Once again Celtic’s Green Brigade got their message out- with added significance as another example of an honest mistake rescued a club from Ibrox.
Unveiled at half-time during the 1-1 Glasgow derby the giant banner read like a message board as it summarised some of the acts that led to Rangers Football Club going into liquidation in 2012 and which threatens the five year existence of Charles Green’s tribute act.
Liquidation was nothing to do with the big tax case which involved the old club paying players through a ‘tax free’ scam and failing to register those payments with the football authorities.
While the SFA, SPL and SPFL issued a slap on the wrist HMRC has been less accommodating.
This week at the Supreme Court BDO acting for the Murray Group will appeal that the payments made to dozens of players and officials were discretionary and not related to contracted employment. Side letters issued to players would suggest HMRC will again win.
Separately the new club remains dependent on soft loans which currently stand at £17m with no sign of a regular bank touching the club or providing an overdraft.
Again the Scottish football authorities seem to have little problem with this, should Sevco take part in next season’s Europa League qualifiers they will then become subject to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules which only permit £4.2m of losses over a three year period, Sevco are on target for losses of £19m over that period.