Celtic have moved quickly to calm down the excitement of BBC Scotland over financial scandal at the club.
With audited accounts published every year, AGM’s held on time and a succession of blue chip directors ranging from cabinet ministers to former directors of the Bank of England the state broadcaster really should have known better than to run with financial fantasies created by the lunatic fringe of the Sevco support.
Having stood back and watched their own club go into liquidation, in contrast to the honest hands on approach of Hearts and Dunfermline fans, the Sevco support has attempted to find scandal at their city rivals.
After failing in their attempt to blacked the clubs’ name with the £31m debt to the Co-Operative Bank the Sevco accountants have been kept busy looking at land deals involving the Scottish champions around Celtic Park and Lennoxtown.
Anyone with a passing interest in the city will know that land values around Celtic Park are rather less expensive than elsewhere in the city while Lennoxtown was an out of town development on land that even polar bears would think twice about occupying.
Despite all that evidence the BBC, led by business and economy editor Douglas Fraser, decided to lend credibility to the story by running with claims that the EEC were investigating the land deals involving Celtic, a club that has always paid every penny owed to HMRC.
Excitedly Fraser tweeted: “Euro Cmmn on claims re Celtic, Glasgow CC & state aid rules: “requested & received detailed info from UK auths as always with a complaint”
Shortly afterwards, to dampen down expectations, he returned to the real world with: “Euro Cmmn on Celtic, Glasgow and state aid: “info being analysed: no conclusions can be drawn at this stage. No formal investigation”
For the hard of thinking that effectively confirms that the story is a non-issue. Perhaps Fraser could have spent his time more productively joining the dots that link Gavin Masterton, Davie Murray, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Lloyds TSB and £800,000,000,000 of tax payers money used to keep the show afloat.
At 5.30pm, clearly without any attempt at validating the story the BBC were telling their website readers about ‘EEC looking into Celtic land deals. Half an hour later Celtic were forced into action.
The club statement read: “IN response to stories in today’s media concerning Celtic, the club has released the following statement.
“Celtic Football Club operates to the highest standards and with the utmost integrity. At a time when the Club is committed to investing in and improving areas around Celtic Park, not only for Celtic supporters but for the benefit of the local community, it is sad that these baseless accusations have been raised with the European Commission.
“Any suggestion that Celtic has been the beneficiary of state aid is preposterous – as ludicrous as any suggestion that we have benefited from soft loans from our bankers. The historic transactions referred to were negotiated with the Council on commercial terms at market rates.
“The Club will assist the Commission fully with the process and will not be deterred from our work to improve our local area.”
Once upon a time the BBC stood for standards but the current mob in Pacific Quay have shown their colours time and time again, happily trotting out without question the latest announcements from whoever is in charge of the Ibrox club at any particular time.
This latest episode highlights just how badly the urge is within the BBC to link Celtic to any scandal while they attempt to curry favour for the next batch of Sevco moonbeams.
Up until the late 1970’s BBC Scotland used a similar recruitment policy to Rangers (IL) and while those practices are no longer active their attitude remains with the Sports Department the grooming ground for former Sevco Communications director Jim Traynor.
While Douglas Fraser is given a platform as a state funded blogger for his Sevco fantasies the reputation of BBC Scotland continues to plunge with their coverage of real business and economic stories lacking any credibility.
Hopefully the EEC will turn their attention to the state aid provided to broadcasters like the BBC and the unfair advantage that they receive against properly run commercial organisations.
do we have to pay for licence cause I never signed a contract,so is it Legal,
celtic should be taking sterner action with these people and ban them all from celtic park until they start reporting the facts truthfully all the time and not let them back with an apology they don’t mean a season or two not being allowed in celtic park no interviews from anyone players or staff will soon bring them round i include the bbc,daily record and the sun in this
I’m thinking that as I don’t actually watch any BBC channels. I have a free view box but don’t watch any BBC channels, WHY do I need to pay then a licence fee? The biased BBC are not worthy of my hard earned cash especially for their part in the propaganda they serve for better together.
Let’s find the loophole for not paying this mob for channels We don’t even watch.
Douglas Fraser has been very fair in the past, and when you actually read what he tweeted it is entirely accurate. It was the spokesman for Glasgow City Council who used the word “investigate” in relation to the European Commission. Fraser said the exact opposite.
Fraser tweets The Commission “requested & received detailed info from UK auths as always with a complaint” and “info being analysed: no conclusions can be drawn at this stage. No formal investigation”.
Fraser effectively killed this story with his accurate tweets, and in doing so embarrassed the original source of the story and those who would fan the flames. The BBC online story was not written by him, but likely by the agency that BBC Scotland uses.
Ill-founded and malicious allegations will only embarrass those who made them. The EC have no option but to consider any complaint that is made so as to verify its authenticity. They take their accountability seriously. When the complaint fails to get past that stage, it will be seen for exactly what it was: baseless interweb gossip from morons in dark rooms.
The BBC should have better things to do than comment on non stories.
Will they inform the flat-earth society bad news about shape of the planet?
BBC Scotland have got lots to investigate without spending time and OUR money on Sevco fantasies.
Agree 100% with Iisboacelt, hit them where it hurts. All Celtic minded people should boycott BBC the Record and SUN.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it the BBC who brought to light, and vigorously pursued the old Rangers’ EBC issues?
Can I have a quarter pint of that with plenty of lemonade please.
BBC s not what it used to be ,a respected organisation all over the world .It has become an unreliable source of news and continues to report sloppy journalism.
Actually this made me laugh. How They love an anti Celtic story, even when it is preposterous. And all the while Sevco International The Rangers wear the bandages of the club in liquidation, but will not pay the bills. LOL.
Are there any state aid issues re Liquidated Rangers waiting to be considered and reflected upon by HMT? Anyone know?
Excellent article btw
I remember Archie McPherson tell us all about BBC policy of Catholics working for them
Yes,Sligotim.
I would look up via google,Celtic quotes.
Archie says, ” he had to fight against the
anti – Catholic, anti – Celtic ethos at the
BBC. “
Find it difficult to grasp how any true Scot would not have the confidence to believe in their own ability to run their own affairs especially the way they are treated by Westminster.Oil anybody ah.