General Sport - Leaders Sport Summit 2012 - Stamford Bridge - 11/10/12 (From left to right) Karen Espelund, Executive Committee Member of UEFA, Neil Doncaster, chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Premier league and Heather Rabbatts, Non-Executive Director of The FA during a talk called "Governance: Are you serious?" Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul Childs Livepic
Ralph Topping has joined Darryl Broadfoot by bailing out of Scottish football. Incredibly Neil Doncaster highlighted the integrity of the departing SPFL chairman.
After seven years as chairman of the SPL and SPFL Topping is stepping aside ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the Big Tax Case which will be held in March.
BDO, the liquidators, are making the final appeal against the tax liability on payments made to players and officials during a decade of cheating HMRC and every club in Scottish football.
As chairman of the SPL Topping had access to player contracts which showed relatively low salaries with the Ibrox players picking up the bulk of their wages through ‘tax free’ EBT payments, or loans as the club would prefer to call them.
In 2011 Topping assisted in the UEFA licence given to Rangers despite the club owing HMRC £2.8m from the wee tax case for undeclared payments made to Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer. No punishment was handed out for those offences.
Following the administration and liquidation of Rangers in 2012 the SPL set up the Nimmo Smith enquiry to review the contracts and rule breaches committed by Rangers since 1998 when the SPL was set up.
The Nimmo Smith enquiry reported back from November 1999, ignoring the de Boer and Flo contacts without any comment or complaint from chairman Topping or any of the clubs.
Reacting to Toppings announcement Neil Doncaster told the SPFL website: “Ralph has played a hugely influential and positive role in the leadership of the game since he took up the position in 2009.
“He has never sought the limelight but his hard work, integrity and commitment has earned the respect of senior boardroom figures throughout the Scottish game.
“We wish him well and have already started the process to find a replacement with the skills, experience and authority to help continue to drive the SPFL forward in the years ahead.”
With Topping joining Broadfoot, Campbell Ogilvie and David Longmuir in pastures new Doncaster and Stewart Regan are the only authors of the 2012 Five Way Agreement remaining in senior positions in Scottish football.
