As details emerged from the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday of the charges in the Ibrox Fraud Case the impact on those that have paid to watch Scottish football over the last four seasons began to emerge.
For now it is entirely possible that the six men, plus Imran Ahmad, could be found not guilty on all charges.
If however any of the charges are found to be correct anyone that has been involved in the three lower divisions over the last four seasons has lost out- a club with virtually no substance and funded by the proceeds of crime has enjoyed two promotions, a play off place, a place in the Ramsdens Cup Final and semi-final appearances in the League Cup and Scottish Cup.
Other members of the Scottish Football Association, funded through legitimate means, living within budget have lost out to a club that has no place in the game, a club playing with the most incredible advantages imaginable trying to pass off a fairy-tale about their romantic journey back to their rightful place!
Not only were the SFA duped into giving Charles Green a licence in July 2012 but given a chance to investigate and punish Sevco for the links between Green and Craig Whyte the governing body placed it’s faith in an internal whitewash carried out by Pinsent Masons in May 2013 that found no links between the two businessmen. Yesterday’s rap sheet suggests otherwise.
While the BBC and others froth over marquee signings from Accrington Stanley and the extent of the war-chest of a convicted criminal from South Africa, supporters up and down the country are watching competitions where there is not remotely played out on a level playing field.
This week Cowdenbeath are selling tickets for a Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox. What sort of side would Colin Nish be able to field if the Fife club had obtained a five star stadium and state-of-the-art training complex for £5.5m in 2012?
What sort of squad- and how much prize money would they have if they had benefited from a £21m share issue in 2012?
If when the Cowdenbeath fans board their buses back to Fife on Sunday with the memories of a four or five goal defeat bouncing about in their minds they can hold their head up high knowing that they are supporting an honest entity playing by the same rules as all but one of their fellow members of the SFA and SPFL.
While the trial gets underway it’s unlikely that anything will be done in public by the SFA and SPFL, behind the scenes Scottish football requires brave men to step into the boots of Turnbull Hutton and call things out for what they are.
If any of the main charges are proved the only option is to cancel the membership of the club from Ibrox, there is no compromise, £250,000 fine or signing embargo that matches the crimes against Scottish football.
The anger of supporters that have bought four lots of season tickets and two lots of shares can be directed elsewhere, Scottish football has indulged the ambitions of clubs from Ibrox for long enough. With a level of financial reality in the game there has been trophy success celebrated in Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth and Paisley- all fully merited an indeed overdue after the decade long EBT scam.
If there are no Turnbull Hutton’s out there in Scottish football the game is up. Virtually no supporters will be taking up Stewart Milne’s plea to move on and leave behind cheating that has screwed the game from at least 1998 to the present day.
The enormity of yesterday’s charge sheet once again proved that the speculation of the internet bampots was correct, and probably understated.
Those in power in the Scottish game have the chance now to plot a new future which can’t involve any of those involved in the Five Way Agreement of 2012.
Scottish football can either become a circus at the end of this trial or start afresh without a current member- earning the trust of supporters through genuine transparcency and accountability where all clubs operate on similar principals.
THE CHARGE SHEET, thanks to AllyJambo (5.40pm) of the Scottish Football Monitor
I’m unable to discuss any matters discussed in court today but here is a summary of the updated indictment, which is a public document.
CW – Whyte, GW – Withey, DG – Grier, DW – Whitehouse, PC – Paul Clark, CG – Green, IA Ahmad
Substance of the charges:
1. CW, GW, DG, DW, PC conspired to obtain funds by fraud from Jerome, Merchant and Ticketus to fund the fraudulent purchase of the club (offence was aggravated)
• CW & GW obtained £2,825,000 by fraud from the trustees of the Jerome Pension Fund
• CW & GW obtained £1,000,00 by fraud from Merchant Turnaround PLC
• CW, GW & DG made false representations to Rangers Independent committee about the funding of the purchase
• CW & GW obtained £24,337,094 by fraud from Ticketus
• CW & GW made false representations to the Takeover panel re the funding
• CW failed to disclose a disqualification as a director
• CW & GW made false representation to the PLUS stock exchange re CW’s disqualification
• CW, GW & DG made false representations to Murray Holdings Ltd re funding of the purchase and the future funding of the club including the wee tax case (£2,800,000) and an H&S liability (£1,700,000)
2. CW & GW contravened the proceeds of crime act using the £28,262,094 obtained by fraud when purchasing the club
3. DG, DW & PC failed to report suspicions of Money Laundering by CW & GW using “Financial Assistance” to purchase the club, contrary to the proceeds of crime act
4. CW, GW, DG, DW, PC did conspire together to act as in Charge 1
5. CW & GW breached the Companies Act by using the clubs own money to fund the acquisition (Financial Assistance”
6. CW & GW committed fraud by failing to disclose CW’s disqualification to the SFA
7. CW & DG committed fraud by falsely submitting invoices for £253,800 to Rangers which should have been submitted to Liberty Capital.
8. CW & DG committed fraud by falsely submitting invoices for £409,320 to Rangers which should have been submitted to Liberty Capital.
9. CW & DG committed fraud by falsely submitting invoices for £66,120 to Rangers which should have been submitted to Liberty Capital.
10. CW, GW, DG, DW & PC conspired to defraud creditors, including non-payment of taxes and while they ran the club in order to facilitate CW in buying back the club debt free, which was in breach of the Companies Act
11. DW & PC perverted the course of justice when stating to Lord Hodge that they were unaware of the Ticketus arrangements
12. CW, GW, DW, PC, CG & IA conspired to defraud creditors by purchasing the club’s business and assets significantly below market value.
• CW, DW & PC sought to put the club in administration• Caused the court to appoint DW & PC as administrators
• DW & PC falsely pretended to act in the interests of all creditors
• CG falsely presented himself as an independent purchaser
• DW & PC pretended that the purpose of administration was to get the best return for creditors
• CW acquired Sevco 5088 of which CG was appointed director• CG received £25,000 from CW to pay legal fees related to Sevco 5088
• CG paid the legal fees with the £25,000
• IA paid the administrators DW & PC £200,000 as an exclusivity fee
• DW & PC granted Sevco 5088 exclusivity to the exclusion of other prospective purchasers
• CW paid £137,000 into IA’s mother’s account as part payment of the exclusivity fee
• DW & PC completed a sale and purchase agreement with CG on behalf of both Sevco 5088 and Sevco Scotland for a price of £5,500,000, significantly below market value.
• DW & PC falsely advised creditors that SPL prize money was reflected in the consideration paid for the assets, but the sale and purchase agreement reflected a “nil” consideration
• Permitted the transfer of £291,823.10 from Rangers Youth Development to help fund the purchase of assets
13. CW, GW, DW, PC, CG & IA participated in a conspiracy to purchase the business and assets of the club depriving creditors of the rightful sums due to them and the material benefit going to themselves
14. CW and IA defrauded investors in Sevco 5088 and RIFC, acquiring money and shares by fraud and to increase the value of their shares in RIFC
• CW pretended he had no interest in Sevco 5088• Induced investors to put £5,500,000 into Sevco 5088
• CG caused the change of exclusivity from Sevco 5088 to Sevco Scotland without proper approval
• CG did appropriate the £5,500,000 invested in Sevco 5088 by fraud without the investors knowledge or agreement
• CG & IA allotted themselves 2,000,000 shares
• CG & IA changed the name of Sevco Scotland to The Rangers Football Club
• CG & IA appointed Cenkos as a nomad but failed to advise them of the source of funding through Sevco 5088
• CG & IA thereby raised £21,000,000 in the IPO by fraud
15. CW failed to provide police with mobile phone and laptop passwords, when requested, in breach of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act by police contrary to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
SCOTLAND’S SHAME …….WHAT A DISGRACE TO SCOTTISH FOOTBALL THIS LOT ARE AND SO UNFAIR ON THE REST OF THE CLUBS…………CHEATS.
Joe,
Scottish football has been shamed for the past 100 years by a club that would only sign players of only the Protestant Religion.
The latest episode began when the people decided not to pay their tax and the S.F.A. were complicit in alloying them to get away with it all, what else can you expect when they were run by the same People.
The Celtic Supporters have the opportunity to highlight all of this at the up coming League Cup semis. Grasp the Nettle, Boycott, or put up your banners, let the cheats know that you know and are not going to let them get away with it.
Personally i want them Liquidated for good and the complicit at the S.F.A. sacked.
Well done Joe! great article,as my auld Granny used too say “hell slap it intae thim” they deserve the shitstorm heading their way,awrabest!!
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL IS BROKEN AND CORRUPT!
From the SFA to the media outlets in Scotland, they are all in on it!
THERE WILL BE NO MOVING ON!
No surprise, but still drives you mad. If the club’s do nothing their grounds will be empty, a wouldn’t renew ma ST. It’s the only way for justice !
HH
What sticks in ma craw,is celtic have done little and said even less as regards to this debacle.
They should hang their heads in shame.
If these cheating parasites come up next season I will not renew ma book, after nearly 30 years man and boy!!.
Fuckit!!.
Use know and I know nothing’s going to come of this..We’re wasting our time..Me personally I won’t be back inside Celtic Pk..Peter Liwwell will just sit on his fat arse and hope this all goes away..And it will but without me..
Until this is all sorted I will never enter another Scottish football ground..And I’m 65 and Havnt missed a game since I was 10..Sorry but I’ve been ripped of enuf..
Well thats put the tin lid on that, I’m done with this game, the powers that be knew this was going on and laughed in our faces as the media convinced most that we were just paranoid, now they try and tell us its just a big misunderstanding, if they don’t do the right thing then I’m afraid the baws burst…justice for the sake of the old Corinthian spirit.
what else can you expect from a cheating bunch of ba****ds
Lawwell and Desmond have misread this situation big time, if they think Celtic fans are happy for this to just go away they are in for a shock. I really cannot fathom their attitude towards the huns and their own customers. If no punishment is dished out to the huns or the 3 stooges at the SFA, then this will kill the game in Scotland
My gut feeling about Celtic doing f**k all is we got something to hide?? DM land deals ect? The club a was brought up with has long since gone, not the fans who are salt of the earth,but the soul is no longer there, a won’t be back unless justice is done, am 53, spent thousands over the years, was looking forward to bringing my grandson to paradise,an ambition which will no longer take place.
Happy new year bhoys the Scottish FA are just the Rangers board in disguise keep hilighting what’s goin on that’s all we as Celtic fans can do let the banners fly high every chance u get don’t give up the truth will always come out in the end hail hail celebrate 100 years of Ireland’s freedom and welcome everybody to the republic of Glasgow afterall Glasgow voted yes
Great article Joe!! If the supporters of ALL clubs do not get justice then they should empty ALL grounds. As Jock Stein predicted ” if the grounds do not have supporters then we do not have a game!” If no justice is forthcoming then the time will have arrived. Justice is more important than a corrupt game. AMEN.
I, like Tam, will not be back to watch Celtic play against whatever it is that is playing out of Ibrox. The present Celtic board, and many Celtic supporters, cannot wait for them to be back so that the old days can begin again.
This is shameful because not only are they not Rangers any more, we are not Celtic any more. Celtic need to fight for justice. I have been going to Celtic Park for over 40 years but I will not be back if the club does not take a stand, the silence has been a disgrace.
Celtic must lead the charge to sweep the whole lot of them from office and clean the game up. I suspect that those in charge at Celtic and many who follow the club don’t want this they simply want the rotten ‘old firm’ back (please remember why it was called the old firm in the first place).
A collectivism of cronyism, short and sweet. Though within the public realm, thou would base on assumption that, public servant would be held liable. Though on definition scotland is ran as fuedal, and it’s the patricians above the plebeians, as roman law suggests. So ones suggestions must base that no public servant is liable as subject. Faith and belief in the system within scotland is diminished, as is based on a cartel system
Small correction: The SFA were not duped.