Running parallel to the death and liquidation of Rangers has been the shoddy denial of the facts and issues across Scotland. From those inside Ibrox, the football authorities and sadly the executives of Celtic who struggle to identify themselves without their O** F*** business buddies.
There is plenty of evidence from the eighties and nineties of suspect tax practises but feeding Dick Advocaat and the ego of Dave Murray cheered on by his media messengers ultimately paved the way to administration and liquidation.
As Celtic tooled up under Martin O’Neill, Murray turned to tax scams to recruit Ronald de Boer and Tore Andre Flo. Strikers recruited from Barcelona and Chelsea had token contracts registered with the SPL and SFA, David Taylor and Roger Mitchell said nothing as they enjoyed the commissions and bonuses from commercial deals on the back of the O** F***.
From being one off deals for Flo and de Boer, tax scams became the normal way to recruit players to Ibrox that couldn’t be afforded. Even ‘talents’ like Alex Rae and Steven Thompson were in on it, by 2005 most of the dressing room had their own offshore Trusts denying Inland Revenue of Income Tax and National Insurance.
At some stage Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs got suspicious, HMRC replaced the revenue in 2005 but they were met with denials from Ibrox with little appetite to investigate in Scotland. Way too many vested interests at stake, Murray was popular and very well linked.
In July 2007 the game changer arrived. City of London Police raided Ibrox in connection with on-going investigations at English clubs, some of the paperwork they uncovered was handed to HMRC. Suddenly the Jean-Alian Boomsong deal would become very costly. Very.
Murray being Murray he dug in and denied but after years of trying to offload the club he took £1 from a former billionaire, it seems that the background check was a look at the Daily Record.
Now we know that HMRC was cheated out of £56m in Income Tax and National Insurance so that players could be attracted to Rangers in a bid to stop Celtic and other clubs winning trophies, prize money and European places.
Not a word will be uttered by anyone inside the cosy world of Scottish football where Campbell Ogilvie, Rod Petrie and Andrew Dickson continue to prosper.
HMRC’s investigation of MGMRT EBT scheme started in Jan 2004. HMRC wrote to the Murray tax dept with questions. Murray Group replied on 23rd Mar 2004.
In the endless rounds of correspondence that followed it was denied that any form of side contract existed for players.
— Rangers Tax-Case (@rangerstaxcase) November 17, 2019
In early 2004, had RFC/MIH not lied about the existence of records, this case would have gone to an FTT. No result then could have threatened Rangers’ existence.
In 2004 this could have been safely and legally settled as a simple dispute.
— Rangers Tax-Case (@rangerstaxcase) November 17, 2019
Why did they not tell the truth and provide the requested documents?
In early 2004 Celtic were racing away with the league and won the 2003/04 SPL with a 17 point margin.
It was about funding the challenge.
EBT payments ramped up dramatically.— Rangers Tax-Case (@rangerstaxcase) November 17, 2019
Llewellin joined The Times in August 2016 following five years and eight months at The Herald.
?New: HMRC winds up pursuit of the old @RangersFC operating company after liquidators agree a further £8.5m reduction in the tax bill. https://t.co/RCDOGa1JfQ
— TimesEditorScotland (@magnusllewellin) December 8, 2022
This one’s betterhttps://t.co/In2xRGxAkq
— Frankity Frank (@gIaikit) December 8, 2022
The £110m blown to get Sevco 1 league title and 1 Scottish Cup could have saved old original Rangers but they needed time to organise.
The press lying for years and covering for Murray meant the only people telling them the truth were Celtic fans. That ensured they did nothing.
— Rangers Tax-Case (@rangerstaxcase) December 8, 2022
Did you ever reply to Tom English on this @rangerstaxcase ? @TEnglishSport https://t.co/WKegl6P619
— Michael McCahill (@MichaelMcCahi10) November 26, 2022
So, if Murray had owned up, they would have suffered the appropriate financial sanctions and that would have been it! But he chose avoidance, due to hubris and cowardice, to protect his reputation and so the Huns’ club went to the wall. He is untouchable and he will remain in denial. But in fact he is a fugitive, along with the others who knew and did nothing.
Who was it that said that “Honesty is the Best Policy”?
Wee huns think there still the same team it’s about time the Scottish pepper stop saying the Rangers are the same club with 55 titles when yours all no the truth the wee huns half now history so come on you’d wee huns lovers I no it’s hard for yours to be HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY “”” that how yours are where yours are “”DONT”” BULL shit all your fans DO YOU NOT THINK ITS TIME FOR THEM TO HEAR THE TRUTH ??haha Celtic are hear Bassa Boy “Sammy the ? CSC FTSFA