Virtuoso 27,180 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Fucking wank of a man. The word “cheating” has become highly charged and emotive around the subject of Rangers FC.The club’s directors are embarrassed at its use. The club’s fans spit fury at the very suggestion.The ignominy of “cheating” being foisted on Rangers around its tax affairs has become detested, and with good reason. A club that historically afforded itself a sense of dignity simply could not live with being seen to take part in some Arthur Daley-type practices.This is all germane again following the judgement in the Court of Session today that the pre-2012 Rangers indulged in years of illegal tax avoidance.The Lords Carloway, Menzies and Drummond Young took a surprisingly tart view of it all, cutting through impenetrable legal subterfuge to reach “a common sense” view which has been held by most people on the outside for years.The Court of Session said it was blindingly obvious that the millions of pounds hived off to Rangers players via dubious “side letters” in the years between 2001 and 2010 were earnings which should have been subject to tax. The use of EBTs for tax avoidance – by which the Queen’s revenue collectors could be thwarted – was by no means peculiar to Rangers. It had become a rampant racket right across Britain. Thousands of companies used the tactic before EBTs were finally outlawed.But in Scottish football, the spotlight fell on Rangers. HMRC pursued the club vigorously, because the Revenue’s policy is to mercilessly claw back the tens of millions it feels the national exchequer has been denied.Rangers, it has to be said, have fought a very impressive legal case. These Court of Session lords might have deemed the wrongdoing to be obvious, but competent lawyers are capable of winning almost any argument.In this context I have never forgotten what one prominent Rangers fan in the media said to me four years ago: “The entire world knows that Rangers have been at it with EBTs … but getting lawyers to prove it will be another matter.”The judgement of illegal activity by Rangers – if or when this saga is concluded – will leave an ungodly mess to be sorted.The club paid the ultimate price in 2012 – liquidation. That event has left Scottish football poisoned, with acrimonious debate about Rangers’ history going into overdrive in recent years. But the “newco Rangers” – whatever your interpretation of that – will not be financially affected.Dave King has subsequently said he wants to “put the old Rangers back into the old company”. Heaven alone knows what that actually means, never mind whether it can be done.A guilty Rangers – if this is the end of the matter - also leaves the Scottish FA in a precarious position. Retrospective title-stripping looks a futile business to me, but it goes on in other sports, and the SFA stand accused of being timorous in the face of the wrongdoing.Is title-stripping an option? Yes, it is, though I wouldn’t assent to it. The misdeeds have been done, and Rangers FC paid a high price.What is to be gained in trampling back over history and spearing a liquidated football club with further punishment? There always will be an asterisk in the public mind beside these dodgy Rangers years. I cannot see the benefit in the retrospective expunging of trophies.As for Sir David Murray’s business empire, which actually ran Rangers FC’s tax avoidance, it has been largely scaled back, with various subsidiaries sold off. Doubtless there could be further legal repercussions brewing, which could conceivably reach the Supreme Court.Murray will feel greatly pained over this saga. It serves little to go back over his fateful involvement in it all. He will go to his grave nursing sorrow over what befell the old Rangers. It is as grim a story as Scottish football has known.Today was meant to be about another Rangers story. The club has just announced an annual loss of £7.5m as King and co strive to put Rangers on an even keel again.Is King ever going to make a significant cash injection in the club? Rangers fans remain hopeful but the evidence for it is still flimsy.The past, meanwhile, haunts the club and its support. The fact is, if Rangers FC had not tried to cut corners in paying tax, none of this agony would have occurred.The truth remains unpalatable. And the damage is irreversible.http://m.heraldscotland.com/sport/13944277.Spiers_on_Sport__The_truth_hurts__but_not_as_much_as_the_damage_done/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigo 32,552 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 They'll all be at it. I hear Jim Spence is playing the wide boy on Twitter too? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperPapac05 3,383 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Hope 50,000 Bears start chucking tomatoes at that cunt the next time he slithers into our Stadium. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuckthespl 2,505 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I have never seen this before what's that all about?In this context I have never forgotten what one prominent Rangers fan in the media said to me four years ago: The entire world knows that Rangers have been at it with EBTs but getting lawyers to prove it will be another matter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtuoso 27,180 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 They'll all be at it. I hear Jim Spence is playing the wide boy on Twitter too?Aye, noticed the gloating cunt earlier on Twitter when the anouncement was made: Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K.A.I 36,183 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 It really is time for the likes of King and Murray to do something and release a statement of intent towards the BBC again and the Scottish media in general.I hope all the died-in-the-wool YES voters and Tartan Army foot soldiers on here and in the Rangers support watch the coming weeks events very, very closely too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtuoso 27,180 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Hope 50,000 Bears start chucking bricks at that cunt the next time he slithers into our Stadium. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ritchieshearercaldow 22,213 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Don't you just love these Journos One judgement for HMRC and two judgements against HMRC and they just can't wait to write their shite about the posibility of losing titles.What would happen if there was another appeal and HMRC lost again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamie 4,849 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Fuck me they are all coming out from under their rocks. Wonder what the response would have been had the case went in our favour again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K.A.I 36,183 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Also where was all these responses when we won the first twice Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeIsBlue 66,614 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 And Spiers was allowed back into Ibrox why? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigo 32,552 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Next up will be good old 'nah, I'm just playing devil's advocate' Gerry sticking the boot in on RC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1mgg 3,766 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Will we appeal the appeal of the appeal? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K.A.I 36,183 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Will we appeal the appeal of the appeal?I could be wrong but I think that's upto BDO? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigo 32,552 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I could be wrong but I think that's upto BDO?Yip. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyinroyalblue 16,478 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Supporters of a club who covered up child abuse taking the moral high ground.Don't really have to add anymore to this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cushynumber 25,178 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 its amazing how many of these arseholes we have not heard from in months - nary a peep - then we have Spiers, English, Daly, Spence - to name just a few - sticking their heads up to have a gloating pop. Supposedly neutral reporters.I know its a bit of a cliche on here, but we should never forget what these cunts are about simply because they lapse into silence for a few months. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 It really is time for the likes of King and Murray to do something and release a statement of intent towards the BBC again and the Scottish media in general.I hope all the died-in-the-wool YES voters and Tartan Army foot soldiers on here and in the Rangers support watch the coming weeks events very, very closely too.Id prefer King and Rangers took nothing to do with DM Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,696 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Jim Spence is a "professional journalist" that is utterly embarrassing Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
centenarystand 2,227 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Aye, noticed the gloating cunt earlier on Twitter when the anouncement was made:Only in Scotland could such a bile ridden hate filled creature be employed as a journalist.Hate oozing out of him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SasaPapacLoyal 348 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Fuck jim spence. How that cunt has a job I'll never know. Completely unprofessional. Think it may be time to shut the bbc out for good Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyinroyalblue 16,478 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Jim Spence is a "professional journalist" that is utterly embarrassingHe cant hide his hatred for our club and the narrow minded nationalist bigot in him wont let him hide it either. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1872 20,862 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Aye, noticed the gloating cunt earlier on Twitter when the anouncement was made:They really do hate us, fucking hell. How sad is his life that he had a spring in his step because HMRC ruled against us? It's actually quite sad and pathetic tbh! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyinroyalblue 16,478 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Fuck jim spence. How that cunt has a job I'll never know. Completely unprofessional. Think it may be time to shut the bbc out for goodHe doesn't work for the BBC anymore,I think he's now the chief sports writer for the Beano. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,696 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 He cant hide his hatred for our club and the narrow minded nationalist bigot in him wont let him hide it either.I wouldn't care so much but surely the point in the media is too be impartial and fair? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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