79 days and nothing received

[scottish]

SPL statemement issued just hours before tonight's BBC programme:My emphasis in bold.

"The investigation into the EBT payments made by Rangers FC is being actively pursued on behalf of the SPL. All relevant documents, materials and information have been sought from Rangers FC and we look forward to receiving full co-operation from the club and its administrators in providing everything that it and they have access to and which is required for the investigation to be completed."

Rangers FC are surely taking the piss. This investigation was announced on March 5th, 79 days ago. The statement suggests that the information requested has yet to be sent to the SPL. Worse, there are no dates given as to when the info was originally requested and what, if any, communications there have been between the two parties since.

Until now I assumed the SPL were sitting on their findings, waiting for the big tax case to do the dirty work for them. But now it appears they are not even trying to implement their own inquiries. It is surely no coincidence this statement was issued just hours before the broadcast.

I'll repeat what I said in another post the other day. Leaving aside, all the EBTs, tax cases etc, etc, the SPL need to ask the Rangers administrators for a guarantee, backed by a bond, that Rangers can fulfil their fixtures next season. And in the lack of such a guarantee being forthcoming have no alternative but to terminate their membership and reverse Dunfermline's relegation.

[scottish]

I would have thought the BBC programme provided enough evidence to be going on with.

A few other observations on the EBTs.
Will Dodds, McCann & McLeish say anything about it next time they give us their 'unbiased' opinions on Rangers?
Will Mr Ogilvie be clearing his desk at Hampden in the morning as he should be?
We now have substantive proof that Craig Whyte actually paid more into Rangers than David Murray - a whole £1 more - and - so far - took out less.
Souness? Received his EBT ten years after leaving Rangers employment and a few weeks before buying a player from them. Is EBT a new-fangled acronym for bung?
The result of the big tax case is not quite as relevant as it once might have been. Even if it rules that Rangers EBTs were perfectly legal and above board, the question as far as the football authorities are concerned is whether Rangers broke the rules by issuing dual contracts or hidden payments. Time for Mr Doncaster to get his arse into gear or get on his bike.
Time for Michael Johnston to STFU or at least start talking about his own team and what's needed to bring back genuine fans.

On Dumb & Dumber.
Surprised at the furore over this when everyone knew from day one they were Whyte's preferred appointees and that David Grier had been involved in Craigy's takeover. The only new evidence here was Grier's prior knowledge of the Ticketus deal and that certainly complicates things. When their case against Collyer & Bristow eventually (if ever) gets to court, the first witness for the defence will be one of their colleagues.

They say they will take legal action against the BBC. Whyte said the same about the earlier programme. Don't hold your breath.

The two empty chairs was a TV classic.

Well done to Mark Daly and BBC Scotland also to the ever-persistent Rangerstaxcase which, ironically on the same night as the BBC programme, won the prestigious Orwell Prize for best blog.

[Sat31March1928]

iplayer

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Just watched the BBC programme; that`s quite phenominal. Not only are all concerned @ Ibrox shown in a very bad light but the Scottish football press(except, of course, the ever honourable Britney) come through as not fit for purpose. If you`ve ever listened to BBC Sportsound - Richard Gordon, "Chico", Traynor etc. do you recall any investigative comment or even one word of criticism of the FGR? Certainly, until it became unavoidable, the Daily McCoist should really have had a READY badge on its red top. Like the Greek/euro saga, this has dragged on for far too long without some decisive action. Are the SFA & SPL just going to let this drift until it`s too late for action before 2012-13 season starts and then hope it will all go away?

[scottish]

"ever honourable Britney?"

I'm not so sure. His statement that he believes David Murray was telling the truth when he said he was 'duped' by Whyte has to be up there with Chico's denial of Campbell Ogilvie's EBT and subsequent claim it was only worth a 'good night out' (95K), Jackson's "off the radar wealth" and Billy Dodds plain denial of ever being in receipt of an EBT.

I think on this occasion Spiers is duping himself.

[LEATHERSTOCKING]

Sorry, I was being sarcastic. Britney`s always an expert with 20/20 vision in hindsight. Why was he wearing a Rangers tie for his BBC interviews?

[scottish]

I forgot to add what is possibly the best of them all - Roger Hannah's claim that Craig Whyte paid Google to erase his history! To be fair there's actually been some good stuff from Tom English and Glenn Gibbons over the weekend. I find it incredible that Doncaster can give these clowns at Ibrox a further two weeks to submit information which they haven't so far and which the BBC managed to obtain quite easily. There are now the names of dozens of players out there who have received EBTs with Billy Dodds even admitting his was regarded as payment for playing services and not some loan scheme at all.

Now we have the crazy situation of the SPL claiming that even an unlicenced Rangers can be admitted back into the league and the meticulous decision-making of the SFA flung back in their faces with a resort to civil action which could yet see the whole of Scottish football suffer (as if we didn't suffer enough in the wee sma' hours of Sunday morning. So much for the 'improvement' Levein insists on seeing. Vogts or Burley would have been hunted after that. Anyway, I digress) if UEFA decides to take action against the SFA if they in turn don't take stronger action against Rangers.

Here's a club, punished by an independent panel. The punishment was upheld on appeal despite threats made to members of the original panel and the appeal body being forced to shed its anonymity. Now they want the Court of Session to strike the ban on registrations or at least place an interdict on it pending a hearing. If that happens the upshot will be that Rangers will be able to sign, for instance, Ian Black. Now, Hearts had to let Black go because they couldn't afford to keep him and one of the reasons they couldn't afford to keep him is that they know the balance of the Lee Wallace transfer fee owed to them by Rangers will never reach them. If Rangers win this one, not only is their cheating condoned, they are being given the go-ahead to carry on cheating.

[BMCCOLL]

It's clear that the SPL have their own agenda and it's time UEFA stepped in, as it's obvious Rangers are going to be railroaded back into the SPL whatever happens. And is it really plausible HMRC would accept 1p to the £ and then be in the obvious position of trying to justify others not being able to do the same. If this were to go through, every club in the land would do likewise. Why be lumbered paying your dues when all around are doing their damnedest to let you off.

From BBC...

"The Ibrox club have until Friday 15 June to provide documentation to the league or they could face sanctions. "The matter will be reviewed further at that time," said an SPL spokesperson" Ha ha, like what, give them even more time! The SPL are already to lying back and thinking of ...!

[scottish]

The June 15th thing is laughable. As today has proven this club doesn't give a flying feck about any other club in Scotland. IMHO there is only one thing the SPL should do tomorrow, remembering the niceties of the situation that they haven't (yet) found Rangers guilty of anything. They should do what the SFL did with both Livingston and Gretna in similar situations - still stuck in administration at the end of May - and demand assurances that Rangers can complete their fixtures next season along with a sizeable bond which can be repaid upon completion of said fixtures. If Dumb & Dumber, Charles Green and his 20-person, sorry make that two - consortium can't deliver then, in the absence of any method of relegation, they have to be thrown out. A successor club can then apply for the vacancy in the 3rd division which will occur as a result of one club moving up through the divisions.

[BMCCOLL]

Agreed. What struck me with the Appeal verdict was that the SFA were to pay Rangers' expenses! I understand FIFA are now watching this situation very closely; I hope the SFA stand firm (I'm not holding my breath, though), as this will take on an international aspect, at both club and country level, if Rangers are able to trample all over the ruling body. Will the other SPL clubs be willing to forego European football just so they can get the 'GERRRRSSS to visit once or twice a year and bring their thousand or so fans with them?