nothing, don’t turn up. Don’t buy merchandise never mind a pie. Green is worth more than Blue. Never forget that.
It really has got to this point.
The bit i like best is what i suspected they might do. The SPFL have said they legally cannot look at the review again because it has been done. the papers say that no sanctions were announced by the SPFL. the decision was of not that no sanctions were required and neither was the decision about sport advantage. the decision was that they legally could (would) not look at the issue again. so one side say they were right all along (despite admitting the opposite in court and to the original inquiry) and the other side think they have been told that the SPFL does not think there was a sporting advantage. Neither of the assertions are true. the truth is that the SPFL think they have found a loophole (ha ha imagine that) so they do not need to consider the case at all. Lawyers will tell you anything you pay them to, remember Mr trump thinks he can pardon himself…
If Celtic is more than a club it’s time to prove it
If there is no Avenue for action for our club to take to overturn stupid decision of sfa spfl then don’t enter either cup and let there be an asterisk in our history telling future generations why
It’s been my thought for a long time Phil. Every team in Europe that was cheated by Rangers need to have all the facts about this. It may take a few of the FA’s in Europe to lodge complaints to UEFA before anything is done. Celtic of course should now come out of hiding and go after the continuity myth and the titles won unfairly.
If you think the bookies running it or the clubs and media across Europe don’t know about it, you should have a look at this, to explain why everyone is so silent.
https://veritas-vincit-international.org/2015/01/18/hand-signals-of-freemasonry-explained/
One unifying force has infiltrated every single societal structure and what we’re seeing is their final power grab and the above article will explain very simply why.
They’ve been working a number on us and this is the last grab for the lot, right across the board, our game included.
No coincidence that it remains almost taboo to share information about this arcane knowledge kept from us, that of our true origins, an essential aspect of our natural birthright in understanding on this earth.
The problem with our game, and our society at large, is all there in the article above.
A secret’s not so powerful when it’s no longer a secret, although, admittedly, they’re not even hiding it any more.
And it’s only the imparting of information, folks.
This is where the battle lines have been drawn.
So in the SPFLs minds if Celtic operated a tax avoidance scheme spent whatever was needed to get the best players from Real Madrid/Barcelona, won the quadruple including the European Cup, went out of business and the following season started up again with new owners then the club would retain the trophies and history without any penalty. Why doesnt every club in world football just do this then. You might get a European ban for financial fair play but when it runs out just do it again and again, what difference does it make.
Here’s hoping todays statement from the SPFL is just the beginning of a future documentary telling the story of the unravelling of all those individuals and governing bodies who have led Scottish Football into the sporting and moral wilderness.
I still feel it is time for fans of all clubs to get together and boycott the league cup and Scottish cup. Hit the SFA and SPFL where it hurts and hopefully get those companies who put money into football to question why the games are not being supported.
The myth of an “Operator” changing hands when an “incorporated football club” goes into “LIQUIDATION” has been laughed at in court by senior Scottish judges.
The Judges get it. It’s not complex for them.
The “Operator” concept, when discussing the incorporated club itself, not a parent company, is an intent to mislead.
Take the lie that Sevco Scotland Limited is old Rangers FC with titles to the Court of Session. You will win.
In addition, the notion that Rangers is the same football club with titles is not a possibility under FIFA and UEFA rules. The notion completely destroys Financial Fair Play structures and frameworks.
Get this ludicrous SPFL jibberish into court.
There are more powerful and persuasive legal precedents than the one quoted in the SPFL statement.
The release was fully anticipated and expected. And pre planned
to coincide with a Euro night at Parkhead.
Sinclair to score tonight.
The 5 Way Agreement violates UEFA Value One of its 11 Values.
Value One says
In everything that we do football must be the first and most important element that we take into consideration. Football is a game before being a product, a sport before being a market, a show before being a business.
The above is about keeping the balance right between integrity and commercial considerations, indeed it gives sporting integrity precedence. The 5 Way does not, quite the reverse.
The operator/club separation nonsense is in conflict with Articles 12 and 45 of UEFA FFP.
(which I wont try to type but Google UEFA FFP)
Whatever form the enquiry takes into how the matter of Rangers insolvency was handled takes, Celtic should insist that UEFA are represented on the Panel and the Terms of Reference allow no more bolt holes.
Call me cynical, but SPFL decision done, GR can now safely change his tune to try and save his journalistic veneer of neutrality.
For five years it was obfuscation and lies. It’s now a piss take.
You are right. None of this is a surprise, and none of it can be allowed to go unchallenged.
Rumours that Christmas has been cancelled may ultimately prove unfounded… https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/the-shite-before-christmas/