VAR wars and honest tax mistakes

I make no claims of clairvoyance because, in this piece last week, I confidently predicted a TavPen in the Glasgow Derby.

It would be rather like claiming some foresight by stating that the sun will rise tomorrow morning over an Mhucais and light up this study.

It is beyond parody that Sevco’s penalty taker got yet another opportunity from the spot due to a bizarre VAR decision, this time by effectively the club’s PE teacher.

As stated in this piece, from February 2023, I contacted the SFA media office about the club allegiances of their match officials.

Despite my efforts to seek clarification, the SFA media office chose not to respond, leaving the issue of club allegiances of match officials unaddressed.

Yes, I did follow up, but again no reply.

By contrast, the UEFA media people usually get back to me in two working days.

Compare and contrast.

Of course, the very notion that the individual in charge of VAR could have a professional connection to one of the teams playing in what could be a league decider is incomprehensible to many in England.

In addition, the match referee was previously photographed drinking in a pro-Rangers pub after a derby match and suffered no consequences.

This can only happen because the SFA gets to mark their own homework.

The entire process by which match officials are recruited, selected, trained and assessed is entirely in-house.

It is worth remembering that Ian Maxwell confidently reassured a Holyrood Committee in December last year that an independent regulator for the game might be needed, but Scotland was different!

The situation with officials will only be resolved when the SFA is removed from the refereeing function, and a fully accountable outside body provides a professional service to the SPFL.

My understanding is that is the settled view of the people who matter at Celtic.

As for the input of the Chairman into this process, ignore it, it’s just noise…

Indeed, it does not help matters that the Hampden chaps do not have to cope with serious journalistic scrutiny from the local media.

As ever, it takes outsiders to make a difference.

If you doubt me then consider the case of Mr Hugh Dallas.

I’m undoubtedly an outsider to all of it, dear reader, and so is Hector.

It was the HMRC inspectors in the first decade of this millennium who built the case that would eventually kill the original Rangers in 2012.

Moreover, they haven’t gone away, you know.

As I was writing this, I was saddened to learn of Mr Neil McCann’s…err…favourable settlement with Hector.

These tax matters have nothing to do with his successful career at EBT FC in the early years of this millennium.

Indeed, as I recorded in my book Downfall, he was very helpful to HMRC in the tribunal hearings.

This separate issue relates to his time as a pundit with Sky Sports from 2013 to 2018.

In this piece in Scottish Business Insider, Seb Maley, chief executive at tax insurance provider Qdos, commented:

“The sheer complexity of this legislation makes honest mistakes easy, but as this case shows, HMRC has little sympathy.”

Ah, those honest mistakes.