Any lingering notion that Scottish football was based around fairness was finally killed off today when Lord Nimmo Smith delivered the verdict on undisclosed payments to Rangers players going back over a decade.
While finding the oldco guilty of breaching the rules a feeble fine of £250,000 was imposed on the company which is already in liquidation.
Amazingly Nimmo Smith claims that: “Rangers FC did not gain any unfair competitive advantage
from operating side-letter arrangements, nor did the non-disclosure have the effect that any of the registered players were ineligible to play, and for this and other reasons no sporting sanction or penalty should be imposed upon Rangers FC.”
What those other reasons are remains to be seen but the suggestion that a football club doesn’t pay players money to gain an advantage is almost laughable.
Celtic recruited and pay Gary Hooper, Victor Wanyama and Fraser Forster to give them an advantage on the football park. If Celtic offered those players the same terms as Stirling Albion they wouldn’t be Celtic players.
Every professional club and business pays people to give them an advantage- that’s why Barcelona and Real Madrid want Gareth Bale. Manchester United are enjoying the advantage of having Robin van Persie in their team compared with last season’s side.
From Celtic to Annan Athletic, with the exception of Queens Park, every club in Scotland recruits players to give them an advantage on the pitch. How Nimmo Smith justifies the notion that no unfair advantage was achieved by recruiting players and only declaring part of their payments to the authorities is anyone’s guess.
However with Neil Armageddon Doncaster, Stewart Social Unrest Regan and Campbell joint shareholding Ogilvie leading the Scottish game anything is possible as they follow in the footsteps of Jim Farry and others.
Almost twenty years ago Celtic were fined £100,000 for an illegal approach to recruit formerplayer Tommy Burns from Kilmarnock. Today’s fine for a club in liquidation is less than £25,000 a season or less than the price of a good night out with President Ogilvie.
With leadership like Farry, Gordon Smith and now Regan it’s little wonder that Scotland plunge down the ratings at every level showing a couldn’t care less attitude to governance for one club while hammering others.
Last summer Scottish football fans found their voice as the powers that be tried their best to retain the commercial cash cow of the ‘Old Firm’ in their top division.
The worry this time around will be that fans will just walk away knowing that things are loaded too heavily against them with Scottish football having all the credibility of WWF.
I said on this website a few weeks ago that nothing would happen and I was right. How did I know this? Well, the Hun hoards get EVERYTHING in their favour and always have. I honestly would have been more surprised had titles been stripped.
I cannot believe anyone expected anything less. The Masonic links between the Judicial, Policing, Business and the Sporting Wing are as clear as day. Scotland is and always has been a corrupt wee state, every one of those involved knows someone who knows someone, this is a tiny fraction of the Establishment that looks out for itself. Hodge, LNS, Murray, Duff and Phelps, BDO, all linked by dodgy handshakes and goat abuse. If Celtic do not make a stand here they will never be able to convince us fans that they are what we have always been lead to believe they are, the opposition to this dirty, cheating, corrupt Establishment. Please do not let us down here Celtic.
What do you want Celtic to do about it mate ? If your not happy about something you do something about it and what difference is it going to make not going to Celtic games ffs some people are losing the plot about this and expect Celtic to sort it out. Lawwell isn’t interested about taking titles off anybody he’s to busy banning CELTIC SUPPORTERS from Celtic park for singing. HH
I didn’t say I would stop attending games. Celtic are supposed to be a Club steeped in a history of not only refusing to pander to the Establishment, but to openly challenge the corrupt Establishment that has damaged and hindered our Club at every turn for many decades. We are morally obliged to the likes of Big Jock to continue to confront Establishment corruption, it is part of who we are. Celtic can do plenty, they can publically condemn the corruption, they can lobby UEFA for an independent inquiry by people from outside this corrupt Country, they can take them on legally themselves, they have more than enough reason to do so, it was them and us paying fans who have been robbed of millions. If they do not stand against this blatant injusice which has destroyed 10 years of competition, which we have pumped hard earned cash and raw emotion into, then who will stand up for the fans who have been robbed and conned?
Here here mate. the club have to act on our behalf
You said you would turn your back on Celtic in yesterdays blog mate, Just can’t see lawwell doing anything them losing titles has nothing to do with us they cheated and it looks like there getting away with it as shite as that is that’s what’s going to happen can’t believe some of us are shocked its what happens in scotland. Hopefully lawwell is doing something on the QT to get us out aswell as banning everybody here’s hoping HH
well said m8
It’s a lot to do with Celtic if we have been systmetically robbed of prize money, titles, cups and European places for over a decade.
Seems as though the time has come to drop the issue and concentrate on saving Scottish Football. The energy spent by the two sides here was enormous and to what benefit? Our game and league is dying and we are arguing whether a club is old or new or right or wrong. We must be collectively the biggest idiots around the game. We have now spent more than a year in ritualistic self immolation. Like them or not the Rangers draw crowds home and away that equals the Celtic side of this coin and bring sorely needed eyes to the TV broadcasts. Can we not step back and figure a way forward? Is it not time for peace or will all drown in our collective sectarian cesspool?
Speak for yourself, interesting that this is your first comment on this blog.
Great idea! Why didn’t anyone think if this before? Who cares if the Sport is corrupt in favour of 1 Club, they bring viewers so let’s forget all about it and let them steal some more of our hard earned cash
What a clown.
The quintessential welch club has been slapped on the wrist with a wet paper bag. Isn’t that punishment enough?
those scumbags want to leave scotland to play in an other country,well they should try italy with all the match fixing and the mafia,pity for them its a catholic country and they couldnt sing there bile….
i would say after this scottish football is in a very bad place all scottish clubs should make a stand annan and dunfermline got 1/4 of a seasons takings as a fine for 1 player these clubs should take the league to court for over fines and discrimination forget reconstruction under these people not honest enough must get people that can be trusted what a shambles
It’s a joke but not a surprise they where never losing titles over this not in this country anyway the huns are jumping for joy with another ‘win’ but the war was won long ago that’s why they play in the 3rd division there wins are hollow they mean nothing by the time they are back up we will be on a different planet make no mistake about that. And for any zombie lurkers from hunmedia pity DEZY never HUNG about for the verdict Haha silly zombie HH
Like we won the league last year without the need of their 10 point deduction.
We’ll overtake them in titles even with them keeping their TAINTED ones.
43 soon to be 44 and counting.
Hail hail
told you all yesterday not to hold your breath.
SEe everytime Scotland plays at Hampden I will be supporting the other team.
STOP GOING TO HAMPDEN AND HIT THEM IN THE POCKET
Ogilvie was part of the Rangers management found guilty and now he is at the SFA.
Couldnae make it up
Or you could just not go to hampden at all, makes a bit more sense
As bhoys have said the verdict is incomprehensible but far from surprising. The football governance in this little backwater is spineless. Was it the threat of social unrest if the zombies were given their just deserts ?.. Like everyone I have grown tired of our involvement in this country’s football.
There is no credibility left in either sfa or spl but regardless we don’t belong here. As s club and culture we deserve to compete in an association worthy of our standing. One positive is that this ridiculous ignorance and disregard of the articles under the association should act as a catalyst for our departure. I know wee Fergus would have had the courage to take action, as he did with Farry!!
Now over to you Peter and Dermot. Do your people proud.,Take us on to bigger and better things. We all deserve a better future as Celtic people and remember..,Celtic first Celtic last Celtic overall
Time for Celtic to resign from Scottish football !
Cheating scumbags dodge the bullet again.
I have my suspicions that Green and Nimmo Smith did a deal at the time of the Huns transfer embargo. This result today comes as no surprise what with the laptop lick spittles campaigning for months about the Huns not being stripped of their “titles”. Scottish football has lost all credibility today. Their motto is NO PLACE FOR INTEGRITY
Say something enough times, like “Administrative Error” and in Scotland it becomes reality. Just like “relegated”, “punished enough” and “same Club” to name a few.
Definitely!
It is to be expected that the Establishment Club would be protected by the Establishment.The entrenched leaders of this Country in Football are Rangers men.The President of the SFA ,”the sky is falling” Regan and Doncaster controlled by the money men the Established rulers of Scotland.Celtic need to pursue leaving this league but in the meantime win everything they can then leave these liars and cheats to their own devices.
Bang on mate time to get out Regan and doncaster are a couple of fannys not got a clue how to run a bath never mind Scottish football well in above there heads HH
Perfect get out for the SFA, give the decision to an “independent body” no one can now say they gave favours! Wonder what penalties other teams will now get, when they sign a registration once instead of twice. Time to pack up the wagons Peter.
Why is anyone surprised at the outcome ?
Its The Rangers 2012 ffs
Bend over backwards loyal !
Surprised but certainly not shocked at the disgraceful decision made today. As LNS himself tried to make a connection between the deid club and Sevco, WHY then place a paltry fine on the deid club…Surely being the same club, histroy, titles etc THEY must pick up the bill. Not that we need bother about either paying as Sevco 5088 will themselves soon be consigned to the dusty bin.
I’d like to see some of the clubs who have been expelled from the domestic cups take the SFA to task about their treatment though…Justify WHY the change in registration interpretations.
We MUST push ahead with the 12-12-18, leaving them again in the lowest tier of Scottish Football if they survive long enough. Look to push on WHEN not IF the joint leagues in Ukraine / Russia get affiliated then we can enlist in our own Mini European league and let those who continue to ruin our game domestically find their own low level with San Marino / Faroes etc.
SFA will NEVER receive another penny from me for ANY cup semi / final or International. I fully expect some sponsors to back away even further…
Today is the beginning of a new dawn while the countdown for Scottish Football has already begun.
They were found guilty and still not punished ffs,surely E.U.F.A need to start looking at these clowns at the sfa
Celtic will never raise their objections publicly over this, it simply does not suit their purpose. If Celtic went to UEFA or FIFA with this and the SFA &/or SPL are found guilty of any sort of wrong-doing then the following would happen.
Scotland’s national team would be banned from international matches
and/or
Scotland’s football clubs would be banned from competing in Europe.
Tell me how that helps Celtic now?
Nobody should be overly surprised at this outcome, the rabid masses would be up to their knees in Rangers haters blood, MI5 and Special Branch would be protecting Lord Nimmo Smith and his family around the clock and we’d all be opening mail in a dark room without windows. Who would happily put that on their families?
The lack of conviction and honesty at he SFA has been inherent from the off, our game is run by those who will never earn our respect which is why Celtic fans seldom visit the national stadium for an international game. We know what they are, we know that Rangers have cheated Celtic of silverware and potentially millions of pounds of revenue. However, it’s time to look forward, to start afresh and concentrate on our own club. A club that is so much more than that other lot will ever be. That in itself is the biggest moral victory a Celtic fan can have. Let the Zombie nation have their tainted titles because frankly I wouldn’t want them now anyway.
How would any of those consequences be the fault of Celtic? You cannot just ignore corruption because to tackle it will stir up trouble. Any problems arising from tackling corruption would be the sole blame of those committing the corruption, not those fighting it. I don’t get this “look forward” comment coming from our fans, look forward to what? Another hundred years of corruption and theft of supporters hard earned money?
Mate rhe decision today is ridiculous but It is time to move forward and leave this rotten to the core corrupt hell hole. Our board must now step up and represent the wishes of our fans. Justice was never going to be done today but this day has got to be a watershed for our future here. It always lay elsewhere but now there is an urgency to make it happen. God bless every bhoy and ghirl In the Celtic culture ..unequalled
Jim Farry, Dougie Dougie, Mike Mccurry, Neil Lennon assault, Neil Lennon attempted murder, Thugs and Thieves, official defense and acceptance of racist chanting, assault of Ref unpunished, Jabba asking for permission to publish, Saddam and the Bunnet, acceptance to this day of Sectarian signing policy, 10 murdered Celtic fans in 40 years, refusal of multiple Scotland managers to pick our players including Jinky, Hugh Dallas, 100 year stream of Rangers men heading our governing bodies, the list is genuinely endless, just how many watershed moments have we had that have eventually passed without a final stand being made? Maybe I’m being cynical and Celtic are working hard behind the scenes. When Lennon took over he challenged injustice and corruption that had eaten away at us for years, maybe now that Rangers are in the 4th tier it’s a case of out of sight out of mind for Lenny, but the fight has either stalled or is going on behind the scenes, if it has stalled fans will leave in numbers.
We all new this would happen,its not about oldco/newco now, its about the SFA who could not control oldco with there ongoings due to sir minty & co controling everything right down to mr traynor,mr spiers etc.so lets say we reach the semi+final of the scottish cup i think we need to think about a boycott,i for one wont be near hampden till the SFA are reformed with real football people to clean up this game