Campaigning website The Scottish Football Monitor is keeping the pressure on the SFA as the governing body continue to adapt the rules at the expense of all clubs bar one.
Last year’s Nimmo Smith enquiry into the use of EBT’s by Rangers (IL) came to a predictable conclusion with a £200,000 slap on the wrist to the former club that won’t be repaid while non-league clubs get hammered by fines and bans of far greater magnitude for genuine registration mistakes.
Looking beyond the headline catching outcome of the Nimmo Smith enquiry TSFM investigated the mechanics of the decision which pointed the spotlight uncomfortably onto SFA President Campbell Ogilvie.
Bizarrely the Nimmo Smith inquest only looked at the latter use of EBT’s and not the earlier Discount Option Scheme used to pay Tore Andre Flo, Ronald de Boer and Craig Moore between 1999 and 2003.
That scheme led to the original tax case at Ibrox as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs investigated the issue of side letters used to pay three key performers of the Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish era.
Somehow then chairman Dave Murray managed to attract players on contracts registered with the SFA on much less than the terms they were widely quoted as being paid by Barcelona and Chelsea.
It would be the equivalent of Ally McCoist bringing in Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas with contracts for £100,000 a week arriving at Hampden. No-one at the SFA or SPL batted an eyelid.
The mystery could easily have been resolved by speaking to long standing SFA committee man Ogilvie who had initiated the scheme which went on to be known as the wee tax case.
Strangely the Nimmo Smith investigation never looked into the wee tax case which resulted in a £6m liability to HMRC. At no stage did this prompt the SFA to investigate why players were being paid outwith their agreed contracts.
Online campaigner Auldheid has drawn the various strands together into his latest letter to Harper MacLeod who represented the SPL at the Nimmo Smith enquiry.
Having established a dialogue with Nimmo Smith and opening up the issue of Duff and Phelps withholding information from Nimmo Smith the spotlight is on Harper MacLeod to challenge the decision of the enquiry which has left the credibility of the game in ruins.
While Ogilvie prowls the corridors and committees of the SFA sponsors are giving the game a body-swerve despite the resurgence of interest and support along the east coast where clubs like Hearts, Dundee, St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Dundee United are thriving as they enjoy the most level playing field in over two decades.
Keep up with the debate and follow up’s on The Scottish Football Monitor.
