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Celtic Diary Tuesday July 17: Compliance Report ; Dodginess Abounds

Those of you with longer memories may recall an investigation into the granting of a UEFA licence to Rangers. It was announced last month.

Its taking a while to reach its conclusions, isn’t it ?

Perhaps they are just struggling with the final draft.

Perhaps they are looking for the correct response and the correct punishment.

Perhaps they are hoping we’d all forgotten about it, and we were prepared to move on.

The investigation has been given evidence to the effect that in March 2011 Rangers had a crystallised bill to the tax man which they had neither paid nor arranged to pay.

The investigation tried to discount this period as it would have meant they would have had to, er , investigate. It may be that the delay is due to them now having to consider it, although it could equally be because they are trying to find an excuse they can throw out as to why they are not.

This tax bill meant that they were not entitled to play in Europe the following season.

In order to get the licence, somebody at Rangers lied to the SFA, or somebody at the SFA lied about being told the truth by Rangers, or, more likely, a few glasses were raised around a ceremonial goat and everyone present decided to deny everything if they were ever asked.

Lets face it, no one in the mainstream media was ever going to ask.

For now, a simple examination of the facts should lead to the conclusion that there were wrongdoings.

That needs to be made public.

Ronald de Boer and Tore Andre Flo were paid with a fistful of fivers , and there was tax due on those payments. That was from  2000 onwards. Thats the bill that had crystallised and is the overdue payable in 2011.

I’d be inclined to believe that this part of the investigation, described by one proper journalist as a slam dunk, is not in question.

What could be causing the delay then ?

In July 2015, Res 12 lawyers wrote to the SFA.

This is the important bit…

 More seriously, our clients cannot understand how Rangers could have fully complied to the letter of the following applicable rules:

 

•           Article 13.3. General Responsibilities of Licensing Applicant To promptly notify the SFA of any event occurring after the submission of the licensing documentation to the SFA representing a significant change to the information previously submitted.

 

•           Article 56 (b)  Responsibilities of the licensee which required Rangers to provide the SFA and UEFA with all the necessary information including any documents requested to fully demonstrate that monitoring requirements were being fulfilled.

 

•           Article 56 (c) to have promptly informed the SFA of the arrival of the 20th May Determinations and that these determinations were a significant change to the previous submission under Article 50, which justified granting the licence in the first place.”  

Someone has, er, not fully complied with the rules, and the nature of the ongoing investigation should be to determine who.

first, it seems, we must establish that there were wrongdoings, and that does seem to be taking a while.

One would like to think that it is a serious investigation, trying to uncover exactly who is to blame, and what their motives were.

One is drawn to the thought that they are merely looking for someone to blame, however, and to protect those who really were up to no good.

We have heard tales of threats made to current and former SFA men, some involved and some not involved with this issue,which under normal circumstances we would dismiss as being the product of a fertile imagination, perhaps a result of watching too many Robert de Niro films, but they won’t go away.

Subverting the judicial process is quite serious, and one hopes that these tales are just that. Tales.

Here’s what one chap had to say on the possibility that it was “rangers ” who asked the compliance Officer to , well, adjust the dates being investigated, so as to exclude the dates that need investigating..

In fact it was his activity that led me to believe he was behind the reasoning that RFC gave Comp Off to exclude end March 2011 from investigation.

The statement saying accusations were groundless came too quick for it not to have been in the offing for a while. Our case wasn’t dependent on technicalities but quite happy  to try and frame it that way.

Our case was based on porkies first in June and Sept but since 2016 on March too. We told SFA in July 2015 when liability accepted but they ignored.

The CW trial made that impossible.

However the fix was in to dump it all on CW to save Johnston and Dickson but then something else came to light

The meeting where liability was accepted of 21 March 11 was minuted by HMRC and the week after the charges were placed on 15 May 

Game changer as it points to the proof that was provided to obtain the licence was false.

SFA were told a lie by RFC and if the story they gave Comp Off was not that truth then they are in deeper shit for subverting the Judicial Process.

Quite a few folk have the evidence including CSA and CST and Celtic.

They should have passed Res12 in 2013

 The waters get murkier and murkier.

Could this be why the report is being delayed ?

Or are there exterior forces at play, with their own interests too great for them to ignore this investigation. Perhapos they wish now to distance themselves from what is threatening to be the biggest sporting scandal in British -or indeed world -history finally being allowed into the public domain ?

If, in fact, it is being delayed.

The Compliance Officer, for now, at least, works for the SFA.

He’s investigating the SFA.

Could this be why the report is being delayed ?

It’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it ?

The investigation, as we have seen, cannot conclude other than there were one or two backs scratched and knobs fiddled with for Rangers to get that licence.

Apart from anything else, if it had concluded otherwise, , we’d have heard about it by now.

And doubtless told to move on..

thumb image

The juggling of the dates suggest that the CO has been advised which bits to investigate, but there has been further contact with him outlining why he shouldn’t juggle the dates.

A bit like when Nimmo Smith was instructed as to what he should investigate, and thus allowing him to come up with his own interpretation of events.

Only this time, the horse has been caught before it had a chance to bolt, and there can be no excuse of ignorance.

Could this be why the report is being delayed ?

They’re looking only at the bits that mean they can do a “Nimmosmith ” and pretend nothing happened ?

If the conclusion is that wrong doings took place, then it naturally follows that there must be another investigation to find out who did what, when and why.

Thats the bit where jobs are lost, possibly even prison time is served, and the SFA can be reformed.

Is that why the report is being delayed ?

Or is it because after that particular investigation, there must then follow a period of punishment for the club that benefited from all of their novel and refreshing financial arrangements, perhaps with the full knowledge and indeed collusion of the authorities.

Until this report is released, there can be no movement towards a full and proper investigation, and whilst one can either praise the CO for taking his time and getting it right, suspicion is that the delay is deliberate and a desire to find a scapegoat who can be thrown under a bus while everyone else continues on their journey.

And the next investigation has to come from outwith the SFA, not only because it needs to be independent, but because there is a feeling that this mess goes a lot deeper than just a few rigged football matches.

At the time of writing, there are no signs the report is about to be published.

At the time of writing, it appears that I’m the only one asking.

For now, anyway…

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The reaper
5 years ago

Windbag

charlie
5 years ago

great article ralph by the way its been a bastard trying tae get oan here the past week it keeps saying resource limit reached

Mike Annis
5 years ago

I’m getting the same Charlie. Got to try several routes. What’s wrong Ralph, not paid the leccy bill? Great article btw npbut being a believer in the theory that villains always win Inthink noth8ng will .happen. No one except for a few Celtic groups seems to care and that included our own Board and Chairman.

Paul
5 years ago

Surely the SFA investigating the SFA is a conflict of interest.

There for an independent inquiry is called for, and all involved at Celtic should not let anything less than that happen.

This could be what we’ve been shouting for and for some considerable time for a complete shake up at the SFA as at the moment they are rotten to the core.

CarlJungleBhoy
5 years ago

Excellent summary, Ralph!. We remain hopeful that one day persistence will eventually beat resistance…. but we won’t hold our breath.

As for that resource limit reached thing.. I’ve a feeling some might not have the resistance to persist, so tell that team of hundreds of IT E-Tims geeks you have working feverishly overnight somewhere in an dark attic in Bangalore, to stop looking at porn and get the effing finger oot! 🙁 🙂

raymobhoy
5 years ago

It definitely seems that they are spending time trying hard to come out with an answer that they think will cover all their arses. A whitewash in other words.

Does anyone know what is happening to all the recipients of EBTs? Have they not all been told they have to pay the money back?

The Cha
5 years ago

“Apart from anything else, if it had concluded otherwise, , we’d have heard about it by now.”

Are you sure about that, as the longer this takes the more people become disinterested and, if a long drawn out “nothing to see here” is issued when apathy is at fever pitch, then job done (for them)?

CST = Celtic Trust?

Auldheid
5 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

This is still a live issue on Celtic’s AGM agenda.

It would be a shame if it dragged on until October/November and nothing was heard enabling Celtic PLC Directors to explain their position to shareholders. It is not in their best interests to do say or nothing especially with wider support from officially recognised Celtic supporter groups like the CSA and CST.

The whole exercise has been characterised by hunger and bursts, but until there is an acceptable explanation given by SFA it will not go away which is what Celtic have told the SFA, precisely because Directors are accountable to shareholders and SFA are accountable to Celtic as a member club.

Making the SFA realise they are accountable to the paying supporter/shareholder is one of the objectives of Res12 along with SFA reform Once the UEFA Licence issue is dealt with, then a barrier to reform, TRFC/RIFC antagonism, will be removed. Indeed the latter might finally recognise the part the SFA played in their downfall by failing to govern properly.

Mike
5 years ago

Its been a long and trusting road, by that I mean the Celtic supporters putting their trust, absolute trust into the Res.twelvers and all of those pursuing truth and justice on all our behalf.
Sometimes it is a dusty road, when the dust obscured the rules and the regulations of Res.12 making it difficult to follow the facts.
Sometimes it was a mountainous road with peaks and troughs, the highs of hopeful expectations. The trough’s of further obstacles placed on the road to truth and justice.
But the reality is that its a straight road, because there is only a beginning and only one truth, no bends, just follow the straight road for truth, justice follows the truth.
Great article, please keep up your journey for truth and justice.

Mike
5 years ago

Fuck me, that’s poetic, who did I steal that from, don’t remember, don’t care, couldny give a fuck.
Oldco, Under Sir Minty, cheats, liars, truth deflectors, bankrupt.
Newco, Under Sir Sqinty, cheats, liars, truth deflectors, bankruptcy approaching.
The SFA, Under Sir Numpty, cheats, liars, truth deflectors. The sorry saga of recent Scottish football, can it, will it, ever recover or will it dissolve itself like aerial pods under the mountain of lies and cheating, Father don’t forgive them, because they know exactly what they do,

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Funny you should say that, watched a prog. on the tv last night about the origins and the growth of Belfast through Victorian times, the linen migration from the countryside into the town, river channel dug, big ships being built, Victorian houses, in the background you could hear a wee blonde woman shouting down the street to this handsome, thinning cough hair fella “Get your arse hame, come out the pub, don’t go near the bookies yer teas oot” he wore a linean Irish kilt and I wondered……

5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Yeah you have us the Titanic. Not a bad effort

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

to the likes of Glasgow Celtic

? bizarre comment

first we are not Glasgow celtic we are celtic and everyone knows where we come from. and second, there is nothing else quite like celtic.

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

the arse end of nowhere

Cliftonville?

Cartvale88
5 years ago

Totally agree Ralph, but the issue hear is the hatred for all things Irish/RC.
There is no motivation to get to the truth by the so called great and the good.
If this had been Iceland (the country) quite a few characters would have been in the pokey, we might have even qualified for the World Cup given that enlightened small countries attitude.
We reside in a Biggoted hateful little country, that has never grown up. Just look at the crap about the OO, or Show the Red Card to Racism wetting itself about an allegation so old it smells by an Aberdeen player, however let’s ignore the monkey gestures towards Sinclair.
This country is rotten to the core and gnashing of teeth will not
change anything.

canamalar
5 years ago

The Res12 originator is currently considering the decision on whether the following organisation get the report regardless of the SFA’s result, it has always been the choice of last resort but now it is being considered a moral imperative regardless of the result, however awaiting the SFA’s result is intriguing and worth following.

https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice-and-support/fraud-and-economic-crime/nfib/Pages/default.aspx

Devoy45
5 years ago

Thanks for all the hard work Ralph. There are plenty of bigoted people in this small country of ours but like the auld Fenian Davitt said: “Let there be justice though the heavens fall.” Justice will prevail.
Keep up the good journalism son.
Cartavale 88. I know a lot of people in Scotland who aren’t Celtic supporters, aren’t Catholic and aren’t of Irish descent but they are not bigots nor do they hate us or our background or religion. But like you say some people have not grown up but we shouldn’t let them win. Rotten to the core? I thought WE were the core!

BJF
5 years ago

Charlie and Mike Annis I have been getting this ( Resource Limit reached) also for a few weeks. Can be a bit of a drag keeping going in but confess a few times I chucked it, life’s too short!
Well done all those holding onto the Resolution struggle.

5 years ago

Got to cc keys for tomorrow quite comforting knowing I’ll see a victory hope to see more challenging games in the next few weeks. Excited to be getting to paradise though.

5 years ago

Tickets not cc keys

BJF
5 years ago

A post went into the ETims ether but said “ Charlie and Mike Annis I keep getting Resource Limited reached too. Eventually I sometimes get in, sometimes I just give up, life’s too short.”
Well hung in Resolution 12 guys.

Charlienich
5 years ago

I’m also having trouble with the site and have to log on late at night/early morning, is your growing popularity causing this?

FredDDobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Charlienich

google archive policy. You can probably just switch it on.

Mike
5 years ago

Since liquidation we have learned how the SFA/SPL have tied itself in knots, keeping secret agreements, cosy dinners, collusion between office bearer’s and directors of Sevco, always giving them a helping hand. They cock-a-snoop at Celtic, they have lied, deflected and bent the truth. Office bearers of the SFA have gone on to work for UEFA, we still don’t know for certain if our own board assisted to help keep some of the truth hidden, after all they initially remained silent until Res’12 was brought to their attention. One thing we do know is that they called for this enquiry. The dates being changed of the investigation is a sure thing that they wish that certain things are not properly investigated.
Some positives is that one of the cosy set up (Regan) is gone and a new face (Maxwell) is at the helm, untainted by the past, although most of the players of the SFA and Sevco are still in situ. The Celtic board are answerable to the shareholders and can use that reason to pursue the truth. The C.T. and the CSA are on board, but the biggest positive is that the evidence cannot be denied, its been proven in a court of law. Maxwell and the C.O. know this, so the ball is in their court, they must know that if they try to deflect the evidence then they will be found out and that will put more pressure on them, why would you risk their own integrity, they are between a rock and a hard place, they know it, we know it.

Monti
5 years ago

Just watching a bit of porn this morning before heading to work….
Not much of a story to these films tho……

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Weered,
I like stories……that’s why Charlie Saiz is entertaining.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

….and today!

5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti I know a girl who watches every porn film to the end to see if the couple get married. She’s a romantic you see

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Iancelt67

Iancelt?
She must be from Dundee 🙂

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Iancelt67

🙂

Monti
5 years ago

Nah, the hold up is this, they do not give a fuck, they are laughing at Celtic & all the other clubs!

What we should be doing as a support is what are WE going to do when they tell us to fuck off!

I’ll say it again, starting this season, Celtic supporters should not purchase a single away ticket for league & cup matches.

The time is now, grasp it!

jimmybee
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti i pulled put of the Home cup ticket scheme that was my way of protesting. Sadly too many run to hampden on the big occassion it will never happen sadly that Celtic fans take the ultimate sacrifice and stay away from hampden or any other ground including Celtic park on Scottish cup day.

Mike
5 years ago

His name was Johnny Thomson, no longer will we watch him from the stands of Celtic park, our own darling Johnny.
The Prince of goalkeepers. RIP to him and the legends of Glasgow Celtic who have passed but their legacy will live forever.

Celtic Symphony
5 years ago

Excellent article,Ralph.
You’ve nailed the corruption that took place between both the establishment club and the SFA.
Reading between the lines.both parties are culpable of this deceit.
Keep up the great work !
Nail the bastards !

Mike
5 years ago

And good luck to the bould bhoys tonight in their quest to take us to the Champions League, Hosanna Hosanna and tell Lawwell to get his finger out and bring in some new signings the support deserve it…

Mike
5 years ago

Nothing will shut them up and make their faces trip more than Celtic winning winning winning and being more and more successful, blow them out the water, get into the qualifiers, make more and more money from continued Celtic success reaching 10 INAR.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

What happened to title stripping? Are we no bothering with that now?
Are we just moving on?

Where are the new signings?

Those lights look ok tho…….

” World class in everything we do ”

Lol lol

Wisnae me
5 years ago

Punish the club? The club’s dead. Sure, we could have a Cadaver Synod (they’d love that ) but it wouldn’t affect anything today.

Saw the “highlights” of the ’99 game where Dallas sent off Mahe for getting fouled twice then gave a penalty because he got hit in the head with a coin. Holy shit the bias is blatant.

BroxburnBhoy
5 years ago
Reply to  Wisnae me

Yes I think they signed it without reference to the other clubs. I believe the other clubs or at least enough of them would have objected to it. I also believe that since it has been proven and stated openly by none other than the current Scotland manager that they did EBTs to gain a sporting advantage, then title stripping and correcting the record is a must. He voiced openly the reason they indulged in this unlawful scheme. The record needs to be set straight for sporting integrity. To have a club found guilty in the UK Supreme Court of an unlawful employment scheme designed to gain a advantage, since confirmed by several of those involved, on the field has to be addressed

Monti
5 years ago

Anyone interested in golf on here?
Just been having a bit of Craic at work with your man Colin Montgomerie…..
Seemed a nice chap!

Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Ask him to put your balls through the ball cleaner machine and gie yer heed a polish.. FORE.

Monti
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

🙂

Mike
5 years ago
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