News reports today about the final toll which HMRC has calculated up in the Rangers Tax Case cast a dark light on the club which once played at Ibrox. But they cast a dark light on our own club too by reminding people once again of the sheer scale of that scandal.
The scope of it still takes your breath away a bit. Tens of millions of pounds – £50 million in total – stolen from the public purse by the first Ibrox operation, and funnelled into the team to help it win games. Had that been all, it would still have been an outrage.
But of course, it wasn’t all. In order to pull it off they had to “paper” their fraud, because most agents and players won’t accept verbal promises or deals done on a handshake. And so a lot of them insisted on written deals, and those written deals were concealed from the SFA. Which made the player contracts invalid. Which made the players ineligible for games.
The rulebook is crystal clear on this. The SFA’s defence, offered later at the Nimmo Smith Inquiry, by Sandy Bryson, was that because no-one knew of the existence of those deals that the players were okay to play. It’s like saying if no-one knew a crime was being committed then it really wasn’t a crime to begin with. The SFA covered its own backside.
They should never have been allowed to though. The case for title stripping was clear-cut and if the SFA was not willing to do it then Celtic should have taken the case to the Court Of Arbitration For Sport and left the matter in their capable hands.
None of us wanted tainted titles, but that should not have been our decision to make or not. CAS should have had the ultimate duty on that front, since the SFA was not prepared to. There can be little doubt that a case taken to them would have delivered the justice that we did not get here at home in Scotland. But who denied us that?
It is easy to blame the SFA itself but we could – and should – have taken it out of their hands. The trouble was, a bad deal had been done, a deal we all call The Five Way Agreement and one of its provisions, enclosed in a sub-document which has since been published online but was never meant to see the light of day, was that there would be no title stripping.
The Five Way Agreement was supposed to bind the Ibrox NewCo to the sins of the OldCo; unfair, and scandalous, but it was the price of their ticket into the league, even though it was at the bottom.
But Ibrox called the SFA’s bluff and refused to accept certain provisions of the deal, the stripping of titles amongst them. (It’s not widely known, but the first draft of the Five Way Agreement was going to strip titles, and Green almost signed it. He was convinced not to, and then used the delay in signing the deal to force the SFA to strip elements out.)
What happened in the end was that Lord Nimmo Smith was established to put a public seal on a grubby deal already done in private, and this went unchallenged by Celtic. Why? Well the answer to that is one we’ll never, ever know.
The person to ask is Peter Lawwell, if you ever get the chance. Non-executive chairman at Celtic Park, the man who told the shareholders he never even saw that document, in spite of it being the one on which this enormous issue pivoted.
If he didn’t see it he was scandalously negligent. If he did then that only makes him a liar, but a liar to the Celtic shareholders at an AGM.
And so justice was denied us. For now.
And it’s being reinforced by Desmond rehiring him. Being a fellow Irish man it annoys me to want a fellow citizen to f@#£ away off and take his cronies with him!
Yip, and we bring that snake back to our club. His negligence is abominable yet still a lot of Celtic fans praise him. I hated giving up my season ticket as a matter of principle, but fully justified. Until more fans are like me we will have to endure this corrupt board. As for lawwell he has no shame.
I would love the media, tv, radio, press to feel pressure and just go on strike along with every public sector. At least we would have some peace n quite from them spouting dross.
It is driving me nuts.
Therein lies the problem, DD does not hire. Chairmen are voted into office by shareholders.
There is a need for proper run PLC, LTD or Inc.
I have been saying for years that Peter Lawwell is the best friend Rangers ever had, he allowed them to get away with these crimes. Since then we have had to put up with the same club crap and boasts about going for 56. If Fergus had been around instead of Lawwell Ibrox would very likely be a Tesco superstore now. Lawwell was and is a disgrace and should never be allowed inside Celtic Park again.
Sfa are to blame and only them bringing in an old royalist to condemn lolayist no way that would happen Scotland shame
I don`t understand this stripping of titles. Surely you can`t strip something if it hasn`t actually been won. The problem was the
awarding of titles. The only titles I saw stripped was from the original r4ngers and then handed to Sevco on a plate.
It stands to reason that if Sevco do, indeed, have 55 league titles, then the original mob have none.
Effar,
Like that logic however, they believe they’re one in same ie. kkklub 1872 and the tribute act, but, of course, they’re big Deludemol intake helps in that regard, but sure it’s obvious, it doesn’t do anything for their intellect.
Great work James thanks and please keep at it, the fitba restarting won’t come some enough for me.
HH
Lord Nimmo Smith retired in 2009.
The chap hired to deal with the inquiry was Billy Smith .
Scud, I am in agreement. The fact they bstrds managed a league win made me more suspect of our management.
Why the fk are our supporters camping out and collecting for charity and our system spends millions on guys that want to fk of at first smell of more cash. That’s after half a season kissing a badge.
We are borderlining moral corruption by endorsing all this shit.
Let’s fkn not bother about Europe we lost the momentum years ago by bad management.
Wee still guage our success by being better than the Huns and get fkd every pre season and friendly game and any wee European team in the serious competitions
Let’s get real, there is only a visual / verbal ambition, the realty is deep down we are at the top of a shit league and scrape a few fkn results.
Why not look after supporters that can not attend games in Scotland. If I go to outermongolia and hit a fkn sports bar I can see Celtic games and live football for hehaw.
Fk me where is the business model that will support the existing season ticket bhoys when they get to retirement age or worse have to pay their food and utilities bills.
We brag about feeding the Irish immigrants, why Celtic were formed.
The organisation is using its supporters to make out that Celtic are a charitable organisation.
Bearing in mind Charities today are a capitalist tax dodge and tax deductible.
Let’s not use our supporters as a front and then work it up the same ones when they are skint ,retire, or stay a fair way from Celtic Park.
What greedy fkn institution is restricting decent folk from seeing a game for 90 fkn minutes.
Let’s investigate our finances internally, our management, and any restrictive practice that is suspect
My hero Fergus managed the rebuild of our club but the fans paid for it, so any fkn director that thinks the are running the show should be humble, it all exists because of fkrs like me, I can’t even get to a fkn game.
Pissed off me( sobber)
Good on ye Scud
Another thought.
if some dodgy fkr has something on you that could take you down, then if you pursue their illegal activities that will stick you in, you are then part of that cartel.
You become one of them.
In your public life, if you represent an organisation, then privately are known to be a suspicious fkr. Then your rivals find out, the blackmail kicks in.
No smoke without fire…..
Hence no action.
Really is despicable! The way lawell under Desmond’s instructions no doubt,allowed that poison to cheat our club and football in general and then bring in this worse more poisonous creation one that actually believed it was wrongfully treated!! That’s the problem when you allowing scum to be well scum!You normalise it! So they been allowed this all their days from being allowed to use a non Catholic apartheid signing policy!Fact by the sfa! Great documentary online from 1983 oldco tho others to one from 1974 also from a German channel very damning with waddel their chairman unrepentant on their policy and even joking about kicking ” the dog instead of the wife”! Disgusting poison! Waddel would go on to say they would sign Catholics and in their next match a friendly against Aston villa in October 1976 the filth wrecked Birmingham! Also on YouTube they invade parks all their lives when losing even against Motherwell at fir park! In 1978 against us in 1969 ,Also 80 chesterfield wrecked in 1980 after losing in an Anglo cup tie! Bohemians 84 cause well they are Irish eh , London 86 same weekend we played arsenal were we had double the amount of fans! It goes on Sunderland 93 where they were officially banned from playing friendly games in England hence in 2003 bused into Manchester then out! That’s why Manchester police didn’t want them in 2008 but clowns like Ewan Cameron lobbied local publicans to allow them in for ” the party” ! Idiot! How that go eh ” crime watch will show you! List goes on! losing another final 2016 against Hibs now there is many many more like Newcastle and woverhsmpton from the 60s get the picture! So Mr lawell and Desmond have blood on their hands in my book because believe me and you guys know this most of that poison see the very colour green as a validation to attack! Our city and country is littered by tragedy from it! Females hit to I know plenty incidents! Our club should have demolished that hellhole Desmond could bought himself and bulldozed it ! As archester said they were and newco are an disgrace and stain on human decenty! But no they allowed this incarnation back disgusting! Cause let’s be honest the orcs didn’t even care, as when I comes down to it they only have a few thousand diehards most only use that club for their vile hate ,as was shown when they let oldco perish and in an age of internet banking! What a ” rid neck”! Shame on lawell and Desmond
Lawell may have stirred a fkn 1000 Eagle nests.
To creep back to his present position has started a fkn revolution.
I could not give two fks for him or the ones that turn a blind eye to the bitter cheating fkrs across the Clyde.
I feel this will not rest.
Scud I gave up my ticket when Fergus fkd off,
I always wondered why he did.(real reason)
But our non informed fans with a lust for Rangers to fail on their 10 in a row ambition were angry because Fergust could not give a fk on their 10 in a row.
Look what journey we have been on, total fkn failure against the worse teams in Europe.
It’s only the fans that will sort this lot out.
The Green Brigade seem to be concerned about tha fashionable topics rather than put these Directors to account, too much secretive business going on behind the scenes.
Give them back their money and get them tae fk.
Ange won’t be there long, you can sus it, he feels and sees arseholes a mile away, the guys honesty, integrity and credibility will not be compromised by sneeky guys at the top.
If I feel like this after the brilliant job Ange has done there must be fkn 1000, with the same thoughts.
I got Celtic tv at the start of the season, what a fkn con, load of shit, meaningless. Fk me they are proud to highlight that if you live outside UK you can get it fkn live. What the fk is that all about. Is it the Sky Anglo fkn promoters tha are dictating.
First thing get sky tae fk. Treat your home fans to fairness.
I hope the fans start and put Celtic as an organisation under pressure.
Pissed of sober jim
Nothing suss in Fergus getting out when he did, he told us all that was his plan pretty much on day one. Though at the time I was sort of glad to see the back of him with hindsight I realise it would have been better had he never left…
And again these stories have been published when the agm at both clubs are over so mo questions can be asked. Tgey are hoping the fact that rangers no longer exist will be forgo by this time next season and so on. We will never let this go ever until the truth is outed and lawell is gone from our club
Either way, liewell should never have been allowed back at CELTIC in any level.
Lawell.s a compulsive LIAR
Of course he wants tae keep the ibrox institution close, its worth too much money for him desmond & co. Lawwell and Desmond will continue tae hold this club back from bein what the support really want and thats tae be a European team again. Content tae sit and gain domestic honours, beleivin in their own arrogant way, that winnin the league will satisfy us ‘gullable’ supporters, then rake in the CL cash as well as the merchandise income. As long as thats flowin in, seems tae them there’s nae real need tae strengthen properly. This club have made some of them very rich men for their lack of ambition. Celtic support are our own worst enemies in this. Only way the support can get tae them is hurt them in their pockets.
What i would like to know is if this issue is now time barred? Could a group of shareholders at the club take this to CAS through the legal route?
Celtic should be called out on this one as they are complicit in the cheating if they do nothing about it.
While we’re at it the SFA had to be complicit in the whole scenario. Take a civil court action out against them as a shareholder group
How can I say it? Cheats, Liars, the dregs of society, Scum, Theives, This is what you call an organisation called Rangers, Murray should be in the jail for what he did to Scottish Football. It’s a total disgrace, Murray and his succulent lamb mob should be outed for their part in the charade. The Daily Record, The Evening Times, The Scottish Sun, and all the reporters who sold Scottish football out, should be names and shamed. Them and the money grabbers, Souness, Ferguson, and all the EBT crooks need to be made responsible. You will always be known as the Ibrox CHEATS,