Stewart Regan has emerged from his Hampden bunker to comment on the Supreme Court verdict on Rangers (IL) concealing the fact that they used dual contracts to pay players for over a decade.
While Dave Murray claimed that he was making discretionary loans (backed up by side letters guaranteeing certain amounts) the Supreme Court came back with a 5-0 verdict that it was straightforward payments linked to employment.
Basically Rangers (IL) used ineligible players for over a decade of matches, in some games every player on the park was getting paid through dual contracts. SFA and SPL/SPFL rules state that all payments made to players must be declared to the authorities.
When it comes to Dundee United, Dunfermline or Livingston the SFA and SPFL simply apply the rules and issue 3-0 defeats for matches involving ineligible players.
Somehow in matters involving clubs from Ibrox Regan feels that a different approach is needed.
In an email sent to Joe O’Rourke of the Celtic Supporters Association the SFA chief claimed: “As this is a highly complex legal matter we have sought Senior counsel opinion and as a board are content with the advice we have been given and the decisions we have made.
“There are a myriad of other opinions out there on this subject, the majority of which are linked to vested interests.
“As such, we are minded to keep this matter objective and rely on expert opinion to aid our decision-making.”
So far Celtic is the only club to have commented in dual rules, if a club from Ibrox breaks the rules legal advise is sought, if anyone else breaks the rules the rule book is applied.