The SFA have finally decided to investigate Craig Whyte- nine months after he bought Rangers for £1!
With the Ibrox club in real danger of being liquidated Stewart Regan has decided to exercise the muscle of the SFA and investigate the goings on at Ibrox.
Whyte has today announced that he is taking a backseat as administrators attempt to find a rescue plan for the stricken club but the SFA should be under investigation for turning a blind eye to the goings on at Ibrox which is harming a number of member clubs.
Despite having an outstanding tax bill at March 31 last year the SFA allowed Rangers to enter the Champions League denying Celtic a possible £20m windfall and one other club the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League.
Dundee United, Dunfermline and Hearts are already out of pocket due to Whyte’s stewardship of Rangers with Inverness Caley Thistle unlikely to see anything of next weeks ticket money from visiting fans to the Tulloch Stadium.
The SFA have been unable to give Daniel Cousin clearance to play for Rangers against Kilmarnock and await complaints from Sweden and UEFA over the non payment of a development fee to GAIS for Mervan Celik.
Today however the SFA have finally announced its intentions to investigate matters with the launch of a full independent inquiry into the activities of Rangers.
Amazingly Stewart Regan of the SFA admits that they have been denied information from Whyte’s legal team as to whether the Rangers chairman meets the laughable fit and proper person test!
The statement on the SFA website reads: “The Scottish FA can today confirm its intention to conduct a full independent inquiry into the activities of Rangers FC and, specifically, a number of potential breaches of the Scottish FA’s Articles of Association.
“We are concerned by the developing situation at the club and the new information that has come to light since the appointment of the club administrators, Duff and Phelps. The chairman and his panel will be briefed by the chief executive, Stewart Regan, next week and will consult further with the administrators, Duff and Phelps, as part of their inquiry.
“We have been guaranteed full co-operation by Paul Clark, representing the company.
“The Scottish FA’s previous efforts in obtaining information relevant to the Fit and Proper Person requirement has been restricted by the club’s solicitors’ continued failure to share information in a timely or detailed manner.
“We now feel there is no option but to undertake an independent inquiry to establish the clear facts and to determine the extent of any possible rules breaches.”
Stewart Regan, Scottish FA chief executive: “Since we have been unable to receive any detailed information requested in relation to Article 10, we feel we have no option but to appoint an independent committee to investigate a number of concerns we have raised.
“We expect the investigation to be concluded as quickly as possible and will confirm the outcome in due course. We will be making no further comment on the investigation in the meantime.
“Finally, I would like to reiterate the need to learn the lessons from this unedifying episode. It is essential that we work together to improve the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the game in this country. This is a matter that the Scottish FA is already in discussions with the relevant league bodies to address.”
CLICK HERE for why the SFA should have investigated in June- the Rushden & Diamonds comparison
CLICK HERE for Police question for Rangers v Kilmarnock
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The problems will be that those appointed all have personal vested interests in the corrupt organisation we all know as Rangers F.C. The SFA will be very careful to uncover only the things which don’t also implicate them and trust me, that won’t leave too much!
We all know that at the end of the day, Regan, a genuine good person who wants to help the big picture and not the small one, is going to be bullied out of his desires to do the right thing and he will be overwhelmed.
Rangers were always going to be runners up this season, that was a given. But in light of their now publicly exposed corrupt methods for the past God knows how many years now, where would they really sit if the playing field had ever been allowed to be level for the other eleven clubs in the SPL too?
How much have they literally stolen from other clubs, including Celtic over those corrupt years? How much has the SFA and SPL been party to by deliberately turning the blind eye? Regan wants to investigate and I absolutely applaud him for it.
But he should know that every possible hurdle is going to be put before him to prevent him getting into the real corruptions and the real funny handshakes and goat intimacies. The neutrals in the country know this is true as do those not so nuetral, but the difference is the neutrals will admit it while the rest cover it all up and close ranks.
We all know who these are from government down to cheats and bigots like hugh dallas and jim farry.
The last paragraph of his statement seems to indicate they know how much cheating has been going on. Most people in Scotland have known for years. The SFA and Rangers have been far too close for decades. The SFA are part of the problem. Rangers and the SFA have worked together as if they were the same organisation. They are as rotten as each other and the cover-up will be underway. Regan will assist them. they pay his wages. If he is an honourable man he will walk away when the truth comes out. Too many at the SFA too close to too many others at Ibrox for far too many years.
I don’t see Regan as one of them. He has made it known he wants change and I believe he is a man of his word. A very lonely man of his word in those corridors!
I agree Regan wants change and is driven to achieve it. With bitter old clowns like George Peat having left the scene he is in with a better chance than he would have been although Mr Ogilvie may still be a barrier.
Its a fact. You still live in a bigotted country.
As long as the investigation doesn’t stop at Craig Whyte/Fit And Proper Person. It must go back to the whole issue of how the EBTs were operated, whether or not the players paid by said had two contracts and if both contracts were submitted to the SFA.
Bring crooked Craig back, the man is a true Legned!*
I rolled about at the suggestion of Mandic! Which dogs account would he hide rangers funds in? Boy oh boy, is he a fit or what?
I still think that someone (persons) at the SFA should be sacked for this debacle.
Surely if Whyte’s lawyers were “obstructing” the SFA in their quest to make a Fit & Proper decision..
then the only decision to make is….
We ( The SFA) are unable to clarify his suitability, therefore his application is denied.
It was a joke how this was pushed through.
Much as Regan seems to be getting support on here…
surely he must be culpable in some way for this pathetic outcome.
I have a genuine question here. If Rangers are let off lightly, for example allowed debt free, history intact into the SPL, could this have severe consequences for our club when it comes to creditors? If we are to believe what we’re told, scottish football cannot cope, cannot survive, without the Glasgow clubs. So when creditors see Rangers getting away with cheating, and not paying debts unpunished, why would our club be given credit? We would be exempt in future from punishment, relegation and obligation to pay debts. Does this make sense?