SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan claims that he is bored by the on-going Rangers tax case!
The final sitting of the First Tier Tribunal is in Edinburgh today with the outcome of the case having far reaching consequences for every area of professional football in the country.
A decision against Rangers could force the club into administration or even liquidation with immediate consequences for the entire footballing business.
Despite the seriousness of the matter Regan last night tweeted: “@rangerstaxcase Yawn. Anyone got another record we can listen to? #sameold” quickly followed by: “Having spent weeks answering the same questions and the answers not being accepted it becomes a little tedious.”
The dangers of social media, and twitter in particular, have been well demonstrated in recent weeks with Regan one of the few Scottish football officials that engages in twitter.
As well as the issue of the First Tier Tribunal Rangers also face sanctions from the SFA over Craig Whyte serving a seven year ban from being a director as well as questions over unpaid tax when they were given a licence to play in European football for this season.
Despite buying out Sir David Murray’s 83% stake in Rangers for £1 in May of last year it took a BBC documentary in October to reveal that Whyte had served a seven year disqualification as a company director.
Whyte spend six months completing due dilligence for his takeover during which a smaller tax bill of £2.8m came to light with UEFA licensing requirements insisting that clubs can only compete in their competitions if there are no unpaid tax liabilities.
The issue of Whyte’s disqualification wasn’t disclosed to the PLUS market that deals with Rangers shares with SFA rules preventing anyone banned from being a company director having an involvement in football for five years after the ban is completed.
Any adverse verdict against Rangers at the tax tribunal will have devastating consequences for Scottish football but despite the seriousness of the matter Regan happily trivialised the issue as he jetted off to Russia with SFA President Campbell Ogilvie.
One supporter asked Regan: “@StewartRegan Your contempt for fans who feel that some matters are being ignored is appalling. Why not maintain a dignified silence? “
Which brought the reply of: “@rangerstaxcase Yawn. Anyone got another record we can listen to? #sameold.”
Another fan replied with: “Is it not better to say nothing at all than something unpleasant? Really shocked!”
Those remarks really seemed to upset the SFA’s CE who responded with: “ To be fair, I have been asked the same questions for weeks, have answered them but my responses not accepted.”
Regan added: “Having spent weeks answering the same questions and the answers not being accepted it becomes a little tedious.”
On the issue of the UEFA licence Regan tweeted: “Statement says they did not know where liabilities sat. New owner was in same position and bills were challenged.”
Rangers accepted the amount of the smaller tax case which Whyte’s diligence brought to light but challenged the interest and penalty applied by HMRC.
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Regan is correct. It is tedious. Been hearing about it for the past however many years and well even if there’s a finding for HMRC, it’ll drag on for another few months while Tims and Huns froth at the mouth over the prospect of possibilities.
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it.
If you don’t want to talk about that’s fine.
Don’t forget this is the biggest story to hit Scottish football possibly ever.
If Regan wants to put this story to bed make a full statement on Rangers tax situation, but for some reason he doesn’t want too.
Very strange.
Tedious? The biggest story relating to football in my lifetime. Lying and cheating with players contracts to win championships an gain CL money.
A cover up by the SFA and SPL over Euro licences probably going back years. The msm only in the last few months telling the truth.
Well, I say truth I mean small bits of truth. The biggest story relating to football in my lifetime, maybe not.
That would have to be, all the above mentioned not having anything to say about the secterain signing policy by the club who will shortly have no name.
I bet that was tedious also.
HH
Just so you know, it’s just creepy.
Tedius my back-end. I’m lovin’ every minute of it.
In Fact it’s: ‘Lipsmackin’ thirstquenchin’ acetastin’ motivatin’ goodbuzzin’ cooltalkin’ highwalkin’ fastlivin’ evergivin’ coolfizzin…TAX CASE.
Don’t blame Regan at all. It would drive me nuts if people (mostly excited celtic fans) kept asking the same question to which there is no answer until it goes through the courts. As a celtic fan myself I was all excited when this came to head but it’s just dragging out and to be honest I don’t care anymore. Beat them by points, not points deducted.
Shane
Agree beat them by points best way.
Don’t forget there’s two tax issues one has been settled by HMRC through the removal of funds from rangers bank account by the court, this is where the grey area is.
Don’t let Regan or rangers fool into thinking its the big tax case which at this moment is being disputed.
I’m not so sure there is a grey area actually. The issue is that they are trying to create one to preserve Rangers. Only an idiot would seriously hope Rangers go down because like it or not, this would have massive repurcussions to an already unstable SFA and SPL.
What we have today is a couple of organisations who are sweating over the possibility of one of their own, though disastrous management, in very serious financial trouble, with a real potential to leave them all devastated and their beloved Rangers cease to exist.
Since Gordon Strachans last season at Celtic, the SFA and SPL have done everything they could to help Rangers by making sure the bigger prize of Champions League football was there for financial reasons, and of course, personal gain for many on the respective boards.
Let’s not mince the facts here. The SFA and SPL are corrupt, every bit as corrupt as Rangers have been over the last few years. Don’t try to convince me that they never turned a blind eye to the problems Rangers have been facing.
They have not only been aware, they have been helping them get out of the mire. Sure, they should be punished by the powers that be in Scotland, but they won’t be. If they turn blind eyes to the on-field discipline and managerial rants where all other teams are slammed, especially ours, do you really think they will punish them for the corruption they have been allowed to hide all these years? I think not.
The problems are not only that of Rangers. The establishment is a well connected force and we have to live within it! Only problem is that we have a set of rules very different to the rest.
Excellent post JoeG…sums it up neatly…
I must be one of those idiots then up to ten years of my season ticket money playing against a stacked deck.
Let them continue lets we’ll pay for it with our season ticket money.
Forget how long it’s been going on….
For the Head of the game in Scotland to come out with a series of quotes like that is disgraceful.
A diplomatic response or a no comment would be miles better than this.
His attitude borders on contempt for a potentially catastrophic situation in Scottish football.
So much for a new broom sweeping clean….
Joke.
In the interests of fairness, and not wishing to seem like we are just as bad the MSM, I would like to point out that the quotes referred to were made by myself and the order in which they were stated are out of sync.
My first comment: “@StewartRegan Your contempt for fans who feel that some matters are being ignored is appalling. Why not maintain a dignified silence? “
actually followed his statement: “@rangerstaxcase Yawn. Anyone got another record we can listen to? #sameold.”
I then followed with the second statement, to which Mr Regan replied:
“ To be fair, I have been asked the same questions for weeks, have answered them but my responses not accepted.”
It in no way changes what he said and he has yet to detract his statement. However, I still feel an apology is owed to RTC and the other person tweeted to as it is unacceptable to speak to the member fans of the country whose association you run.
I received a second reply this morning:
“because there will be those who then say I do not engage with fans on the topics they wish to discuss #cannotwin”
I replied to him saying that whilst not wishing to appear indifferent you can win by maintaining the dignity of his role and that while I may disagree with his stance on such matters, I would never be so rude to someone and that if I was a member of the press constantly digging for answers and received his reply, he’d be torn to shreds. It’s no different speaking on twitter than speaking to the camera!
I await his reply. As yet, I’ve had none.
Sorry to have taken up so much space but I felt it needed to be clarified.
Regan may be bored with this and hope the usual ‘do nothing’ will sweep it under the carpet but we wont stop in the pursuit of justice and equality.