A lot of energy has been expended over the weekend about the alleged email traffic from Dens Park to Hampden last Friday.
I didn’t comment as I did not have any information either way.
This morning I received some scéal from an impeccably placed source who is in a position to know.
On the basis of that input, I now believe that the Dundee email in question simply did not get sent to the correct mailbox.
Of course, this won’t soothe the conspiracy theorists at another stadium.
For the avoidance of doubt, the one that John Brown played for…
Over the weekend Mr Scott Gardiner of ICT was given the floor on Radio Scotland.
He is undoubtedly an impressive chap, and I would not be surprised if he had recently been scouted by the second club in Glasgow as a possible recruit.
After his sterling work during the redevelopment of Tynecastle, he seems the sort of talented chap that would fit in well at Sevco.
Of course, if such a move had been discussed, then I’m sure that the Serious Professional would have been in the loop at all times.
Anything else would be shambolic.
As ever with Sevco it is all rather inexplicable unless you follow follow the money.
If any intrepid chap in the Stenography Corps wants to try this journalism lark, then here is a tip for you:
Firstly, contact the SPFL.
Now, make sure you’re sending your questions to the correct email address. That helps.
Then ask them if there are set criteria for a member club to apply for an emergency loan.
Specifically, do they have to provide detailed financial information?
Then ask the SPFL if they recently had to remind a particular member club that a loan could not be given unless said information was forthcoming.
Now, the chaps at Hampden might be a wee bit spooked by such specific questioning from a member of the local media.
After all, it rarely happens.
Just brush that aside and barge on regardless.
Remember you’re a journalist!
That means your role in society is to ask questions on behalf of the public.
That’s your job.
Trust me on that.
You see, dear reader I want to be helpful.
Over the past few days, one of the leading stories in the Six Counties has been about the Brits mobilising their army reservists as part of the response to the Covid19 pandemic.
For the avoidance of doubt, the story was broken here on April 3rd.
I alerted a young colleague to my scoop and eschewed the kind offer to sell it to a major title as a freelancer.
I was simply happy to see the story out there.
Similarly, there are REAL stories around Ibrox at the moment.
However, the local media appear, well, reticent about going after them.
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Breaking news. The SFA has announced that the Fit and Proper status of Alistair Johnston has finally been established and the results will be made public as soon as Inspector Clouseau submits his report, expected before December 2030, which will then be handed to Sky Sports for their French interpreter to translate then relay to the nation.
Vive La France.
I see on Follow Follow that one of the more educated Rangers fans is asking the question…..’ can we not call for a vote of no condolence in the SPFL.’
My own condolences are with his teachers.
Ibrox noise monitoring the situation at Newcastle, impending sale and all that.
The previously touted sqillions has been reduced to £15m and they would drive Alfredo there in a heartbeat to seal the deal.
How about these 2 scenarios.
1. Newcastle change hands and when the window opens they have a £15m bid accepted.
New owner makes the payment Ashley ring fences it as part of the Sports Direct dispute.
2. No change of ownership before the window then a straightforward swop of Morelos to wipe out the debt due to Sports Direct.
So Rangers lose their top scorer without a penny coming into the club.
Perhaps Newcastle won’t be satisfied that Morelos is worth the £15m so will nominate an additional player to make up the difference, bye bye Tavernier?
Super Ally can take his chocolate biscuit analogy and stick it where the sun don’t shine.
I see Stevie G has popped out of hiding to add his considerable intelligent thoughts as to the SPFL vote.
Nothing like trying to switch attention from he and his players abysmal performance since the turn of the year.
Instead of calling out MacLennan perhaps he should turn his attention to interim Chairman Park who several days ago was asked to put up or shut up by the SPFL with regards to having definitive proof of wrongdoing by the football authorities.
I’m starting to think that the source of this claim has recently left the country, and Rangers in a mess, and is now adding to that chaos by making Park look a circus clown with no definitive proof whatsoever, just more rabble rousing to keep fans onside.
The board has gone all in this season backing Gerrard to the moon and beyond. For obvious financial reasons that same backing won’t be forthcoming next season therefore 10 IAR will be completed by Celtic, thats why they have thrown everything at stopping 9 IAR by hook or by crook, having failed to do so on the field of play.
I truly hope that the remaining games could be completed, unlikely as it seems, and that the final gap is considerably wider than the current 11pts(14 GD). Lets see what Gerrard and his ilk have to say about that.
Voting over, motion passed, time to move on.
No doubt another statement o clock and more toys being chucked from the pan on its way with their media lap dogs and pundits leading from the front.
An independent investigation indeed, that’s the latest cry now.
No problem with that. Let’s also apply the same scrutiny to other football related events.
For instance from what rabbit hat did Bryson pull his infamous ‘imperfect’ player registration classification for the dozens of Rangers players who had been paid non taxable fortunes through an illegal EBT scheme? Every one of the games in which just one EBT recipient played, on occasions the entire team was on EBT steroids, should have seen results reversed with numerous trophies stripped as a result.
Worth a revisit?
Then there was Nimmo Smith and his conclusion that spending more money to attract a better quality of player didn’t give your team an advantage, even when the EBT scheme diverted millions from the tax man into the pockets of the players.
Definitely worth another look!
Then there was the fraudulent UEFA 2012 application submitted by Rangers and waived through by the SFA despite the fact that everyone at Ibrox was aware of the unpaid taxes prior to the UEFA licence cut off date, a fact laid bare from evidence given at Whyte’s trial.
That has to be revisited surely?
Independent investigations? Bring them on but let’s lay bare the whole gamut of the poison that has been spread through our game by Rangers and their helpers going back to those heady days when money was no problem for the knight of the realm with HBOS on fast dial.
A very unfortunate relationship for the bank which resulted in £800m of debt being written off when Murray’s empire crashed and burned.
Independent investigations? Bring them all on!
Not hearing much about the cup, is it just going to be forgot about now? Quad treble not happening?
Don’t be greedy, one step at a time. The Null and Voiders have been routed as far as the proposals for completing the league fixtures.
The semi finals and final could be played over consecutive week ends probably behind closed doors when the lockdown is eased, hopefully by the end of June.
Let the fun begin. One ‘bright’ spark on Follow Follow in response to Dundee’s about turn has actually posted ‘bring it on, our legal team will crucify the SPFL.’
Will that be the same legal team that overseen a payout to Sports Direct of £3m, with a substantially bigger bill on the way?
The same legal team awaiting a day in court with Memorial Walls?
The same legal team gearing up for a fight with Hummel?
Yeah mate, bring it on right enough!
The crazies really are out in force. Bribery, corruption, sporting integrity are the buzz words on the blue side.
Where were these eejits when Rangers were paying millions to their players via an illegal tax scheme with side letters intended to give the recipients comfort if indeed the taxman came calling?
Miles behind in the league, knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Hearts, the bottom team in the SPFL, and financial challenges aplenty facing them over the next few months.
The Rangers board has no option but to push the Null and Void proposal for all its worth to deny Celtic 9 IAR and an open road to 10 IAR otherwise their ST uptake will suffer.
Just read a cracking post along the lines of ‘ we need to change Scottish football to benefit us, just the way it used to be’ from a very self aware Rangers fan.
Boycott away grounds, stop buying the Sunday Post, bet with anyone other than Ladbrokes, sack Doncaster, stop Lawwell calling the shots in Scottish football and so on, and on.
Apart from Lennon’s comments a few weeks ago there’s next to nothing coming out of Celtic Park about where our game is going.
As by far the biggest club in the land we just can’t sit back and let this situation get completely out of control.
In concert with the other clubs we have to show the leadership that is so obviously missing from our football authorities.
That will be the other clubs minus Rangers who have an agenda which has hee haw to do with sporting integrity and is 100% based on Celtic being called 9 IAR champions.
There is no way the remaining games can be played.
The league has to be called now and preparations made for the new season, end of.
You can sit back if you have a smoking gun sat in yer desk drawer.
Just saying.
I’m happy to just sit back and piss myself laughing at their antics. As Scud would say, “comedy gold!”.
Douglas Park’s “Significant investment already received” and “Further commitments in place” comments after the Lying King stepped down, were clearly a pile of shite. Either that, or things are a helluva lot worse than ANYONE thinks.
Poor old Jam Tarts if the SPFL proposal goes through but they have been rank all season and deserve to go down.
Oh how they must wish they were playing Rangers every week.
Rather than FFP rules going forward, I suggest football clubs must pass financial stress tests, similar to the banks after the last bank crash.
None of them have reserves. They all run on credit and spend as much as they can to chase glory.
If Sevco think they can bring in funds in the next window from player sales then they must look to last winter and summer’s windows, when despite daily record world record attempts at selling Sevco-Rangers players, nobody wanted them. Next window all buying clubs will be skint everywhere. Situation worse.
Weak and distressed clubs, due to poor management decisions year on year, will be picked off in such stressful times. It’s not up to the SFA or SPFL to provide loans and find money for badly run clubs to the detriment of well run clubs.
Rewarding the incompetent!
“None of them have reserves.”
Oh dear…
The published accounts of Celtic FC would suggest otherwise.
Financial stress tests that, for instance, demonstrate that each club can pay full wages for a minimum of three months before resorting to wage reductions. (Perhaps mandatory insurance policy demonstration before a license renewal every two or three years?).
For the protection of employees, players and the clubs themselves.
The shutdown started in March and Celtic’s cash reserves necessitated a wage reduction/Furlough statement before the next pay day.
Are you suggesting CELTIC are cash rich but being opportunistic with their players and staff? When they can indeed pay them 100%?
You’ve hinted that Celtic have match day loss type insurance (business interruption). If this is correct then a reduction in wages is even worse.
Minimum/living wage at Celtic too?
Those reserves are there to build a hotel. They weren’t accumulated as a strategic reserve. For business interruption.
What’s the legendary reserves at Celtic for if not to be mobilised in times like this? There’s a statue to Brother Walfrid out of the front of there.
Employees (Players, Board, Executives, Management, Coaches) have taken both wage reductions and deferred wages, published 4 days ago.
You stated there were no reserves.
That is not true.
Making use of the Government scheme was not opportunistic as you put it. It was good business sense. Why use up the reserves which make you the most powerful club in the country, which you’ve built up over the years through fiscal prudence, while everyone else receives government backing. Celtic have paid more in business tax for years than the rest of Scottish football at every level combined.
To throw away a business advantage, just because you can, would be gross mismanagement and sheer stupidity.
No need for Financial Stress testing Jake just apply the current rules without favour. Get rid of the toxic institution and let Scotland flourish into a great multi cultural country where everyone is equal. You will bring the best out of people. Accept people for who they are not what they are, simple.
Endeavour to persevere Mick.
Literally!
Or could the SFA/SPFL not simply adhere to and apply the rules of Financial Fare Play in place in Europe?
Fae the King of invention and fantasy spoke
Noo the Kings buggered aff cause the Sevvies are broke
Forked tongued conversations with ICT
Hatched a cunning wee plan with Bonnie Dundee
With a Petrofac Cup and a dastardly plan
Saddled with Debt and skint tae a man
Just gei is a loan at Interest rate free
Or wull fuckup yer plan wae a vote fae Dundee
But Dundee was careless and made the Huns greet
His vote he misplaced he did sound a retreat
Noo treble chin man says ‘Blame Celtic Fc
And that turncoat bastard at Dundee Fc’
There are hills beyond Renton and lands beyond Bute
Where like minded Billies do play their wee flute
There are 30 stone lassies riddled with VD
Cry ’Feck you ya bastart Bonnie Dundee’
O’er the hills to the Dee and onto the rocks
He hods the cards and plays bluff with Ibrox
So lay down yer bets as we all wait and see
For his name is bold Albert the Kidd fae Dundee
Ashley sells up… Rankers die, bought for another £1…The Sports Direct Arena????
That prospect has worried me for years.
There will never be a better time to get out and join the championship in England. No Europe obviously but a lot more TV money. Some of their clubs at the moment make Sevco look solvent.
I posted weeks ago that such an opportunity to get into the English set up, might present itself. UEFA would find it very difficult to oppose such a move legally. The precedent has already been well and truly set by both Cardiff and Swansea playing in the EPL in recent years.
It’s only a matter of time before SKY, or whoever has the TV rights at the time, realises that four Celtic V Sevco games per season does NOT have the pulling power of two each of Celtic v Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City.
While I think there is every chance of another administration event across the city, I don’t expect the current entity to be liquidated. However, even admin could weaken them to the extent that a top six finish might not be a sure thing, reducing the four games to three.
With the opportunity to show games every second week, played in front of one of the biggest, most vocal crowds in the UK, what is there not to like from a TV perspective.
Their collective stupidity has reached scary levels (it was ever thus).. Park apparently wants Maclennan to explain comments that the daft auld fanny read in PRIVATE EYE!! Is this a subconscious suggestion that even the Daily Rectum is a joke (we all know it is), or is Park suggesting that Ian Hislop is a serious journalist? Let’s put it this way, Ian Hislop is to journalism, what Michael McIntyre is to comedy!!
Hey!
I meant the arsewipe that tells the audience of every place he visits that it’s his most favourite place, and skips around stage like a fanny. No offence!! 😉
Does anyone for a minute think that the Ibrox club/ company/thingy and their fans would be screaming Null and Void if they had made the Scottish Cup semi final?
Me neither!
If Rangers* wish to resign from the SPFL and form their own league then I think Third Lanark, Dumbarton and Gretna might be interested in joining them.
What about Deidgers and the OG Airdrieonians? They love a go.
Now the Klan are looking to boycott any business that has connections with Dundee what a sad way to live your life . The hatred on their forums today towards anyone has gone through the roof . Peter Lawell has been nowhere near any of this but the Klan want his head as well as Doncaster . You would think they would put all their energy into chasing up Douglas 5 chins and get him to produce his evidence he is always going on about . It must be time for another squirrel o’clock story surely .
Why would Dumbarton want to join – they have an unbroken history right back to the beginning of Scottish football
the prize money thing has a simple answer = total prize monies split evenly between the 42 league clubs all for one and one for all in these testing times sfa can fund money for clubs outside the league clubs to keep them going
Lol on FF they are running with a Twitter rumour Partick Thistle are going for an interim interdict to stop the whole process oh ma sides . Really Thistle scratching their arse to see out the season and all of a sudden they have money for this but sevco and Hearts don’t . They ain’t got a pot to piss in the same as sevco and Hearts but they will find money for this you couldn’t make it up .
Thistle have posted opinions of both junior and senior counsel saying that the decision is open to challenge. Document available at ptfc.co.uk
Theres a big financial difference between getting a legal opinion and actually testing that opinion in court. And don’t forget, Thistle recently lost their main benefactor and are still recovering from that shock.
The Klan are on meltdown mode on their forums today . They want sevco and Hearts to leave the league and go it alone . They don’t say what league they would join but they reckon doing this they can call the SPFL bluff . Also sevco have severed all connections now with Ladbrokes and the Klan are following the leader by cancelling and closing any accounts they had with Ladbrokes . Something to do with a Ladbrokes executive or someone like that having a go at the new club . Oh and they are also screaming about the new club taking out injunctions on who or what they don’t say but they want these injunctions anyway . Ah let the fun and games begin . And still no apologies from any of the newspapers The Hun , The Daily Ranger or Evening Hun and Radio Shortbread for all their shooting down of the SPFL and others from last Friday SHAMEFUL .
Hopefully, sevco will be accepted into the Jules Verne League – that’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Of course, on this particular “journey” they will have to start at the bottom, along with the other bottom-feeders and pond life. It’ll be a home from home for them.
Personally I don’t want them to die again until we win the 10 !!
Simon Jordan on Talksport on a rant about the SPFL decisions making . He quoted previously way back in season 2011/12 that all the teams and people ganged up on sevco then what a cheek . Jordan is a flyman obviously been listening to much to Salary McCoist if you ask me .
Jordan knows hee haw about Scottish football and any knowledge he claims to have certainly won’t have come from the green side of town.
For starters he’s probably unaware that the Rangers he talks about was buried in 2012.
He’s ignorant of the EBT scandal and how the SFA, via Bryson, arrived at the ‘imperfect’ solution as to the registration of players which should have resulted in the stripping of numerous titles.
Ignorance knows no bounds for clowns like Jordan who will happily spout shit to anyone prepared to pay him.
PS. Does anyone know where in the SFA rule book there is a reference to ‘imperfect’ player registration and it’s definition, as opposed to legal or not legal registrations?
The oft put forward defence from Rangers is that they didn’t think that these particular tax avoidance payments to players, from hundreds of thousands to millions of pounds, stolen from the taxpaper and supported by side letters which in turn were also hidden from HMRC and the SFA, required to be included in the contracts lodged with Bryson.
Ignorance is bliss but no excuse for breaking the law.
After all this time I wonder how HMRC is getting on collecting the unpaid tax from the EBT recipients.
Bazza declared himself bankrupt, no doubt the Lord of the Realm, the largest beneficiary, hardly noticed the dent in his bank balance as HMRC came calling, Ogilvie’s liability would easily have been covered by his SFA pay off and the likes of McCann, Dodds et al will have seen their media incomes go straight to the taxman………surely?
Didn’t know the DEAD could DIE again. They’re DEAD forever in my eyes
The James Bond club…
Live And Let Die
You Only Live Twice
Die Another Day
Just think – Michael Jackson could have saved a fortune if only he’d waited about 20 years! He could have made the Thriller video with real, live zombies. He could even have used Ibrox Stadium as the backdrop.
Is “live zombies” not a contradiction in terms?
Probably – but I meant real ones, not kiddy-on ones. 😉
I don’t want them to ever die as I enjoy their suffering too much but if it has to happen then I want it after we lift 55
It’s the 10 that’s killing them.
I was quite disappointed once again at the weekend with Michael Stewart backing up Tom English wanting the prize money dished out to the clubs while positions in the league stayed as they are until all the games are played out . Previously we would have heard the real voice of Michael Stewart and not the toned down version we are getting now . From a guy who shot straight from the hip to someone who has been brought back into line for the sake of keeping his job with BBC . I could not tell you the last time he criticised or had a bad to word say about sevco .
Scudmeister, cut him some slack. He took down “the Hutt”.
Financial information required, no problem. Just get back the lackey who prepared last year’s 6 monthly interims showing a considerable profit, which by the end of the financial year turned into an even more considerable loss when the auditors totted up the numbers.
A turnaround that no one has ever explained, or been asked a question of by the Scottish media. It was ever so.
If the Ibrox club is indeed seeking a loan from our football authorities a fully audited set of numbers is required, not a hastily scribbled set on the back of a fag packet as per last year’s interims.
Perhaps the immediate need for a loan is not day to day bills but for a downpayment on Hagi?
Would anyone be surprised?
It’s my understanding that there is no legal requirement to audit interim accounts.
However,the very fact that they have not been made public, speaks volumes.
Time to put a halt to the twats on Ibrox noise who are openly accusing Celtic of bribing Dundee.
The way these guys are going on would have you believe that the league was neck and neck.
9 IAR is pushing them over the edge, wait till 10 IAR comes along.
Wee Bamber Gascoigne at ibrox noise had put out there a number of articles in the last couple of day’s each one was more bizarre than the previous one . Wee Bamber is definitely a couple sandwiches short of a picnic . Just the other week his article was full of if only his team had done this or done that they would be champions already . He wants sevco to buy Hudgie for £4.5 million and then they can sell him immediately to Real Madrid for £50 million. He said even though Madrid could offer Hudgie parent club £50 million they could not sell him as he is a sevco player now . This is what your up against .
JOURNALIST REQUIRED:
More about the job:
You will be required to bring your investigative skills to bear, as you will be required to report on Scottish football, without fear or favour. You will have the fullest support of your editor-in-chief, as well as your colleagues.
Required skills:
Must be able to read and disseminate potential stories, and be fully conversant with Microsoft Office, particularly MS Word, as you will be required to cut and paste from articles supplied by our main provider – Level5 PR. Once your article has been compiled, the chief editor will proof-read it, before forwarding it to our source for approval.
Salary & Benefits:
£16.90 per hour. Currently, you will be required to work 54 hours per week, but we are aiming for 55. A season ticket for Ibrox will be provided.
Other Requirements:
Applicants will be required to provide evidence that they are a fully paid-up, staunch and loyal Orangeman, however Freemasons will also be considered for this post.
Closing Date:
Immediately prior to an Administration Event, or May 1st – whichever falls soonest.
Do you think they could have sent it to the Santa Fe Library instead Phil? @sfpl 🙂
Or, perhaps Santa Claus? 😉
That’s the Santa Fe Public Library and, I assume, this was where the bold Kheredine confirmed the story of the Chinese bid for Alfredo.
Or Santa Fe Lapland…………ah’ll jist leave!!!