scottish fitba'

[Kowalski]

Suggestions that the police have requested urgent meeting with Rangers & SPL over policing costs which are already due, and costs which will be incurred over the upcoming matches.

No money = no police = no matches = kicked out?

Its not a sad day for Scottish football as far as I'm concerned. They have been cheating the rest of the league and the tax man for 10 years. Every time they knocked somebody out of a cup, they have cheated that team out of money. I just hope the other chairmen in the SPL (including Aberdeen's) remember this if it comes to any kind of vote about keeping them in the SPL.

A split in the old firm leading to increased competition between the other teams, including the possibility of Champions League football, can only be a good thing IMHO. There will be more bums on seats at the likes of Dundee Utd, Hearts and Aberdeen suddenly believe they could finish ahead of one of the old firm.

[Kowalski]

Strathclyde Police: We are seeking an urgent meeting with the administrators to ensure that any payment for policing costs at future Rangers games is guaranteed. "Until we have such a guarantee we would not be in a position to commit public resources to policing an event unless we had a reassurance that our costs would be met."

[Paul ™]

Nonsense.... if there is to be no OF then I can't see Sky hanging about to show St Mirren v Dunfermline as their deal is based on 4 OF games a year... hardly a money spinning fixture for them to advertise is it?

Along with the lower income clubs would face without 2 home games to Rangers, smaller clubs like the above rely on that income, along with the TV revenue.

You really think crowds would increase at other grounds in today's current financial climate?

And let's not forget the people who will unfortunately loose their jobs out of this whole sorry mess... yes blame the previous ownership for not doing things by the books, but not the fans of the team who are suffering due to it all.

[eFestivals]

Am not really sure of the in's and out's of it all Neil, sad day for Rangers fans and Scottish football as a whole.

Who knows what happens next? I really think Liquidation is very possible now

Nothing about what's going on is new. Private Eye have been detailing it all for around 5 years.

Murrey sold out knowing he'd fucked over the club. Whyte 'bought' the club knowing it was fucked - but he's a chancer and chanced it panning out his way.

Things like this aren't really the fault of the fans, but if the fans have taken so little interest in what's been repoted for years then they're fools.

As foir bad for scottish football, it might well p[rove to be the opposite if Rangers died. You might actually have a competition worthy of the name.

[Paul ™]

As foir bad for scottish football, it might well p[rove to be the opposite if Rangers died. You might actually have a competition worthy of the name.

[eFestivals]

It would soon get stale if Celtic were winning the league every year by 30-40 points with no competition.

Yep.

But I suspect the other teams woiuld be elevated by the absence of Rangers. After all, they're the most successful club team in the world, by the fact that there's no competition as it is (and via that tax fiddle as well of course).

[Kyelo]

Celtic will either leave ze SPL or have to accept they are to become minnows due to lack of funds if Rangers go down.

[Kowalski]

Yep.

But I suspect the other teams woiuld be elevated by the absence of Rangers. After all, they're the most successful club team in the world, by the fact that there's no competition as it is (and via that tax fiddle as well of course).

[Kyelo]

Exacty, that's what Rangers fans are failing to grasp (mainly because they don't want to believe it). A few games in the champions league for one of the lesser teams would make a huge difference financially. There would certainly be a huge gap initially though.

And if Celtic fuck off then even better. The short term pain of less revenue would be worth it for a competitive league where two teams don't shaft the rest.

[Paul ™]

Exacty, that's what Rangers fans are failing to grasp (mainly because they don't want to believe it). A few games in the champions league for one of the lesser teams would make a huge difference financially. There would certainly be a huge gap initially though.

[Kowalski]

I think its a good day for Scottish football and so do many other non-Old Firm fans, you guys don't. I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Regarding what would happen if the club is liquidated:

Central Ayrshire MP Brian Donohoe, secretary of the Rangers Supporters Club, told the BBC: "It's absolutely devastating information that's come out today that the Inland Revenue would take such a silly decision.

"I just think they have moved far too quickly in this one and as a consequence they're almost debarring any possibility of anyone else taking over the club.

"The worst case scenario is that they could be put into liquidation and as a consequence we'll lose the name and we'll lose their place in the premier division in Scotland."

If the club is liquidated a new club could be formed to take on the Rangers name, and would have to reapply to take its place in the Scottish league structure.

[Kowalski]

Without Rangers and Celtic the SPLs UEFA coefficient would take a nose dive, the other teams would be lucky to get into Europe. True it would be a more competitive league but don't think the other teams would get more money, the big sponsors are only there for the old firm.

[Kowalski]

And how are they going to get into the CL.. Scotland will never get 2 places back in that with Rangers gone, and with Celtic guaranteed to win the SPL every year..

[Kowalski]

The HMRC announced that todays administration action is in response to Rangers FC's failure to pay £9m in tax since Craig Whyte took over. This is separate to the tax cases. Ooft!!!

[eFestivals]

The HMRC announced that todays administration action is in response to Rangers FC's failure to pay £9m in tax since Craig Whyte took over. This is separate to the tax cases. Ooft!!!

I guess that's where the extra £25M debt he's been talking about has come from.

Allow a crim in charge and that's what happens.

[parTy animal]

I could be wrong (not the first time) but if Rangers don't have a licence to play in Europe next season then Motherwell (or whoever is 3rd) would be in the qualifying rounds of the CL next season.

[lost]

Regarding these trusts that Rangers used, most of the guys on my last contract were using them. I believe its the wording in the contract that either makes it tax avoidence or evasion. What I dont get is why Rangers are liable for the whole amount rather than just the employers NI, if its a bonus rather than loan shouldn't HMRC recover the income tax and employees NI from the player?

[eFestivals]

Regarding these trusts that Rangers used, most of the guys on my last contract were using them. I believe its the wording in the contract that either makes it tax avoidence or evasion. What I dont get is why Rangers are liable for the whole amount rather than just the employers NI, if its a bonus rather than loan shouldn't HMRC recover the income tax and employees NI from the player?

nearly all tax law is written on the basis of "guilty unless you can prove yourself innocent" (which is why I was so sure that 'Arry would go down). It makes sense from the point of view of running a nation state, but not if you're the little man on the other side of that.

My accountant has warned me that I remain liable for tax and NI that I pay a contractor if that contractor fails to pay it themselves.

It's probably the case that that can be got around with a suitable paper trail (tho you might not get to find out if thgat's the case until after a tax tribunral) - but it means doing everything in a particular way to ensure that you've covered all the bases.

From what I've read and remember of what went on at Rangers, they didn't operate everything properly -but worse than that, they carried on doing it after being told they were liable for it.

[Kowalski]

Shamelessly pinched from another site. The perpetual myth about Scottish football needing Rangers is blown wide open by this simple set of statistics:-

11 February 2012

Dunfermline 1-4 Rangers

Attendance: 7,464

13 November 2010

Dunfermline 2-2 Raith Rovers

Attendance: 7,158

23 April 2011

Dunfermline 2-1 Raith Rovers

Attendance: 11,052

[metallimuse]

Shamelessly pinched from another site. The perpetual myth about Scottish football needing Rangers is blown wide open by this simple set of statistics:-

11 February 2012

Dunfermline 1-4 Rangers

Attendance: 7,464

13 November 2010

Dunfermline 2-2 Raith Rovers

Attendance: 7,158

23 April 2011

Dunfermline 2-1 Raith Rovers

Attendance: 11,052

[metallimuse]

In fact looking back into Dunfermline's attendance's since 2005 in a league setting they have only gone past the 9,000 mark on 3 occassions all of which involved the Old Firm.Their average attendance is around 4,000 so I would say that Rangers coming to town and that extra 3,000 punters in the door makes a huge difference for a team of their size.

The attendees against Raith were so large because the two of them were fighting it out for the title wasn't it?Obviously people are going to come out and watch that.

[Paul ™]

Not to mention its a local derby with bitter rivalry between them.. What about picking some stats like Dunfemline v Inverness etc

[Kyelo]

What you have written above is everything that is wrong with Scottish football and solely down to the Old Firm. If you're happy with a two team league then good luck.

[A-Rob]

Even tough I do not support Rangers I think it's sad news for SPL and football in general.

The old firm derby is one of the fixtures that I look forward to each season.

Moreover that fixture is watched internationally as well becuase there's a lot of history attached to it, hence it generates a lot of income because many cable providers outside the UK show it as well.

Edited February 15, 2012 by A-Rob

[rexclark]

Can't say I'll lose any sleep if Rangers or Celtic vanished off the face of the earth as it won't effect me as a fan of a lower league club one bit.