The late Turnbull Hutton once told me that he had attended a presentation at Hampden Park about the future of Scottish Football.
At the lectern was Stewart Regan.
The Raith Rovers man told me that he was not impressed with the floor show.
He remarked that he thought at one point Mr Regan was going to wear out the word “transparency”.
The ex-cricket administrator gave a tour d’horizon of Planet Fitba to the assembled worthies in March 2011.
Sadly, the Rovers man did not take in the whole show as he informed me that he had pressing business.
“Ah hud tae go furra pish”!
Of course, a year after Mr Regan laid out the shiny future for Scottish football Rangers were in administration.
This lovely vignette from the Raith Rovers man came to mind over the week end when I read the Celtic statement, which was issued on Saturday morning.
In the age of social media, it certainly could be categorised as “shots fired”.
There is now no hiding place for Mr Regan.
The SPFL want an independent review of the shambles and he does not.
What does Mr Regan have to hide?
If he has nothing to hide then he should not fear a fully transparent probe into the downfall of Rangers.
In part, the statement by Celtic on Saturday morning was a victory for fan power.
The Parkhead club has the biggest number of season ticket holders in the country and just like in 2012 their voice must be heeded.
The club statement and the released correspondence shows that is being done.
However, it is not just Celtic supporters who were conned in the EBT years.
I would imagine that many among the Pittodrie faithful are less than impressed with their Mr Milne.
Also, I find the silence of Ms Budge at Hearts on the matter to be highly disappointing.
I know a few Maroon buddies who share my disappointment.
In this sorry tale, all roads lead to Mount Florida.
It is undeniable that Rangers (1872-2012) self-destructed.
However, they were allowed to do so because the chaps on the 6th floor at Hampden effectively allowed them carte blance during the EBT years.
Of course, the media should be an important check and balance to prevent any abuse of power.
In the case of the original Rangers many in the local media were posted missing, indeed they were off the radar.
Sadly, their response to the Celtic statement would indicate that they’re still not fulfilling their Fourth Estate role.
The Rangers story was told by outsiders not by the sports desks in Glasgow and that in itself is a shameful verdict.
Since the death of that club, the lack of good governance and journalistic scrutiny has continued apropos the current entity at Ibrox.
Here is one such example:
A senior member of the high command was in attendance at the match against Hibernian on August 12th.
He had heard some Blue Room scuttlebutt about cash flow problems, but he wanted to see for himself.
Later that day, at an upmarket Glasgow hotel he sat down with two number crunching functionaries.
As the laptop was opened and the spreadsheets were revealed to him he could only manage a “Jesus Christ!”
The Blue Room chap didn’t want to discuss what he had just read and instead decided that he needed some air and stretch of the legs.
The current cash crisis at Sevco is not unknown to many on the sports desks in Glasgow.
However, their readers are none the wiser if they only rely on the radar press.
When a club chairman speaks blithely about “overspending” being on “a sustainable basis” then that should ring alarm bells among journalists covering that beat.
The chaps in Nyon were asking some very pointed questions of the SFA about Sevco’s sustainability as they took part in their inaugural European campaign this season.
However, I’m not aware of any Progrès was made on that score.
It is a cliché that the fans are the lifeblood of the game.
However, clichés become clichés because they contain an essential truth.
Anyone who paid into an SPL match in the EBT decade was cheated.
If your team was drawn against Rangers in a cup competition during that ten year period then you were also cheated.
Those paying punters were watching a rigged match.
It is just that they didn’t know about it at the time, but they do now.
Indeed, it is a sine qua non of sporting governance that cheats, once unmasked, are stripped of anything that they won by unfair means.
The governing bodies in Scotland should not need to be dragged kicking and screaming over this.
Moreover, the way in which the governance of the game was bent out of shape in the summer of 2012 to facilitate the Ibrox brand showed Regan et al had learned nothing.
The five years of Sevco, if anything, has shown that there is even less oversight than in the “glory days” of Sir David Murray.
I have never met Mr Regan and I have no ill will towards him.
However, I now believe that his position is utterly untenable and his successor should have no baggage in the Rangers saga.
Dear reader, if you are undecided on this matter just recall the words of the late Turnbull Hutton on the steps on Hampden in 2012.
He spoke truth to power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al64cnSZZH0
Which, incidentally, is what journalists are meant to be there to do.
Discover more from Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Is the ‘raking over hot coals’ analogy anything to do with the need for an inquiry into the Miners’ Strike?
Or a certain strike-breaking Blue Room bus baron?
As a Hibs fan I’m happy with the response from Rod Petrie. Good article by Ewan Murray in the Guardian today on this subject, which pretty much sums things up for me. While it has been amusing seeing the mess Rangers got themselves into it’s now time to move on, Celtic have a fantastic team and have the champions league to look forward to, this obsession just feels a bit sad and tiresome to many Scottish fans like me.
Celtic fans have to be as smart as they do ruthless.
There are not many ways open to those who want to level the current playing field ….so to speak.
One important way would be to disenfranchise the Celtic support !!
Celtic fans need to keep their eye on the future as well as the past because they ain’t kidding when they say they’d rather concentrate on the future….and that means how to weaken Celtic to “every other” clubs benefit.
It’s time Celtic fans particularly away support started hurting these outspoken clubs who actually still want and rely on your cash.
It’s time to be as ruthless as they are !!!!
Fair play to Peter Lawwell.
He had a lot of pressure from Celtic fans about Resolution 12 and the EBT fiasco. Particularly at the AGM’s I was at over the last few years.
Smart move to leave the SFA and join UEFA as it leaves the field clean to pursue his former colleagues and perhaps gives him some leverage to address this matter within the corridors of power in European football.
The corruption and collusion in Scottish football must be exposed and eradicated.
Lest we forget.
This is the Great Scottish Football Swindle.
The PR Message of “its only Celtic that are bothered” will gather pace. Its a good tactic.
The fact that Regan is saying that Campbell Ogilvie, the most corrupt man in Scottish football history and thats up against some pretty stiff competition, is an honourable man who recused himself from all matters regarding rangers tell its own story. Regan is fighting a battle which if he loses, will see him shown up for the corrupt puppet he is. He will try anything and say anything to avoid an enquiry and this is the head of the Governing Body of Football!! And shame on Aberdeen and Hearts for not standing up for what is right! Only in Scotland right enough.
One more query … Is it possible to find out how many chairmen/board members are Masons?
Regan talks about transparency then immediately turns his back on it.
Farry and Ogilvie set the bar low,Regan has lowered it. Is he on some super bonus for being a denial martyr?
Time for a police raid on Hampden and grab the paperwork….if it’s not already been shredded or ‘lost.’
All good men must rage against what has gone on and what is going on.
But the fix is in. No amount of stamping feet and gnashing teeth and pulling out hair makes the slightest difference.
Only going to court gets justice. It’s the only thing left.
In order to grasp why the administrators of our sport have behaved in such an extraordinary way concerning one member club you have to look deeper than the normal meaning of corruption.
If someone who was on the board at that club provided the answer then you’d have think he was as close to the action as was possible and what he said would be extremely close to the truth.
Well none other than Charles of Normandy’s friend refused to attend court and fled to his native Pakistan as he new he had no chance of a fair hearing. He told us that both Sevco and the SFA are controlled by the Orange Order. He should know and i accept his word. He was there, closer than most.
His words are in the public domain. What i’ve said is not speculation. They are his words.
And we know the SMSM are controlled by similar forces.
Show Regan and the SFA the red card, surely a show of fans waiving a red card at every game could be the catalyst for his removal, he wants us to move on, lets show the world media, they will then have to publish through sheer weight of numbers that its not only Celtic fans who want this review.
sickening craven professional administrators completely out of touch. Sporting integrity – what a joke. What can you expect from an organisation that regards DK as a fit and proper person to have stewardship of a club.
Hibs have been on the up since winning the cup but what a shameful riddy of a statement. Proof positive that Rod Petrie should have been long gone from the club after years of failure and neglect ended in relegation. Shame on you sir.
Just seen the statement from Hibs. As a Hibs fan I have written to the board as follows:
Dear Board Members,
Further to your announcement earlier today regarding Rangers, HMRC and EBTs (although it is more about governance failure at the SFA and SPFL, or then the SPL) I am writing to explain why I now divorce myself from Hibernian Football Club after almost 50 years.
Scottish Football is bent. I hoped Hibernian would be part of the solution, not part of the problem. I was wrong.
There will be no more match tickets, no more replica shirts or merchandise. I’ve even destroyed my mug and I’ll be doing the same with the one in my office tomorrow. You deserve nothing from your loyal fans who you have cheated for years and are continuing to cheat through your weakness.
I won’t even wish you luck for the future. I hope you go out of business along with every other club who sits back and does nothing to eradicate the disease festering throughout Scottish Football. And that’s the tragedy in all this – the disease has been identified but you won’t deal with it.
You don’t deserve supporters.
Jon
An independent review will only uncover what we already know – a judicial review is what’s really needed. But what is the correct and fair outcome? Can we compile a list?
1) Regan goes and Doncater goes
2) Rangers cheated and RFC2012 (IL) should be listed as such in the record books and their ill-gotten silverware removed from the records.
3) The current Rangers confirmed as a new club with no trophies as yet.
4) Messrs King, Murray and Johnston should be removed from the board of RIFC because they are not fit and proper people to run the new entity, having been party to the downfall of the old club.
5) Mr Robertson be asked to resign from the SFA professional Game board and the SPFL Board – HOW THE HELL DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN – especially in light of the ongoing court cases regards Rangers?
6) Dickson, Ogilvie et all investigated for their part in the mess.
Anything else?
Oddly enough, I believe Regan when he says the SFA acted in the best interests of Scottish Football. I genuinely think he believes that, poor chap. We lost Rangers, Hearts and Hibs from top flight football but there was no Armageddon. He got it all wrong, big time, and simply has to go.
Idea to solve this problem SFA trying to push narrative it’s only rivals Celtic pushing for an enquiary into EBT years Rangers won trophies by fielding players not eligible
Scottish teams were the victims but they don’t want to add their names to an investigation .. What about European teams that lost to Rangers in cup games .. Let’s contact them get them to complain start the ball rolling through them ..
Great idea Tom, unfortunately, there aren’t too many European clubs who lost to them!!
Hail Hail
Stewart Regan was on “BBC1 Scotland Today” early evening Monday, to explain to everyone that the SFA has 180 member clubs and the SPFL only represents 42 members.
He has stated not one club has complained by phone, letter or email to his stance of no review of Rangers EBTs. No mention by SMSM of Supreme Court unlawful ruling. No mention of the compelling evidence against RFC and SFA. He stated the SFA Board support this position.
Regan is desperately trying to turn a matter of law and rules, and clear breaches of such, into some kind of democracy vote whereby a village amateur side has a singular vote of equal gravitas to Celtic or any SPFL Club.
If cowardice wins through this then start bulldozing football grounds up and down the country. The game in Scotland will be corrupt and fixed forever. The honest fans will walk and only the corrupt and fools will remain.
It’s time to resolve the corruption and the protection of the corruption in court.
Regan isn’t the real problem here. He’s just a puppet.
The real problem is the SFA board and who that consists of. Real Rangers men I would assume. Unless the board are ousted as well as Regan, then nothing will be won. Nothing will change.
The fact they have brought Dickson on board, who administered the EBTs, show the mentality of these people. They think we are fucking thick and they can do whatever they want. Right in front of ours eyes. Or maybe its desperate times for them.
In the words of Salary McCoist, “Who are these people?”
Phil, think you need to be expanding the blame outwit Regan. They all need to go.
Peter Lawell’s, letters were very well written, and with exceptional diplomacy. Mr Reagan is clearly hiding something, in terms of what is not known. There is a lot more that we clearly, won’t get to see.If I was Mr Reagan I would have taken Peter’s suggestion of an enquiry, and got on with it. We would not have been shocked by anything that historically we have always been aware of. Nepotism,cronyism, inequality, prejudice mixed with delusion, is what has always put food on their tables. Another Enquiry would only be another chapter, in exposing their sad inadequacies.
This is not incompetence, this is collusion. Regan does not want anyone asking about Ogilvie, Dickson and the fit and proper King. I helped crowd fund two bicycles last week and would very happily contribute to getting Regan et al in front of the review they do not want.
It would appear the BBC are still on message with the SFA, on news tonight they described the EBTs as controversial tax scheme……!!!
They are all shitting themselves to say what it actually is “ILLEGAL”
Are EBTs illegal ?
I dont think they are/were
Tax should have been paid but there is no suggestion that ebts are illegal
I see that the Hibs board are distancing themselves from taking the liars and cheats on, the Hibees fans must be disappointed with those cowards. Petrie and Dempster should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder who’ll be next?
Petrie may of course have something to hide, just like Milne.
There seems to be no other way of understanding their behaviour and their words. Transparent they are not. Conflicted they might be.
Of Dempster and Budge, I can only say that I am very disappointed at their seeming lack of courage. Ms Dempster may have to do what she is told, but Mrs Budge doesn’t.
Mr Turnbull Hutton was a shining example of a man of the utmost integrity and courage. May he rest in peace. Unfortunately, we seem to be very short of such people in Scotland.
As a died in the wool Hibs fan I cannot find the words to adequately describe my disappointment in this statement from my club, and can confirm that it certainly does not reflect the feelings of fellow supporters I know.
Chapeau
Hibs confirming what gutless, spineless specimens they are…
I hope Celtic review how they deal with loan requests and possibilities in the future.
As for Regan’s response… Well orchestrated with the Pro-Sevco media as per.
Come on Celtic…
If you are ‘on your own’ then lets get ourselves elsewhere and leave the rest of them to it!
No Uefa money through OUR progress and effort.
No TV money from OUR ‘media pull’.
Let’s see how long they all last then!
Problem is … there’s that dirty auld relative we keep getting lumbered with who will think they can come along for the ride!
Sickened by this!
They are all gutless apart from Celtic – and I’m not a celtic supporter. It’s ridiculous. The voting system is the same as it was, Regan and Doncaster are still brokering crap deals for Scottish Football and Stewart Robertson of Sevco sits on boards at both the SFA and the SPFL.
The crooks and clowns that have been running and ruining our game for decades are out of control and must be stopped.
I honestly believe that the potential loss of the blue pound, is the only reason that the chairpersons, of the other clubs, have remained silent on the issue.
There is of course the chance of ‘social unrest’ towards their club however, history teaches us that finance, holds the biggest sway.
I think the narrative of it being a Celtic/Sevco dilemma suits these individuals however, their silence may result, of course, in a severe lack of green pounds, in their accounts.
Celtic fan clubs need to stop going to away games.
A boycott of the Green pound on all of them.
Only Celtic tv should have CFC games. Boycott tv also; Sky, BTSport, ITV and BBC.
Send youth squads into League Cup and Scottish cup without fans. Get knocked out quick.
Send out no team tomorrow night in total protest. UEFA CL will be in international meltdown. Gift three points to PSG. The world will want to know why.
Its time the green pounds are removed….
Hibs and Aberdeen and all the other ‘compliants’ need the ‘green pound’ more…
The thing is … will those Celtic supporters who need there bi-weekly away fix put ethics ahead of their personal entertainment ?
Starve the other clubs of the healthy visiting cash and the SFA of their main ticket revenue for cup games.
Will the fans accept that they will be supporting their club more by not attending away matches though?
Nice one Phil.
To be fair, I think Regan and the SFA have transparency nailed. To use a phrase often favoured by my gran?.. You can see right through them.
Alex Thomsons forthright views today also very interesting.
Where do clubs go if they feel the governing body is failing? I can see how they might abandon a league set up but a whole country association feels quite different and harder to avoid. I can’t see how a club would work with UEFA for example in competitions if not a member of their FA. P
Love that reference to your gran Steviemac. Brilliant!
A great man of Scottish Football said it all..”The Games Corrupt”
Scottish football stinks;if justice does not prevail the stink will get worse,cheats can’t win.Are we all too scared of Rangers to do what’s right ,they cheated everyone knows it to be true,or does this go back to undercover plain old what religion you come from.Only in Scotland.
By my reckoning there are at least 5 other Clubs who were directly affected regarding trophies other than Celtic during this period.
When I say directly I mean by losing finals to a side fielded with players who under normal circumstances (ie adhering to the fcukin rules laid out) would be deemed ineligible?
2002 Ayr Utd L Cup Final
2003 Dundee Sc Cup Final
2005 Motherwell L Cup Final
2008 Dundee Utd L Cup Final
2008 Queen of South Sc Cup Final
2009 Falkirk Sc Cup Final
Where are the voices of these Clubs?
I mean it’s not as if they were all challenging regularly for Silverware is it?
6′
The cups are a bit more complex than the league. You simply cannot award them to the runners-up.
In the 2002 league Cup, for example, Rangers beat Celtic in the semi, Ross County in the last 8 and Airdrie in the 3rd Round. Each of these teams has a valid grievance to air. I’m sure Celtic, for example, might have fancied their chances in the final!
However, the cup wins should be removed from the record.
Spfl board members think the small clubs have no rite to protest as they had “no chance of winning anything anyway “. They see this as “it’s only Celtic that want it” and that’s how the media will portray it
Yep, Thomas, you’re bang on the money there.
The bottom half of the back page of the Metro this morning. A headshot of Regan to the right and the headline “You’re on your own”.
The line below reads “Regan says Celtic alone in demanding Gers probe”.
I hope I’m right in thinking that this won’t go down well with Peter Lawwell or Celtic. It’s Celtic v SFA, apparently. I hope the view in the Celtic boardroom is, let battle commence.
The closing paragraph of Regan’s initial response of 18/08/17 where he somewhat sarcastically seeks Lawell’s cosent to release their correspondence reeks of veiled threat to me but maybe I’m just paranoid. I really don’t think he expected to be given that permission and his request sounds like a “Do you really want me to publish these and make it look like it’s only Celtic that have an interest / agenda in this matter.” I see he is spouting off to the BBC that it’s only Celtic that have pressed the issue – not exactly unheard of for Celtic to lead the way in Scotland!
But this shouldn’t be just about Celtic – or even Scottish football – any team they faced during the EBT era needs to voice their concern. They cheated and like any cheat they deserve to be stripped of any ‘honours’ won during that time. I’m not bothered about seeing them awarded to Celtic or whoever losing finalists in cup games were they just need removing from history and confirmation required that the new club couldn’t buy history as easily as match officials and the laptop loyal.
Somehow the Italian scandal seems to have been dealt with and titles stripped and reassigned where appropriate and nullified where a winner can’t be chosen. Why is a much bigger scandal in Scottish football being swept under a rather large carpet? Are the relevant players in the issue scared for their jobs, their freedom, or their skins from the nail bomb sending purveyors of hatred?
I sincerely hope that the cannons are wheeled out and the walls are breached never mind a few shots fired. The Sevco Fans Association SFA are up to their necks in a whole load of skullduggery and know that severe pressure will be put upon them. They know they’re done out of the park but methinks they’ll just try and ride it out regardless of what Celtic do.
One for the new lexicon Noelskytrot.
“The Sevco Fans Association”.
That’s exactly what they are, Silver Fox.
I’m at a loss as to why haven’t the supporters clubs of the rest of Scottish football haven’t said much. Its as if they don’t mind being robbed.
turnbull hutton has never spoken to you ya dick
Actually, he did, on several occasions.
The communication was usually telephonically.
However, I also had the pleasure of his company.
Mr Eric Drysdale of Raith Rovers would substantiate that fact.
Please refrain from ad hominem abuse.
It is undignified.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Fancy words like ad hominem will only confuse him. He probably thinks you are talking about an estate agents advert
Feeling the pressure?
I think you are very transparent Mr Robertson.
I blame your school and your teachers.
Hatred has only one source.
“I would imagine that many among the Pittodrie faithful are less than impressed with their Mr Milne”.
You would imagine correctly sir, indeed that is an understatement of Sevco-debt proportions. I for one am sorely tempted, having been urged to “move on”, to do just that. I may “move on” to another hobby or pastime over this. That would be a matter of some regret, as Aberdeen have a good side at present who are well worth supporting, however Milne’s comments stick in the craw, frankly.
Strip the titles.
I have some good friends among the Red Army and they’re fuming with Mr Milne.
Ye all deserve better from him IMO.
You’re comment would be better if you replaced ‘from’ with ‘than’ Phil.
Stewart Milne will not be swayed from the ‘moving on’ stance. Hopefully this will end up leading to his own downfall ©yersel!
I don’t know of a single supporter who backs his stance – says it all.