I was on the rocky road home from Dublin when the news broke about the SFA letter.
For the avoidance of doubt, I wasn’t in the least surprised.
It appears to me that the SFA strategy, such as there is one, is the issue to be kicked down the road for as long as possible.
If I didn’t know any better I would think that the main players on the 6th floor at Hampden are hoping to be in alternative employment before there is a final reckoning on this scandal.
Today my book Downfall is five years old.
I mentioned that in a message to the person who massively assisted me in putting the manuscript together in the summer of 2012.
She too was surprised that half a decade had whooshed by since Rangers FC had expired.
It was a journalistic privilege to report on the impending demise of that grabby, hateful “institution”.
Downfall is quite simply the autopsy report on the cause of death.
Contained within the 300 or so pages is ample evidence of relentless coal raking.
The first blog post reproduced in the book is from January 2009.
It was about the failing health of Sir David Murray’s parent company.
After the banking crash the previous year I could smell blood.
In the five years since publication, there wasn’t been a single major piece of evidence contained in Downfall that has been refuted.
In the summer of 2012, the klan reacted with Pavlovian predictability and tried to have the book banned.
In the ensuing furore shop staff were abused, newspapers threatened and journalists targeted.
Sadly, it is the only currency that The People can deal in.
One Quintessentially British chap received six months in prison for threatening the editor of Downfall, Angela Haggerty.
That she prevailed in court and received justice was an important victory for journalism in Scotland.
As usual, the macho stenographers were nowhere to be seen.
Of course, these are the same chaps who are now parroting phrases like “move on”, ” time for healing” and, my favourite, “no appetite for title stripping”.
After the book was published I attended various supporters’ functions in Scotland.
I said then that although Rangers had died the Rangers story wasn’t over and I didn’t mean Charles of Normandy’s strange creation Sevco.
Indeed I stated a belief that a decade of criminal and civil litigation could be just starting apropos the strange death of Rangers.
Moreover, I believe that we are not yet at the end of that process.
There are undoubted legacy issues around sporting governance emanating from the death of Rangers.
The Ibrox club self-destructed, but only because they were allowed to behave in a suicidal manner for over a decade.
In this story, all roads lead to Hampden.
It was a scandalous lack of oversight from the governing bodies in Mount Florida that allowed Sir David Murray to run his club as he saw fit and proper.
Of course, the SFA, as an organisation does have previous when it comes to Rangers.
The stark truth of the matter was that the finances of the Ibrox club were such that a single season without Champions League money after 2008 meant insolvency.
So when Craig Whyte took over in May 2011 the small matter of the Wee Tax Case could not be allowed to get in the way of a UEFA licence for season 2011-2012.
As it turned out that would be last season that Rangers would participate in any competition.
The core claims behind “Resolution 12” are now overwhelming and have been substantiated by sworn evidence in the recent Craig Whyte trial.
The EBT decade involved scores of ineligible players playing hundreds of games for Rangers (1872-2012).
If the folk on the 6th floor of Hampden believe that their statement yesterday marks the end of the matter then I fear for their grasp on reality.
However, if the “move on” faction DO win then quite frankly the national game in Scotland is finished.
I find Peter Lawwells resignation from SPFL, his change in UEFA office status interesting . . . .
Just seems like there could be some strategic manoeuvring going on.
. . . . . perhaps a developing story . . . as you sometimes say.
Any thoughts?
Phil, I’m sure that you have some contacts in the Scottish media? Surely they cannot all be awaiting their slice of succulent lamb? Encourage them to grow a pair. Encourage them to look at the contribution of Angela H, who showed great courage to stand up against the mob.
Silence from other clubs is deafening. Do you have any idea if / will UEFA do something. The conflict of interests emanating from this SfA response is truly astounding. If this were banking or insurance, the regulators would be down on this like a ton of bricks.
If nothing happens, Scotland’s Sporting Integrity and most of all justice will be lost forever.
BBC Scotland loaded with Rangers facing personnel has taken the lead in perpetrating the ‘we must move on line.’
Not one of the apologists has denied that wrongdoing took place. Lies, hidden/lost paperwork, shredding documents, driving a horse and coach through the rule book with Regan and Co acting as cheerleaders.
Criminal acts have taken place leaving Scottish football without a shred of integrity and our football officials will bend over backwards to treat the crimes with a slap on the wrist.
It’s shameful and speaks volumes for those involved. It’s little wonder that it’s all hands to the pumps to dampen things down because the truth will see some of the perpetrators facing criminal charges.
What are they hiding? The conflicted EBT recipient, Campbell Ogilvie’s employment and role is the obvious place on which to focus.
I’ve noticed on social media that the Klan are getting their sashes in a twist over yesterdays release by CFC regarding the SFA. If my memory serves me right I’ve seen plenty of huns calling them corrupt, if so, why are they so irate at CFC calling the FA out? The deludamol swallowers think it’s an attack on them rather than those who run our game. Expect hun elements to ramp up dodgy land deals nonsense, and the most vile ways of attacking Celtic
Are we now at the stage whereby they realise Celtic are almost inevitably on course for 10-in-a-row; and would rather see the whole system collapse than allow 10 to occur? If so, that’s what fans of all decent clubs need to act on to prevent – namely, the success of more cheating. Surely fair play benefits – or at should benefit – all clubs that don’t cheat? Against that, consider how it was even possible that the SFA legitimised Sevco’s participation in Europe this year. Just like the ‘good old days’ for Rangers.
Freemasonry transcends individual clubs. It mustn’t be allowed to continue to prevail in our game.
To describe a top level exemplary legal review as raking the coals has a distinctly Yorkshire coal mining rhetoric feel to it. How unfortunate!
When SR gets the shove he should not take a single penny out of the Scottish game with him.
Reading the letters, it looks like the SFA are happy to misdirect anyone who questions them and the the answers the we need and want.
It’s pretty obvious to outsiders that there’s something to hide in those dark corridors on level 6
Is it too much to have an honest game?
It has taken Sevco until the second week in September to win at home. Albeit to the bottom club in the SPFL Premiership, who managed to score.
Meanwhile some of the big teams took points off each other. That makes Sevco look better until they play the big teams themselves.
The SFA is an embarrassment and unfit for the 21st century standards of scrutiny of modern football. The world has moved forward and both the SFA and Sevco have been left behind in their good old days cheating mindset.
There must be revolutionary change in governing the sport. Dragging it kicking and screaming up to modern legal standards. With independent and honest men and women in all roles.
I think the time for boycotting the sfa competitions like league cup and Scottish cups just put in kids teams, only take part in league for champion league qualification, refuse to tickets for any away games don’t do any interviews for any sfa sponsor’s,
I have followed your stories for years, but now realise they aren’t stories, they are fact, rid the country of these people.
Strip every trophy. Any teams across Europe they played should get involved. Claim back lost revenue from their
Scurrilous run to Manchester, they were cheated as well.
I will get the book. Hail Hail???
Saturday afternoon Sportscene on bbc1 covering all Scottish football. Pundits in studio covering the Celtic letters and statements to the SFA.
The Dam has burst. This is news across all media platforms. Jabba cannot contain it.
Celtic have gone “all in” on the RFC cheating and SFA aiding and abetting.
Celtic have placed their cards face up and on the table.
CFC have a winning hand that is Supreme and cannot be beaten. The SFA shirk behind a busted flush trying to bluff it out.
The SMSM are the Jokers in the pack. King has no cash on the table.
CFC are singularly courageous. The other 41 clubs are scared shitbags.
Appalling Paul McBride QC died so young. Just after rag dolling the SFA and Regan on its biased leniency over three Rangers officials. Tragic that he died so young only months before the Rangers collapse. There would have been no “same club” pish with pmcb around.
Every uk citizen who dies overseas is by law to have a uk autopsy on repatriation of their body. To my knowledge Princess Diana was the only exception.
Overseas autopsy have to return the packaged organs to the corpse for examination and toxicology tests in home country. Did Paul have a mandatory autopsy here in Scotland? If not why not?
Move on, no point raking over old coals….what kind of organisation would come out with this crap except one with something to hide.
Make no mistake what is currently in the public domain is just the tip of the iceberg. The fraudulent UEFA licence, same club, awarding titles and cups to Newco whilst Oldco is being liquidated. Add in Brysons s imperfect but eligible crap, Ogilvie, the most compromised figure in Scottish football all over the LNS farce, the current SFA President not allowed out of Hampden without a minder and now Broaders back on the payroll advising Regan and Co. Good to see the poor wee soul has got over his Michelle heartbreak.
It’s little wonder that the football authorities don’t want an independent enquiry into the governance of Scottish football as they know full well that none of them will survive the findings and no doubt Scottish football will be rocked to the core.
But if that’s what it takes to remove the cabal ruining our game then bring it on.
“Raking over the coals” reminds me of growing up in the Midlothian coal mining area. Lots of old colliery bings were levelled and had a thin covering of soil dumped on them in a futile attempt at covering up what was there. The cover up failed as it could not hide the rotting stench of gasses like hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide given off by the bings as they continued to burn underground. In the end a lot of money had to spent to clear up the mess this “landscaping” had created.
Like the old bings the Rangers case continues to and will continue to fester until it is properly dealt with. No amount of cover up by the SFA can mask the rotten stench that pervades Scottish football. Yes dealing with it now will open up old wounds but until these old wounds are opened up and dealt with properly the gangrene will continue to spread throughout the game.
The scandal isn’t that rangers cheated. Rangers have always cheated.
The scandal is that rangers cheated with the knowledge and support of the SFA.
The Celtic board and Peter Lawwell in particular have taken some amount of criticism for apparently not addressing this matter .
It now turns out they did , with a letter five years ago.
Any explanation as to why they didn’t put this fact in to the public domain.
Why leave an expectant and irate support in the dark.
I find the analogy of ‘raking over old coals’ both ironic in the extreme and insulting beyond belief. The Irish diaspora came to Scotland not through choice, amongst other various world destinations, to find a better way of life and simply to exist post famine. I should add my nation is a better place for their arrival. In Scotland many immigrants were to suffer intolerable conditions earning minimum income to feed offspring and aspire to a better way of life. Achieved ‘howking’ coal underground for long hours to the detriment of their health and wellbeing. Premature death and permafrost of second and third class citizenship was the unedifying reward for them in life, but not their offspring, not for us then and now, and certainly not for me. If only the establishment and the SFA could cloak their wrongdoings and corruption underground currently? And how they have tried. Role reversal naively unbeknownst to Murray, King, Regan, Doncaster, Traynor, Ogilvie, Dickson, Farry, Peat, Broadfoot et al, and all of the EBT recipients or what? (Too many to mention to be succinct) The prejudices that they perceive and pedal are out dated and are coming back to haunt them, for justice will be served to expose their bias and obvious brushing under the carpet mentality and move on nothing to see here culture. They cannot and will not be allowed to airbrush facts however how much they try. It doesn’t wash with true football fans of the Scottish game we all wish to preserve in the future, and indeed maintain its proud history. Innumerable lies and subterfuge have been tabled for far too long to stop forensic analysis, therefore hopefully societal and judicial interrogation will arrive at the correct conclusions to this whole saga. Shredding only goes so far I suspect.
On a Celtic site I read recently a reference to the film ‘Get Carter’ and I immediately thought of the poor scraping the crumbs from ‘Bings’ to either make some pitiful money or warm their families. The colonial overlord that perpetrated immeasurable suffering is no longer over us perhaps, thank God, and in the 21st century all people should be and are equal. I am not suggesting for one minute that this is always the case with global events as they are, however contextualising the events and impact within the corruption that existed and exists with the bodies of Scottish football governance and the SMSM, it is justifiably important to the unbiased to make sense of and arrive at apt conclusions and subsequent punishments. I just wish for a fair playing field.
I am extremely proud of Celtic’s stance throughout and they have always acted honourably and appropriately on our behalf, if sometimes under the radar. They will now push for justice and the correct investigations and conclusions will be reached eventually, optimist that I am. We all must remember that Celtic fights for the underdog and charity, and will not sit at the back of the bus, whether that is a parked bus or not. Patience is required ultimately and we shall achieve the required outcome whenever it manifests.
On a final note I am ultimately only concerned with the team playing out of paradise winning with dignity, flair and skill, and in Brendan Rodgers we have a manager who invincibly follows our traditions (Maley, McStay, McGrory, Stein, McNeill, Hay, Burns, O’Neill & Lennon) with excellent aplomb, intelligence and a shrewd eye for a player. Long may he be at Parkhead to supplant the next generation of Celtic greats for our journey.
If PSG peed in the swimming pool…rangers did a massive jobby in the deep end.
Boycott is no substitute for organised political pressure and properly funded legal action. The matter is not closed and the titles must be stripped.
What was wrong with what i said at 8.48 Phil, why have you have passed over it for other who posted after me.. Do you want to censor and bypass the truth about what is being said on gers support forums about public figures especially those who work with Celtic Fc and the threats made against them?..?
It breaks my heart, but I will attend no more cup games home or away, league cup ,Scottish cup or even away league games .
My ticket money for these games will be spent in the Celtic shop, no more of my money is going to anyone bar Celtic,until the CORUPTION that runs our game is put to the sword.
HAIL HAIL
Read the statement, can’t help but wonder precisely what it is they’re hiding.
Could this be the way of blowing the SFA etc out of the park leading to a route into the English Premiership? Let’s hope so.
Armageddon..that’s what they are hiding.every Hibs supporters fans association leaders .we are talking many thousands of fans they represent are just waiting for a judicial inquest into not rangers but our so called football governers..the word Overdue takes it to a new level.
Hibernian fc board know what we want …so do Aberdeen fans …it’s gonna get messy …so do every fan of every club in Scotland..end of days comin .
I’ll tell you the SFA new absolutely everything that was going on at ibrox through the Campbell ogilvey connection but they are all of the same degrees and the band of brothers all stuck together on the sinking ship ? but you watch the rats trying to slip away in the dark but hopefully celtic get there QC to expose the lot of them in court SFA the lot of them here’s a warning two words Jim Farry mr Reagan
Incredible the statements that the SFA make when it comes to the rangers fiasco, they, the SFA, of course want this to drag on and hope everyone gets fed up and lose interest in it and it will then go away or at least be left in the celler of history and the truth lost in the mist of time, unfortunatly for them and most of the media it ain’t going to happen there are enough good people who want to see justice done and as long as the good people stick to the facts, then they will prevail.
HailHail
Hopefully this latest ‘communication’ will prove to be Regan’s own undoing!
The airwaves and media outlets and inlets are aglow with chatter on this now!
Hopefully a real head of steam can be built up before the ‘appetite’ subsides.
Still needs fans of other clubs to put pressure on their spineless leaders (they know who they are and they know that we know who they are) and back the process.
Titles stripped.
Compensation Paid.
and… while we are at it…
let’s smash the whole continuation myth out of the murky water at the same time.
Rather disappointed with Shiela reading the STV 6pm sports news tonight.
She referred to the Rangers tax free “Loans”……. how terribly inaccurate. We have had five years of legal tax hearings on the issue, ending with the Supreme Court ruling that they were NOT loans. They cannot legally be called loans. They were taxable salary payments.
STV owe us an apology and a correction.
Broadcasting standards?
Tellingly, John MacKay stated he had listened to every word.
Don’t take your news from glasgow, whether it is print, radio or tv.
I haven’t for 5 years.
I take my news from London.
BBC, channel 4 and CNN.
SFA-Good ole boys club
Sevco fans-Fantasists
SMSM-Shitebags
I can’t believe that 5 years have passed since the oul huns imploded. I sat many a night pouring over your blogs, the RTC and various other peoples input
When will the klan realise that threats and intimidation don’t pay the bills.
Any word yet Phil, on today’s conclave at the dome of debt?
I’m a Celtic FC ST holder and love us winning Scottish & League Cups at Hampden. I’m also a Scotland fan, like many Celts, who wants his/her country to get to A major Finals. But I WONT attend Hampden again or go to Cup Finals until these dirty fucking cheats are shown for what they are and removed from office in the disgrace they deserve. Hail Hail.
Im in exactly the same position. Have refused Hampden tickets for the last 3 years. Empty seats will lead to the truth
What’s all the fuss about.
I would welcome the SFA chaps into my home. No need to rake over old coals as my home is quite warm enough. I already have some of their former colleagues here, they settled in very quickly. If I had any complaint though, they are just hopeless at filling in and checking forms. Still that’s why they are here in the first place I guess.
Oh, come off it, Satan, we all know they’re there to do your bidding.
That’s what their ‘thing’ for the goats is …
… NASA and Santa too, because when we look very carefully we can see those two both share your name after a quick stir through your old witches’ cauldron.
Pfft, you’re just an internet bampot ;p
I think you meant “grubby”, but “grabby” works as well. ?
The corruption within the hampden walls is rife , only a complete boycott of all cup and national games by EVERY club will force change
Absolutely agree. We need all/most fans to Boycot internationals and Scottish cup games. In addition to taking the case to UEFA. We also need national media on the case also.
That wont happen. Fortunately or unfortunately supporters, passion for their clubs and country has been the condiment that football has survived on, we will always be taken for granted. They know we are addicts, with a healthy habit. The SFA whoever they are, only administer the Scottish cup and the national team. They are not the Scottish Cup or the National team. We should never compromise our healthy addictions for the sake of faceless, incompetency. I would take the Scottish cup every year and qualifying for a major championship, gladly. It will always be the players that achieve this. We shall not be moved.
Message to SFA and TRIFC.
I think in reality we are prepared to “move on”.
Just as soon as they have “shuffled off”.
Aye, into obscurity would be grand, Joe. Fecking snakes the lot of them.
The raking coals statement is thoroughly insulting. I suppose after six years, the Supreme Court were out of order, raking through the EBT coals? No criticism of the Supreme Court by Regan.
In any other UEFA Association there would be sackings for that. Such intransigent obstruction of sporting integrity, by the governing body entrusted to deliver such integrity, is a travesty. It is dark and evil and must be fought against.
We shall prevail.
Apologies to Mr Peter Lawwell. I humbly beg your forgiveness for any previous criticisms. You have been on this from day 1 in 2012. We are all behind you. Hundreds of thousands of us, if not millions of citizens.
Got to start planning for the future.
The football authorities are not fit and proper in Scotland and UEFAs decision on half of Champions League places going to the top four leagues puts future income/shareholder value in serious jeopardy.
One option: buy a non league English club (club A) and at the same time start a club at the bottom of the football pyramid (club B) sharing the same facilities.
Invest in both clubs and infrastructure as they rise through the football pyramid. As Club A rises towards the EPL, Club B rises to the level on the pyramid Club A had started from.
Then move Club A to Glasgow and Club B is left for the local supporters with better infrastructure and solid financial footing.
Sick of the corrupt Scottish game and European game.
Glasgow Celtic are a scottish football team and will stay so.
if we’re going to entertain the fantasy of moving leagues, why pick england?? the premier league is rubbish. spain would have better weather for away games. germany would have a nice winter break.
a bit more imagination, perhaps
Money.
Cardiff are a Welsh club and will stay so, just like Swansea, even though they play in the English leagues, Berwick in England play in the Scottish league 2 so the idea of Celtic a Scottish club playing in the English league is not a fantasy, actually far from it, but then someone called Reginald J Trotsfield would have a bit more imagination than some of us.
Nobody describes Cardiff City, Swansea or Wrexham as English but have played in England forever. Celtic would never lose their identity by playing in England and this should be explored again as we have outgrown Scottish football. Not sure how long before the EPL bubble will burst but Celtic need to play in a better league week in- week out.
swansea : joined english league system in 1912
cardiff : joined english league system in 1910
wrexham : joined english league system in 1905
berwick : joined scottish league system in 1905
very different times from today. you might start giving say, the wellington phoenix etc as a modern example but thats a very different situation.
its not going to happen. celtic will never move to england.
So, basically, buy some assets and become a ‘Sevco A’ and a ‘Sevco B’? Neither of which being the club formed in 1888 called Celtic?
This is well-intentioned nonsense… but nonsense just the same.
I wonder whether the smaller football associations, such as the SFA, have grounds for suing UEFA on grounds of lost revenue opportunities.
I didn’t follow this story at the time but how did the voting work? Was it one vote per association?
I think we are slowly moving towards a permanent European Superleague with all the top Clubs in attendance and by invite only.
Having someone of a Celtic persuasion in attendance (Lawwell) in Europe when this happens could be very beneficial indeed.
TV/Money will be the driving force as always.
Celtic are hamstrung in a poorly funded League but if we were to be exposed to that kind of revenue with our resources and following the sky(c*nts) really would be the limit of scope for us as a Club.
Only a matter of time.
Rangers have already done that.It doesn’t work