The Sun has carried some sensational claims about Craig Whyte’s book ‘Into The Bear Pit’ which will be published in February.
Rumours of match fixing have long been around as the entire Scottish game attempted to keep the Ibrox club alive against mounting debts.
When Whyte took over in May 2011 the SFA had already overlooked the overdue £2.8m tax bill to HMRC for undeclared payments made to Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer who effectively were ineligible for every match that they played in Scotland.
According to the report in The Sun:
Early proposals for the book claimed it would run to 75,000 words and take shots at money men Duff & Phelps, as well as Rangers staff and teams across the country. Among the allegations were Rangers is “still very much under Masonic influence”. The former boss says he was greeted with “funny handshakes” by “freeloaders” during hospitality sessions at the exclusive Blue Room at Ibrox. He added: “Almost everybody seemed to be part of a secret society apart from me.”
Mr Whyte also claimed one star’s “performances dipped after he picked up a sexually transmitted disease”. The businessman says the ace was “playing away in more ways than one”.
He also insisted he would reveal the identity of a top politician who promised to make him Lord Whyte in exchange for a £250,000 donation to their party. And stated a high-ranking pal in government offered to help him win tax cases against the club.
Among the most startling revelations from the early outline are that “a rival team owner” had “ offered to throw a match for cash” against Rangers in order to help them win the league. Mr Whyte says the offer made his “toes curl”.
It is highly unlikely that the stories alluded to will see the light of day due to legal restrictions.
Whyte was found not guilty of fraud at a trial in June 2017 that exposed how almost every element of Scottish football attempted to save the club by ignoring licence regulations to provide a route to the UEFA Champions League.
Defeats for Ally McCoist’s side against Malmo and Maribor killed off that dream in 2011 with administration and liquidation following within 12 months.
The latest BDO creditors report is expected to be published later this month.