Regular readers will be fully aware that one of the recurring themes in the death of Rangers and the subsequent Sevco shitshow has been an apparent lack of governance from the chaps at Hampden.
From the Resolution 12 issue to allowing Charles of Normandy to purchase the basket of assets, it was clear that the people entrusted to run the national game on Planet Fitba believed they needed A Rangers.
In fact, any Rangers at all would do, just as long as it was called Rangers.
I believe this fealty to the Ibrox franchise ultimately contributed to the death of the club in 2012.
Moreover, the same impulse has forced many into the Orwellian fiction that Sevco Scotland Limited is actually the original Rangers.
Therefore, I was interested in this piece in the Times today (paywall).
Here it is in full:
Chelsea tell HMRC and the FA about tax issue after new owners raise concerns
Chelsea have informed HMRC and the Football Association of an issue with the club’s tax affairs before the recent £4.25 billion takeover.
It emerged this month that the club’s new owners, the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, had withheld more than £100 million from the final purchase price because of potential tax liabilities incurred during the Roman Abramovich regime.
Now, however, sources have told The Times that the new owners have identified an area of concern while conducting due diligence as part of the purchase. The problem is understood to be linked to the withheld money, but any potential sums owed by the club would only amount to a fraction of the £100 million.
It has been reported that Marina Granovskaia, the outgoing director, will lose a sizeable chunk of her £20 million bonus for her work on the sale because of tax owed, but that is not thought to be the issue under scrutiny.
HMRC declined to comment on Thursday and a spokesman for Chelsea said that “as a general rule, the club does not comment on regulatory matters”. The FA is monitoring the situation.
Under Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea were funded via parent companies, which proved a challenge to unravel for lawyers acting for the new owners. In the end, given the speed with which the deal had to be completed, the Boehly-Clearlake Consortium withheld the money as a contingency.
At the time Chelsea said it was “not unusual in these types of transactions, particularly deals completed in an accelerated time frame, to withhold an amount related to any unforeseen liabilities that may arise from transactions that occurred prior to the sale”.
The significance of this story was not lost on Alex Cobham of the Tax Justice Network.
Alan Morrison of Celtic By Numbers is, well, a numbers guy, and he didn’t miss.
For the avoidance of doubt, I believe that such a simple commonsense ordinance in Scottish football would cause a crisis meeting in the Blue Room.
That, of course, is why it will not happen.
Throughout the entire Ibrox Ibrox saga this century, the folks at Hampden have cast appeared to cast a Nelsonian eye towards the stadium that John Brown played for.
Ultimately, they were doing the club and the supporters no favours.
When the inevitable happened, the fans complained that no one had warned them.
Obviously, regular readers here could allow themselves a quiet smile at that one.
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Unionist lickspittle with repeated scaremongering. Some things never change.
The problem with the SFA board and the Ibrox board is that it is extremely difficult to ever tell them apart. And there lies the problem for the game in Scotland!
As a Scot, I’d love to see Scotland gain it’s independence from the Westminster cartel, but not one governed by the SNP. This absolute shower couldn’t run a bath, far less a country. If Scottish independence is to be achieved, then perhaps it’s time to look at new models of government rather than placing power into the hands of those who are incapable of doing the job. So far as I can see, no Scot truly knows what independence actually means, all we hear is brave heart bluster. We need the financial reality, the economic models and the realities of life post union, not blue faced, hairy arsed kilt swingers telling the English to just F**k off.!
That’s the beauty of independence.
You get the government you vote for!
Haha as usual a thick hun loves the union jack cause its red white blue if they love it that much away down to England and i bet they return when they see the english hate Scottish people eh shower a shite scotland will get independence and shut down the lot of the bigots and their walks..bye bye scum
A quiet smile maybe, but I’d prefer a large whisky!
Or four 🙂
The ‘Tax Man’ liquidated Rangers rather than allow them to dodge their responsibilities and enter into a CVA. The SFA did SFA and let them continue under a different guise, aka phoenixism.
SNP government and SNP dominated Scottish Parliament have been silent on both Rangers for the last decade Phil. I know you are a supporter of theirs but still….
You are incorrect.
I do not care for or support any British political party.
What does that have to do with the SNP or the Scottish Government ?
The people to blame are the SFA the Tax Man, and sevco. If they had done their jobs correctly then we would t have this shit show we have now.
The SFA thought they were helping the rangers board but the fact they new there was a problem they kept the Rangers fans in the dark and there is loads of fans who given the chance would have bought the club outright but for the SFA silence the fans must feel let down and it could happen again if the SFA play the same Game
He’s an Irishman who lives in Ireland. Why would he give a shite about the Scottish National Party? Do you care about Taiwan’s struggle for self-determination? No. Do you fuck. Get over yourself hun.
This is a football matter.
Nothing to do with the SNP.
Direct your angst towards the Scottish football authorities and media.
As a Celtic fan, why you want to be British I will never know.
Independence for Ireland. Independence for Scotland.
Celtic FC are involved in this shitshow, why else would they be so silent and inert in allowing this farce to continue. If they took any legal action, it couldn’t possibly fail due to all the facts and evidence already being widely known, even if all concerned pretend otherwise.
Good point Charlie.
If only the Celtic board had the courage to take them on.
That Paul is what I fear the most, Scotland & Ayrshire in particular, has enough bigots, the thought of that lot coming over here permanently scares me, match days for that lot are bad enough!
Ireland has its independence. I think what you mean is a united Ireland. I hope that happens soon. The downside of that will be an influx of scum from northern Ireland to Scotland after they try and restart the troubles
“As a Celtic fan why would you want to be British”, what the hell is being a football supporter got to do with being British?
I can give you a list of things why Scotland being independent would not be a good idea but you probably wouldn’t understand.
As usual, because you have no argument you resort to insults.
Why do people like you think that is okay to do online?
The point I am making is that many Scottish Celtic supporters of Irish descent sing and shout about a united, independent Ireland but don’t want it for the country they live in.
I find that ironic.
Just like Sarwar going to Pakistan and ‘celebrating’ that country’s Independence Day from Britain.
Your point is Pakistan have independence days and Celtic supporters sing for a United Ireland. I really have no idea why you would suggest I insulted you, your managing that perfectly all by yourself. I have no interest in Ireland or Pakistan or romantic fanciful ideas but just to be clear, I have plenty of arguments as to why Scotland shouldn’t be independent, no currency, no central bank, pensions, health service, there’s four but if you need anymore please don’t hesitate to ask.
Hi Burt,
British retirees in Spain continue to receive their pension, but don’t let an urban myth stop you spreading scare stories.
NHS in Scotland performing better than southern neighbours.
Scottish currency & own central bank not a real issue (skills here & many smaller countries have such institutions)