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What are the facts behind the "Big Tax Case"?

Fri, 18 May 2012 02:05:30 +0000

I am somewhat confused regarding the exact nature of the "Big Tax" case against RFC and have as yet seen nothing in print that gives a clear picture of what is involved.
Unfortunately most of the comments on the various newspaper articles seem to be repeats of vents about cheating by those opposed to Rangers and contradictions by those for.

To my mind, and I stand open to correction, it comes down to the following:

During the Murray era did RFC :-
1. deduct PAYE from employees and then fail to pay HMRC?
or
2. fail to deduct sufficient PAYE from employees?

If 1 is the case then why is a tribunal necessary? There is nothing to negotiate. RFC have cheated and must pay HMRC the monies they withheld from employees.

If 2 is the case then there are obviously issues to be resolved in respect of how EBTs were administered and in that case a tribunal does make sense.
If an employer fails to deduct sufficent PAYE from an employee then from whom does HMRC seek redress?
Since the employee has benefitted surely he/she must be liable for the unpaid tax, or is the employer held solely responsible for the full amount?

As for multiple contracts, it is not unusual for a contractor to have more than one contract with a company with each contract being with a different division or department.
How that might be justified for a professional footballer is something only a tax expert can sort out.
Since most professional footballers are represented by agents it is quite possible that RFC did not pay any footballers directly, but paid their agents.
That in itself puts a different complexion on how PAYE is handled.

Does anyone know the full facts?

Everything's rosey in the Celtic garden...

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:18:55 +0000

As most of you know I don't post a lot on this SPL forum as I can't be bothered with all the tit for tat stuff , however I was having a conversation with my brother in law last night . He's a Celtic fan and we usually have good footballing debates but last night he was very much following the party lines repeating practically verbatum what has been coming out of Celtic park for the last few weeks. Indeed talking to many Celtic fans they seem to all have the same views.

As a Rangers fan it would be easy to blame losing the league on all the financial woes etc. However I personally felt that Rangers title chances ended with the injury to Steven Naismith. All the rest merely added to our problems.

Having listened to some of the stuff coming from Neil Lennon and his backroom staff , they convey the epitomy of complete mastery of the scottish league with plans to rule the world. some of the quotes include , "We won the league by 20 points and that's good enough for me" , "This is a young team which can only get better" and all the other stuff about not caring about Rangers and stuff.

This season Celtic won by 20 points (10 of them deducted) so realistically they won by ten clear points. Still a fair margin and given the run of wins needed to do so was worthy of winning the championship. Second place Rangers had nothing to play for for the last half of the season , they had no fit recognised striker for half a season , they sold their only prized asset in January , their players were playing for buttons for the last three months of the season , their team and management were under intense scrutiny and pressure from off field events for half a season . so that "20 point win" looks a tad less all conquering with this in mind ...

In europe Celtic faired no better than hapless Rangers and , despite being reinstated to the Europa league on a technicality , continued to fail miserably , this was played down to a young team and inexperience. That same team will now have the chance to compete in the CL with "only one or two additions" . Not really an all conquering team to win the CL ....

Financially Celtic are better off without question , but will the club continue to meet the investment that their manager wants to take his team forward? It's well known that they wouldn't give Gordon Strachan funding in his final transfer window feeling that the league was already won and we all know what happened there. Will the same apathy now befall Neil Lennon? Will they feel that Rangers possible points deduction gives them licence to cut spending as Rangers can't possibly overturn a 15 point deficit , if they are in the SPL. Neil Lennon has already warned the fans that there will only be one or two additions , perhaps that die has already been cast?

So, is everything rosey in the Celtic garden?

Father and Son Cup Final Attire

Thu, 17 May 2012 15:28:22 +0000

Most of you know that I custom designed a badge and polo shirt for the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, that my dad and I will wear, to represent both sides, and to act as a remembrance for my Grandfather, who was a Hibee.

Of course I'll be cheering on the Jambos like never before, but whatever the result, I'll have a wee dram afterwards and remember my Grandad.

My dad is quite emotional about the final, and doesn't know about the shirts - so will surprise him with them when we arrive in Glasgow tomorrow night.

Hope you all like them!

Promising Coach

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:44:01 +0000

A friend of mine in Northern Ireland asked me if I could find out what coaching opportunities there is in Scotland, especially around the scottish league.

He's an ex-irish league goalkeeper & has his goalkeeping badges. He also has a UEFA 'A License'. He would love to do his pro license, but that would cost him £4000.

He has asked me to get a scope of opportunities for coaches in Scotland, especially around scottish league circles, as he feels he would love a fresh challenge.

He has an impressive record as a youth coach.

Any feedback appreciated.

Out of contract players

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:48:11 +0000

This list is from March so is not totally accurate.

SPL Players out of contract in 2012 (Some may have signed new contracts, this was extracted by an Aber-mad member in March2012)

Aberdeen FC: Danny Uchechi, Darren Mackie, Fraser Fyvie (December), Jamie Langfield, Jason Brown, Jordon Brown, Josh Magennis, Kari Arnason, Mark Reynolds, Rory McArdle, Yoann Folly, Mohammed Chalali

Celtic FC: Andre Blackman, Daniel Majstorovic, Dominic Cervi, Du-Ri Cha, Fraser Forster, Glenn Loovens, Lukasz Zaluska, Mark Wilson, Pawel Brozek

Dundee United FC: Danny Swanson, Dusan Pernis, Garry Kenneth, Paul Dixon, Robbie Neilson, Ross Smith, Scott Robertson, Steve Banks

Dunfermline Athletic: Alex Keddie, Andy Dowie, Andy Kirk, Chris Smith, David Graham, Gary Mason, Iain Turner, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Kyle Hutton, Liam Buchanan, Mark Kerr, Martin Hardie, Nick Phinn, Steven Bell, Steven McDougall, Austin McCann

Heart of Midlothian FC: Craig Beattie, Danny Thomson, David Obua, Gary Glen, Ian Black, Jordan Morton, Marian Kello, Matthew Park, Rudi Skacel, Stephen Elliott, Suso

Hibernian FC: Garry O'Connor, George Francomb, Graham Stack, James McPake, Leigh Griffiths, Lewis Stevenson, Mark Brown, Matt Doherty, Richie Towell, Roy O'Donovan, Tom Soares, Ian Murray

Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC: Billy McKay, Chris Hogg, Claude Gnakpa, David Proctor, Greg Tansey, Gregory Tade, Jonny Hayes, Jonny Tuffey, Kenny Gillet, Owain Tudur Jones, Roman Golobart, Ross Tokely, Ryan Esson, Sam Winnall, Shane Sutherland, Steve Williams, Thomas Piermayr

Kilmarnock FC: Alex Pursehouse, Ben Gordon, Danny Buijs, Danny Racchi, David Silva, Dean Shiels, Garry Hay, James Dayton, James Fowler, Lewis Toshney, Matthew Kennedy, Mohamadou Sissoko, Manuel Pascali

Motherwell FC: Jonathan Page, Keith Lasley, Lee Hollis, Nicky Devlin, Ross Forbes, Steve Jennings, Steven Hammell, Steven Lawless, Tim Clancy, Tom Bradley, Stephen Craigan

Rangers FC: Andrew Mitchell, Andy Little, Christopher Hegarty, David Healy, Gordon Dick, Kyle Bartley, Salim Kerkar, Sasa Papac, Scott Gallacher, Sone Aluko

St. Johnstone FC: Alan Mannus, Alan Maybury, Chris Millar, Cillian Sheridan, Francisco Sandaza, Jack Compton, James Keatings, Jamie Adams, Kudus Oyenuga, Lee Croft, Marcus Haber, Michael Hart, Murray Davidson, Peter Enckelman, Stephen Reynolds, Jody Morris

St. Mirren FC: Adam McHugh, Alan Cairns, David van Zanten, Graeme Smith, Hugh Murray, Jeroen Tesselaar, Joe McKee, Nigel Hasselbaink, Steven Thomson

Mick Owen

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:06:47 +0000

just been reported he will not be getting a new deal at utd, 32 now, bet celtic get linked with him next.......

Hasselbaink & Tesselaar Quit St Mirren

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:01:54 +0000

Dutch duo Nigel Hasselbaink and Jeroen Tesselaar have quit St Mirren, opening up Kilmarnock's interest in signing the pair.

Two other SPL clubs are monitoring them as well, apparently.

Nothing is Preordained

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:37:48 +0000

There is an increasing sense from many in both the maroon and green sides of Edinburgh that Saturday's match is somehow a foregone conclusion.

I've read and heard too many Hearts fans treating Hibs lightly, citing our impressive record against them and the fact they just never win the cup. But this is 90 minutes, one game, and anything can happen.

Then I read countless Hibs fans convincing themselves that victory is 'fate' and it is already written that this HAS to their year. Football doesn't always work like that, it can be cruel.

Fans of both sides have been sharing their ridiculously over confident, and frankly idiotic, tattoos already stating they are cup winners 2012.

Nothing is already written, nothing is preordained. Two teams will hold their own destiny in their hands come Saturday afternoon.

Anyway, I have also written a guest piece for the Scottish Football Blog ahead of the Cup Final, previewing the match and remembering my Grandfather, who was a Hibs fan.

http://www.scottishfootballblog.co.uk/2012/05/scottish-cup-hearts-and-soul.html

Hearts fan gets cup winning tattoo

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:44:36 +0000

Why risk getting a tattoo with cup winners on it prior to the game?

Bears Reaction

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:43:45 +0000

In light of the transfer embargo being upheld by the SFA appeals panel, a sanction which Rangers fans feel was a step too far, I suggest that the bears in the main will continue to support the club by attending matches at home but wont be attending any away, especially in the cup competitions and certainly not to watch the national team.

Dare i suggest that given the SPL wont sanction much in the way of punishments for Rangers, the SFA have taken this rigid stance to ensure some stringent punishment is administered.

As a bear myself i agree that some form of reprimand is dealt to the club but also agree that the embargo is a step too far and should have been lifted when Gers pay the clubs owed money for players, after all you cant be signing anymore players until you have paid for the last lot. Even allowing just free transfers would have been another step that could have been taken.

What punishments, fines or sanctions have been dished out to any of the other clubs which have been in administration here

Bears dont want preferential treatment, far from it, we just want the same treatment.

I wont be attending any away games for the foreseeable future and for many years now havent paid to watch the national side anyway, now that Levein is here I wouldnt cross the street to see them.

I see the bears being very selective on where their monies go from now on and this could have a detrimental effect on our game here. After all its our money and we are free to do with it as we please.

Glasgow Restaurant Advice

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:13:42 +0000

Me, my dad and two mates are heading through to Glasgow on Friday and staying in a hotel for the Cup Final weekend.

Quite fancy going out for a late dinner on Friday night, so looking for some recommendations.

Somewhere we can get a decent meal and a few drinks, at a decent price - probably around 8-9pm.

Where's good then lads, quality and value wise?

Cheers in advance!

Wendy the SFF cat

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:34:31 +0000

Listeners to the podcast might know I have a cat. She oftens makes her voice heard during recording and I had to resort to purchasing some fancy food each week to try and keep her quiet. Anyway, she has not been seen since Monday evening. She is quite old and hadnt looked too good for a year or so. I know that cats can go off to die, so I can only assume that is what she has done. I was never her biggest fan, but it's still quite sad.

Mums are heroes, Dad's are irrelevant

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:27:19 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how Dad's are ignored in the media, this is particularly noticeable in adverts and I have posted just two of many that are broadcast on TV regularly. Where are the positive Dad's adverts? presumably that doesn't shift product off the supermarket shelves. Look around though and we see other programmes such as 'Mum on strike' where bumbling dad is shown as a mallingerer that needs a kick up the arse and often doesn't know the right side of an iron. I think Dads need to be shown in a more positive light, particularly as it is often shown that kids are crying out for good male role models in a society where increasingly a male is not present in the home, or at school. I would be very interested to know what peoples thoughts are on this

Dumbarton vs Airdrie United (LIVE)

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:18:32 +0000

BBC Alba will be screening the FIrst Division Play-Off final, first leg, between Dumbarton and Airdrie United tonight, 7.45pm kick off.

I'm going to check this out, see what the two teams are like. Will be nice to see a lower league game for a change. A LOT at stake as well.

Football Trivia

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:51:09 +0000

Which English teams are furthest north, south, east and west?

Sillyness

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:36:21 +0000

looks like its been done by a rookie into the bargain lol

Building site celebration

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:07:44 +0000

Beattie gives final tickets to a fan who promised to get Beattie's name tattooed

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:42:46 +0000

CRAIG BEATTIE has revealed how he gave a desperate Jambo two tickets for the Cup Final after the fan promised to get the striker’s named tattooed on his backside.

Beattie met the fan via Twitter, after he ran a competition to give away to semi-final tickets on the eve of the showdown with Celtic which Hearts won 2-1, courtesy of Beattie’s last-minute penalty.

He explained: “I got stuck with two tickets before the semi, the night before the game. I thought, right, let’s have a carry on on Twitter.

“I said whoever makes me laugh the most I’ll give two tickets to the game tomorrow. They thought I was taking the p**s, so they start tweeting with all different stuff – Hibs this, Hibs that – and that’s not my sort of humour so I said come on, someone send a joke.

“The boy sent me a cracking joke and I gave him the two tickets. “Straight after the game, he said ‘I’ll get your name tattooed on my arse if you get me two for the final’. I said ‘All right, as long as I get proof first’.

“Yesterday he said ‘I’ve got my tattoo booked in for Monday – you’d better have my tickets now.’ I tweeted him saying, ‘Are you sure you want to have my name on your arse for the rest of your life?’

“He tweeted me back saying ‘Listen, this is my only chance of getting tickets: I need to do what I need to do’. I thought, this kid’s desperate, so I said ‘Just come up and I’ll get you the two tickets’. “I gave him them anyway, but he didn’t get the tattoo. I made him.”

Beattie, who is on a short-term deal at Hearts, is fighting to shake off a hamstring injury before Saturday and added: “I’ve got this cup to win. I’m not thinking further. Nothing is signed, nothing is lined up. All I’m concentrating on is the cup.

“I don’t want to be [injured], but I’m not thinking about that. If it happens, it happens. It can happen to anybody, so I’m not in the slightest bit thinking about that. If I’ve got any chance of being out there at all, I will.”
http://www.scotsman....away-1-2297721?

Hearts fan, Ian downie, irons cup final ticket

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:50:17 +0000

Ian downie ironed his ticket to spruce it up a bit and he has ruined it. He has an appointment to get a reprint.

Premier League Foreign Players 1992-2012

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:09:58 +0000

A total of 1,347 Foreign (i.e, non-British Isles) players from 94 different countries have made at least one Premier League appearance from season 1992-93 to 2011-12.

Here is the total number of Foreign Players arranged according to club affiliations (some players will have played for more than one club):

102 Chelsea
95 Manchester City
89 West Ham United
89 Bolton Wanderers
89 Arsenal
87 Liverpool
82 Fulham
79 Blackburn Rovers
77 Tottenham Hotspur
76 Newcastle United
75 Portsmouth
62 Everton
61 Manchester United
57 Aston Villa
55 Sunderland
51 Wigan Athletic
50 Middlesbrough
48 Derby County
44 West Bromwich Albion
43 Birmingham City
38 Southampton
33 Charlton Athletic
30 Leeds United
29 Coventry City
26 Crystal Palace
26 Sheffield Wednesday
22 Watford
21 Wolverhampton Wand
19 Ipswich Town
19 Queens Park Rangers
17 Hull City
16 Stoke City
16 Leicester City
16 Nottingham Forest
15 Reading
14 Wimbledon
13 Sheffield United
13 Norwich City
11 Barnsley
9 Burnley
8 Swansea City
7 Bradford City
7 Blackpool
3 Oldham Athletic
2 Swindon Town

And here are the 94 different countries:

152 France
88 Netherlands
59 Spain
54 Italy
52 Norway
52 Sweden
47 Denmark
45 Brazil
43 Portugal
42 Australia
41 Argentina
34 United States of America
33 Germany
28 Jamaica
26 Nigeria
25 Belgium
22 Senegal
21 Cameroon
21 Czech Republic
21 Serbia
19 Croatia
18 Switzerland
17 Finland
17 Greece
15 Iceland
15 Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
14 Ghana
13 Israel
12 Poland
12 Slovakia
12 South Africa
12 Uruguay
11 Algeria
11 Morocco
10 Hungary
10 Trinidad and Tobago
10 Turkey
9 Canada
9 Korea, South
9 Romania
8 Austria
8 Chile
8 Ecuador
8 Mali
8 Mexico
8 Russia
7 Bulgaria
6 Egypt
6 New Zealand
5 China
5 Colombia
5 Congo DR
5 Georgia
5 Honduras
5 Paraguay
5 Slovenia
5 Ukraine
4 Guinea
4 Japan
4 Latvia
4 Peru
4 Saint Kitts & Nevis
3 Barbados
3 Bosnia & Herzegovina
3 Costa Rica
3 FYR Macedonia
3 Togo
3 Tunisia
3 Zimbabwe
2 Belarus
2 Bermuda
2 Bolivia
2 Congo
2 Cyprus
2 Grenada
2 Iran
2 Liberia
2 Montenegro
2 Sierra Leone
1 Albania
1 Angola
1 Antigua and Barbuda
1 Benin
1 Cape Verde
1 Curaçao
1 Estonia
1 Faroe Islands
1 Gabon
1 Lithuania
1 Montserrat
1 Oman
1 Pakistan
1 Seychelles
1 Zambia
1,347 Total Foreign Players

http://www.myfootballfacts.com/PremierLeagueForeignPLayers1992-93to2008-09.html