Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

CMON THE WELL!!!

Just sayin' :)

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

lol..what brings this on. Europe?..hope for top two again?

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

Sounds like the stumbling block over SFA approving Rangers playing this season is a disagreement between the SPL and SFL over TV contracts.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...=feeds-newsxml

It seems the SPL need Rangers division 3 matches in their package to get decent money from their TV contract. The SFL want their own deal.

Hope this is sorted out as it would be fun watching Rangers finding their way back. The sectarian stuff goes way over my head.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

The SPL clubs are now faced with the cold, hard, financial consequences of booting Rangers out of the league and are trying to both have their cake and eat it. I'm really not a follower of Scottish football but from where I'm sitting, the SPL's demand seems outrageous - an indefensible piece of blackmail.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

TV figures for Scottish football are doing the rounds on various Scottish football forums. Not sure of the original source unfortunately.

Rangers v Peterhead 166,000 (BBC Alba)
Berwick v Rangers 96,000
Celtic v Aberdeen 91,000
Dundee v Dundee Utd 75,000
Ross County v Celtic 70,000
Inverness v Celtic 67,000
Hibs v Hearts 25,000
Dundee Utd v Hibs 16,000

If these figures are accurate Scottish football is in a terrible state. As the season goes on, and Celtic dominate the league, these figures will sadly drop further and further as TV fans lose interest.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

I'm confused. What was tv audience last year?

Scottish football is in the state it is, not because of rangers, but because having a 10 team leagues was detrimental to scottish football.

Equally, celtic and rangers constant eagerness to leave scottish football over the years (despite no viable opportunities to do so) equally did not help.

Finally, trying to compete in spending with a team who preferred to use tax payers money to fund buying (ie rangers) also did not help.

To say that scottish football is in dire straits because of rangers going down to third division is a fallacy

Scottish Football has been this way for a long while.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

At the moment Scottish football is run by Celtic, you might as well give them the title on the first day of the season, as to me they get away with murder and the referees are scared stiff of them.

Have you noticed that Celtic win matches in the last five minutes of games ?

I think the good thing is that with Rangers being in the lower tier of football - the small clubs will get that extra revenue. I wonder what will happen when Rangers get back into the SPL, which will take two years, probably the SFL will take out another court order stopping them playing in the top tier, sorry Scottish football is finished.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

My Dad was a massive Celtic fan so in theory i am as well and in no means is this an attack on the bhoys, but let me tell you this current Celtic team is not that great and seems to be very complacent, now is the time for someone like Dundee United to start to challenge for the title. C'mon Scottish football, lets be having you.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

Oh really? :rolleyes:

How? They used a tax-avoidance strategy that was legal at the time and all their payments to players were announced in their annual accounts, unlike another side I could mention.

If the SFA are so convinced they breached the rules with contract payments then why did they not query it when the annual accounts showed higher payments than the contracts?

Although if you start asking that question you then have to ask why they didn't investigate Craig Whyte when there was mounting evidence he was a crook and why the SFA cannot afford to give cash to clubs when they are already withholding £2,000,000 of prize money that should have gone to Rangers for finishing 2nd last year.

You might even suggest that they are insolvent if even after getting a £2 mil windfall they can't pay their bills on time... :dozey:

---------- Post added at 22:57 ---------- Previous post was at 22:45 ----------

That's nothing, have a look at the actual attendance figures. Most of the teams combined are lucky to get anywhere near an SFL3 game. :D

Still they don't need Rangers, once the big bad gers got punted down the leagues the fans were going to come back in their droves. :rolleyes:

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

No. An interesting slant that ignores the actual facts of the case.

The EBT scheme was legal. The way that David Murray chose to run it was illegal. He continued to misuse the scheme after he was advised not to.
An EBT could not be used for any contractual payment. Rangers used this extensively thereby turning a tax avoidance scheme into tax evasion.

I'm not sure that the SFA can be held responsible when they weren't privy to the full picture. They were informed of the contracts and were informed of the monies paid into an EBT scheme. They were not informed that the money paid by EBT was part of a separate contract or side letter.

The club that finished second in the SPL are currently undergoing the final stages of liquidation. Any monies due to them should be going to the creditors pot. I'm sure once BDO move in they might have a similar view. I suspect the SPL are aware of this which is why they're not splashing cash that may not be theirs.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

What he says :).

No point in saying EBT are legal as justification, as that isn't and never was the issue. Using EBT illegally is the issue, and that is what Rangers did. A deliberate act to evade tax. An act that was stated by HMRC as being illegal.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

So when are any of the old Rangers management and board up in court if they are guilty of tax evasion?

---------- Post added at 08:57 ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 ----------

The money was waived on the understanding that the SPL cover the outstanding footballing debts, Rangers have signed statements to that effect. When the new holding company took Rangers membership and agreed to take the debts the SPL went back and started to claim that they were responsible for the debts. I believe they backed down when it was made clear they could get another kicking in court and make FIFA even more angry.

The 2 mil is floating about, I wouldn't be surprised if its being used to fund the totally impartial :rolleyes: investigation into Rangers. Harper McLeod aren't coming cheap.

It is nice how, out of all the law firms in Scotland, they appointed the same one used by Celtic and whose major partner is often seen at Parkhead, no conflict of interest there at all.

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

Most cases of tax evasion and attempted tax evastion don't lead to criminal charges. The owners of The old Rangers were found guilty of tax evasion by virtue of the fact that they were hit with tax bills.

Although they are appealing the big tax decision, they didn't appeal against the guilty decision in what is known as the wee tax case.

The investigation by the BDO hasn't even started yet so don't discount criminal prosecutions yet. These things take time and the BDO will follow every available paper trail.

It's almost laughable that there is a suggestion that this new tribute club were in anyway entitled to any prize money from the old club, but has no responsibility for the money stolen from every man, woman and chld in this country. :(

It saddens me that there is still a large body of Rangers fans who seem intent on trying to deflect attention of the wrongdoings of the old club by sullying the name of perfectably respectable individuals and firms. There is no conflict of interest. The law society itself says so and surely you won't suggest that they are a body loaded with Celtic sympathisers.

Deflect and blame others is still the order of the day and instead of actually trying to start afresh with this new club, they're letting a yorkshire barra boy pick their pockets. Hated one week, plays the bigot card, and the season ticket sales go through the roof. Do you think he's in it for the love of the club? :rolleyes:

Re: The Scottish Football Thread
 

The investigation into the alleged use of dual contracts by the old Rangers starts next week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19521501

I don't think the qualifications or independence of that panel can be seriously questioned by fans of Rangers/Sevco.