Jump to content

Spfl Clubs Fear They Will Be Hurt Financially


GMac

Recommended Posts

SPFL clubs fear they will be hurt financially themselves if Rangers stripped of titles.

Prospect of Rangers being punished for tax avoidance leads to concerns that awarding trophies to runners-up clubs will trigger impossible bonus payments

As the turf war between Mike Ashley and Rangers widened to include a court challenge by the Sports Direct billionaire to the Scottish Football Association, the possibility of the Ibrox club being stripped of titles has fuelled concern among several clubs, who fear financial repercussions.

The status of the five Scottish championships, four Scottish Cup wins and six Scottish League Cup successes recorded by Rangers between 2001 and 2011 has been called into question since the decision by the Court of Session in Edinburgh to uphold HMRC’s appeal against the rulings of two previous tribunals that EBT (Employee Benefit Trust) schemes for players were administered improperly.

Calls for the annulment of the titles won by Rangers during the period when EBTs were used as a tax avoidance scheme at Ibrox were fuelled by the observation of one of the three Court of Session judges, Lord Drummond Young that, had the trusts not existed, some players “might well have taken their services elsewhere”.

Both the Scottish Professional Football League and the SFA have referred the matter to their lawyers for scrutiny but last night one chairman, who asked not to be identified, told Telegraph Sport: “There is a strong feeling amongst clubs that this has to be handled extremely carefully because of the possible consequences.

“Suppose for the sake of argument Rangers are stripped of all the honours they won during the time they operated EBTs. Do we award those honours to the runners-up – and trigger the bonuses that would have been paid to the players who were on their books then if they had actually won the trophies?

“Celtic might be able to afford that but nobody else could. The alternative would be to withhold all of those trophies and devalue all our domestic tournaments at a time when we’ve had to go cap in hand to find sponsors.”

Another chairman, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “I certainly don’t fly any flag for Rangers and my view is that the EBT scheme was questionable and maybe even reckless from the start but they were given expert advice and they acted on it and it has taken the taxman three tries to get a favourable result.

“Rangers have paid the price for that but so has everyone else in Scottish football since the oldco went under. Right now I would say that matters are moving sideways and we still don’t know if the taxman has actually won.

“Don’t forget that the SPL clubs got solidarity payments from Uefa because Rangers were in the group stages of the Champions League as Scottish champions. If we take titles away from Rangers and Uefa demand their money back, who would be able to pay it?”

The prospect of the controversy being resolved one way or the other in the foreseeable future now depends on whether or not there will be yet another appeal in what is colloquially known as the Big Tax Case. The deadline for an appeal to the Supreme Court by Rangers’ liquidators, BDO, or Sir David Murray, who approved the use of EBTs when he owned the club, falls three weeks from now.

Ashley, meanwhile, has lodged a legal challenge to the SFA’s decision to approve Rangers’ chairman and principal shareholder, Dave King, as a fit and proper person to hold the position. King dislodged the previous Ashley-backed boardroom regime in March but had to wait until May for the SFA to authorise his chairmanship.

The judicial review of the SFA’s approval of King was originally docketed for Dec 11, but has been rescheduled for Feb 4.

The SFA refused to comment.

Sounds as though a few clubs are shitting themselves and at least a couple are on our side

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11990181/SPL-clubs-fear-they-will-be-hurt-financially-themselves-if-Rangers-stripped-of-titles.html

Link to post
Share on other sites

We should be encouraged by the narrative that is coming through at the moment. The current tide is pretty much on the 'let's move on' side of the argument.

It certainly seems that way. The press and the fans are the ones pushing this 'title stripping' nonsense.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It certainly seems that way. The press and the fans are the ones pushing this 'title stripping' nonsense.

I think the press have been OK to be honest. The ones stirring up the hatred are the online lunatics and a few guys like Spence, Spiers, English, Cosgrove - but them all working for BBC Republic it's to be expected.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cash is king and these fuckers know it

This would be an ideal time for all fan groups to issue a joint statement saying if any retrospective punishment is handed to us, we will support Scottish football no longer

No away tickets

Home cup ties priced at a quid and we'll donate the club 20 quid a head

No tv viewers

Absolutely nothing from us, and then watch them squirm as we are a year late in returning the blue pound to the top league, a few chairman will be getting jittery

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cash is king and these fuckers know it

This would be an ideal time for all fan groups to issue a joint statement saying if any retrospective punishment is handed to us, we will support Scottish football no longer

No away tickets

Home cup ties priced at a quid and we'll donate the club 20 quid a head

No tv viewers

Absolutely nothing from us, and then watch them squirm as we are a year late in returning the blue pound to the top league, a few chairman will be getting jittery

Before we get another 20 odd pages of this, let's get one thing clear, home cup game prices must be agreed by both clubs, otherwise corresponding league pricing will apply.

As for no away tickets, Easter road was full two weeks ago and this was only six months after being shit on from a very great height during the play offs, a boycott just won't happen.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cash is king and these fuckers know it

This would be an ideal time for all fan groups to issue a joint statement saying if any retrospective punishment is handed to us, we will support Scottish football no longer

No away tickets

Home cup ties priced at a quid and we'll donate the club 20 quid a head

No tv viewers

Absolutely nothing from us, and then watch them squirm as we are a year late in returning the blue pound to the top league, a few chairman will be getting jittery

try running that past murray the apologist
Link to post
Share on other sites

Before we get another 20 odd pages of this, let's get one thing clear, home cup game prices must be agreed by both clubs, otherwise corresponding league pricing will apply.

As for no away tickets, Easter road was full two weeks ago and this was only six months after being shit on from a very great height during the play offs, a boycott just won't happen.

I think you are underestimating us as a support if they strip titles we boycott there might be a couple that go to the game but every club would be hit financially as they have to provide extra stewards,cops and catering.

The SPL made the same mistake and where are they now?

#54 on the park

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cash is king and these fuckers know it

This would be an ideal time for all fan groups to issue a joint statement saying if any retrospective punishment is handed to us, we will support Scottish football no longer

No away tickets

Home cup ties priced at a quid and we'll donate the club 20 quid a head

No tv viewers

Absolutely nothing from us, and then watch them squirm as we are a year late in returning the blue pound to the top league, a few chairman will be getting jittery

I fkn hope the above happens, being saying it for long enough, our Board don't have the balls, show them that we have

:brokensfa::nosfa:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Excuses, excuses.

I'll be amazed if none of these guys are involved in tax avoidance schemes that they would rather wasn't public knowledge. They are keeping there pockets lined while feeding the fans a load of shite. Couple with this the fact that title stripping cant be on the cards as no rules have actually been broken but nobody actually wants to say that yet....

Link to post
Share on other sites

We should be encouraged by the narrative that is coming through at the moment. The current tide is pretty much on the 'let's move on' side of the argument.

The narrative is encouraging. It's important to note that whatever may be claimed, this is not 2012 all over again. Rangers and its fans (us) have been punished and suffered the direct consequences of Murray's actions. Those who think only of further punishment are driven by a single purpose based their own psychological inadequacies. Others, such as the second chairman, have a much more nuanced grasp of both what punishment does and of its consequences. Rangers, in being punished the first time, has had to rise through the divisions and have its pride - the very thing the punishers hate most - dragged through the mud. In doing so Rangers has finally found a board that cares and a revolutionary, manager with a vision, who cares about the game. The people who care about football see a club that is investing in youth, in the community, in the future, in a way that benefits the Scottish game as a whole. They know that, for the punishers, no punishment will ever be enough, they will never move on and will destroy Scottish football as a whole through their actions. Those who care about the game will not let that happen. It would be wrong, it would be stupid and it would be final.

Link to post
Share on other sites

If the clubs reject this latest witch-hunt on us it won't be because it's the right thing to do - fuck no - it's because it suits them one way or another i.e cash.

Shameless fuckers.

This exactly... not because it's the right way forward.. because they have finally realised Rangers continually being punished for fuck all isn't in their best intersets... selfish cunts..

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Upcoming Events

    • 30 March 2024 15:00 Until 17:00
      0  
      Rangers v Hibernian
      Ibrox Stadium
      Scottish Premiership
×
×
  • Create New...