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How side contracts help decide trophies

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SPL Celtic news‘But they won them on the pitch’ is about the strongest argument being put up by those attempting to defend the use of side contracts, closely followed by explaining that nothing has yet been proved.

There are two very obvious recent transfer sagas that prove why it is wrong to reward teams/supporters/players/directors of clubs who operated outwith the rules that apply to their competitors.

In January 2009 Celtic were very keen on signing Steven Fletcher from Hibs. An initial bid of £1.5m was turned down, Celtic increased the bid but as the transfer window closed they hadn’t matched Hibs valuation of the striker.

Celtic lost the 2009 SPL title to Rangers.

In July 2010 Rangers were very keen on signing Nicika Jelavic from Rapid Vienna. The Austrian club quickly dismissed a bid of £2m, eventually a deal was done for a fee reported to be in the region of £4m. Rapid haven’t received the full transfer fee and were included in the list of creditors owed money when Rangers were into administration in February.

Rangers won the 2011 SPL title with Jelavic scoring 16 goals.

Without going into the gory details it seems very obvious that operating side contracts gives you an advantage on the football pitch.

Perhaps if Celtic had been operating an EBT scheme for most players they would have been able to go the extra mile to buy Fletcher. He could have helped Gordon Strachan win the league or broke his leg in a training session, we’ll never know.

Perhaps if Rangers had been offering players salaries that they could afford they’d not have picked up the £30m they received from UEFA for playing in the 2009 and 2010 Champions League? Without that money it’s highly unlikely that they’d have been able to bid for Jelavic never mind sign the player then default on the payments to Rapid.

How much blame the Scottish footbal authorities must shoulder is another question. Did anyone question the figures declared on the contracts submitted for high profile players?

Some of the defences put up so far have been laughable, especially from former Rangers chairman Al Johnston.

Despite being listed as a company director Johnston likes to hide behind the excuse that David Murray looked after everything. As he demonstrated with his opposition to the sale of shares to Craig Whyte Johnston was capable of speaking up for thousands of minority shareholders when it suited him.

As a company director it was his duty to understand the company accounts and how ‘discretionary’ EBT payments were being made and recorded.

Johnston recently suggested that there was no financial doping involved in the issue as Murray would simply have increased the club debt to bring in the players that benefitted from EBT payments.

Unfortunately the transfer of the Rangers account from the friendly Bank of Scotland initially to Halifax then onto Lloyds TSB meant that the old favourable overdraft terms were no longer available.

Just like Celtic, Rangers would have to live within their means and the terms of their overdraft- or find an alternative means of paying employees.

As everyone knows players no longer play for the jersey. Gary Hooper, Joe Ledley and Kris Commons certainly give the impression of enjoying playing for Celtic but it was the contract on offer that brought them to Glasgow- very little else.

Dado Prso, Nacho Novo and Alex Rae may love Rangers to bits but if the right money wasn’t on the table they wouldn’t have signed for the club and played their part in trophy successes.

Very soon Lord Nimmo Smith will give his judgement on the dual contracts issue, probably after the verdict is given on how EBT’s were operated.

There’s no need for dramatic title stripping, registration failures should be treated in the same way that the SFA often discipline clubs who field ineligible players in the Scottish Cup.

In January 2011 East Stirling were thrown out of the Scottish Cup with the SFA explaining: “Following a breach of Cup Competition rule 39.1b, East Stirlingshire have been expelled from the Scottish Cup competition.

“The club were found to have fielded an ineligible player, Michael Andrews. The club will also lose any fourth round sponsorship monies owed.”

Two months earlier Spartans suffered a similar fate and missed out on a lucrative home tie with Partick Thistle.

The SFA stated: “Spartans FC have been expelled from the William Hill Scottish Cup competition.

In addition, the club have received a fine to the value of their bonus payment for the second round of the competition (£4000), suspended for 12 months.”

Lord Nimmo Smith’s commission won’t involve Neil Doncaster or Stewart Regan which should rule out any back street lobbying.

Once they have passed judgement on Rangers they should turn their attention to any failure from the SFA to administer their licensing procedures- before UEFA and FIFA step in.

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0 comments

  • Dhougal says:

    Well put Joe …..if they dont understand that explanation of the scenario ,they never will .Jimmy Saville s exposé in the rags as being a child abuser has been jumped on by them in The bears den .What made Saville do it ? …………..”He’s a Catholic ,whit dae ye expect” , they have deduced .They really are a disgusting bunch over Govan way .The quicker they shut down the better ,cmon agent Green put out the lights and close the doors on your way out byebye yeez wont be missed!!!!!!!!

  • Guillermo says:

    Well said, Joe. The MSM are an absolute disgrace. We had that drivel from Sevco PR dept typist, James Traynor, a few weeks ago attempting to liken Celtic’s totally transparent Juninho contract with the shenanigans that went on over at Ibrox. I don’t believe for a second that he, or indeed any of Murray’s apologists, doesn’t understand it. No one is that thick. Mmmmm, then again.

    It would be interesting to know if he describes himself a journalist on his tax returns. Now there’s something that should need explaining.

    A conflict of interests is cited by the MSM regarding a law firm which has done work for both Celtic and an official body investigating the Rangers scam. Yet not one of these newshounds thinks to sniff around Campbell Ogilvie.

    Pathetic.

    • StandAndDeliver says:

      Traynor is the biggest weasel of the lot, talking as if it was a minor problem with a bit of paperwork! Embarrassment to journalism.

  • paranoidandroid says:

    Playing players you can’t afford to pay, legally, is cheating; playing players whose contracts you haven’t fully registered with the SPL or SFA is cheating; so somebody hurry up and punish the dodgy, underhand, cheating ratbags.

  • Buffythecat says:

    The Daily Rectum and the bbc are colluding like hell to try and belittle the SPL since their beloved Sevco are no longer there. They are trying hard to rubbish the fact that Celtic are top of the league and that they will soon be out of sight as there is no real challenger to stop them. A challenger like…sevco perhaps. They just cannot accept that rangers are dead and are not coming back.

    After the EBT decision and the BDO are finished with the cheats and when Green decides that he’s had enough of pretending to care they (Sevco) will be lucky if they are still around to howl at the moon never mind win anything.

    The book ‘Downfall’ is a must for anyone who like their facts cold and their villains roasted…brilliant!

  • williebhoy says:

    I think the MSM had better prepare themselves for the worst….When NOT if The Rangers / Sevco or whatever they want to call themselves go under what line will they try to peddle to the non-believers.

    Green is already feeling the pressure, as expected with no credit available. A flop fund-raising trip to America now a laughable tell them what they want to hear trip to Northern Ireland.

    The truth is about to hit BIG TIME – stripping titles is the least of the problems they will face, all their lies will be laid out and I expect those responsible to start blaming everyone & anyone but themselves of course.

    Five star failures – Green / Imran are taking them all for fools. They deserve all that’s coming for being so stupid. Hope Celtic continue to push ahead with our own plans, the time has never been better.

  • Stevie says:

    Who don’t want stripping of titles we’ve had ex players both Celtic and Oldco and the sycophantic media anyone ever think of asking the fans the people that actually pay for the game.

    I would suggest the ex Celtic players don’t want stripping of titles for one simple reason they don’t want to become targets.

    Lets not be blinded by the fact that title stripping will just be a consequence not a
    punishment.

    Old Chucky Green is playing a blinder he’s saying you can’t have our titles fully aware of the fact the SFA will have no choice but to remove them, that way he’s hoping not to receive any further punishments.

    Now if Chucky hadn’t taken the history and accounts of the oldco Sevco couldn’t play football.
    So as a consegence of taking the history and accounts of oldco he’ll have to accept the punishments of the oldco.

    There is no value in winning whilst cheating or gaining an unfair advantage what benefit does that do you or your club.

    The only way I can see Sevco being able to gain any pride or respect is to accept any punishments and show remorse regret and apologise and hope over time football authorities forgive there transgressions .
    Or forever be known as cheats I know what I would prefer if it was my club.

  • Blue nose says:

    HAHAHAHA thats a very big laugh. Our team was the worst in years and u cudnt take us down for 3 years in arow might i add. Its kwl tho cuz this morning afew things got put straight ovr the EBTS is that the only reason why this post has been made?????I THINK IT IS. For you parkhead lads…..or lego land 3star stadium fans who are probly scratching there woundering wtf im on about……. well sorry to bust up ur party but there will b no tittles stripped…… 54 AND COUNTING 44 and struggling JEALOUS BASTARDS HAHAHAHA

    • Stevie says:

      We’ll see Blue Nose you must be very worried, Mr Whyte fooled you, Mr Minty well he was just duped twice, once by a porn distributer and again by Mr Whyte.
      Now why would Mr Green have an interest in a bigoted institution like Sevco ?
      I believe our Country will soon be cleansed of the shame that its been hiding for years.

    • Flamebhoy8 says:

      Blue nose…..sssssshhhhhh. Ur Embaressing urself.
      ALLY MUST STAY

  • sands1888 says:

    Well educated you eh? Fanny

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