Thoughts that Resolution 12 had been laid to rest were put to bed tonight as the determined group of Celtic shareholders released details of their correspondence with UEFA. Yes, UEFA, who apparently only communicate with associations or clubs.
While others have tried to turn it into an Old Firm/Celtic v Rangers/West of Scotland issue the time delay has moved the issue on to something entirely different- SFA governance and a failure to acknowledge mistakes, honest or otherwise.
Without meaning to trivialise there are Hillsborough parallels. The story moved on from horrors of the original incident to the extent of the cover up and downright lies emerge to hide the truth.
Tonight’s news confirms that the matter is very much alive although not in the way Grant from STV wishes it was. UEFA are involved and the current club from Ibrox are in the clear- they have no link to the club given a license in 2011 despite the lies coming from Hampden.
Had Rangers avoided liquidation there could be consequences, since Charles Green founded a new club with a new SFA membership UEFA have taken the logical, non-Scottish view that they are a new club, as defined by Chapter 2, Article 12 of their own Financial Fair Play rules.
This issue needs stressed. Outside of Scotland the truth can be stated without fear or favour, the current club has no European history and can’t be punished for any acts involving a club in liquidation.
With that established beyond doubt the SFA face some difficult questions about their haphazard application of licensing laws.
The timeline is clear, there were overdue tax payables on 30 June 2011, Rangers (IL) were put forward for Champions League qualifiers, having won the title at the expense of the taxpayer and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. Her Majesty should have been paid rather than James Beattie and Nikica Jelavic.
The point of licensing rules is to produce some sort of level playing field; when they are discarded the game is a bogey.
With these details out in the open the hope would be that somewhere in Scottish football there is another Turnbull Hutton ready to confront the way our game is governed. The evidence of the last few years suggest that no-one within the game cares beyond the next broadcasting deal, regardless of how it is achieved.
Now that UEFA are looking in and asking questions about the Scottish way of doing things the whole country is under the microscope- are there any other areas of governance that need examined?
Thanks to a group of diligent and determined Celtic shareholders the national sport has a chance to regain it’s credibility- will anyone grasp the moment or will the dark hole continue to be mined?
