Professor Brian Howieson's book on the Rangers administration events

I wonder why DC Thomson pulled out and why they won't tell him why. I would speculate that the book was not going down the path they wanted.

I would certainly agree with him that the story is bigger than just the last 10 years and the story pre-dates the arrival of Whyte. Murray placed the club in serious jeopardy and the actions that lead to 2012 started years before it.
 
Everyone with a grudge (sectarian, cultural, political, sporting) put the boot into Rangers.
However, Murray made us vulnerable and certain influential people then teed us up, and if we are to believe, The Inland Revenue were encouraged to use us as a test case against a huge tax avoidance scheme used around the nation and especially in the City of London.

Has anyone investigated or written about how after eviscerating Rangers with a totally exaggerated tax bill, how HMRC with lessons learned successfully recovered billions back into the economy from other bigger and more significant users of these schemes?

One thing we as a support and a community should retain from this experience, is that the hatred is still out there and we are very much still a target of it.

Never forgive and most of all, never forget!
 
Everyone with a grudge (sectarian, cultural, political, sporting) put the boot into Rangers.
However, Murray made us vulnerable and certain influential people then teed us up, and if we are to believe, The Inland Revenue were encouraged to use us as a test case against a huge tax avoidance scheme used around the nation and especially in the City of London.

Has anyone investigated or written about how after eviscerating Rangers with a totally exaggerated tax bill, how HMRC with lessons learned successfully recovered billions back into the economy from other bigger and more significant users of these schemes?

One thing we as a support and a community should retain from this experience, is that the hatred is still out there and we are very much still a target of it.

Never forgive and most of all, never forget!
Agree 100%
 
"The sfa and spl could have done a lot more here.... they put the boot into Rangers. They did."
It was the duty of the SPL board to decide whether to accept the transfer of Rangers"share" to the new owners, as directors they were not allowed to reject this, since it would have significantly decreased the SPL income. The SPL rules were changed to allow the clubs a vote to reject the transfer of Rangers "share" to the new owners. Then changed them back again after Rangers were excluded.
The SFA advanced Hearts their prize money to avoid an insolvency event, they simply kept Rangers prize money, and distributed it amongst themselves.
The 5 way agreement contained further unwarranted and illegal punishment for the club.
It was not their intention that Rangers would survive, sell out Saturday was just around the corner.
 
Last edited:
It was the duty of the SPL board to decide whether to accept the transfer of Rangers"share" to the new owners, as directors they were not allowed to do this, since it would have significantly decreased the SPL income. The SPL rules were changed to allow the clubs a vote to reject the transfer of Rangers "share" to the new owners. Then changed them back again after Rangers were excluded.
The SFA advanced Hearts their prize money to avoid an insolvency event, they simply kept Rangers prize money, and distributed it amongst themselves.
The 5 way agreement contained further unwarranted and illegal punishment for the club.
It was not their intention that Rangers would survive, sell out Saturday was just around the corner.
They are corrupt bastards who are allowed to make it up as they go along and shirk their responsibilities whenever they chose to do so.
 
I wonder why DC Thomson pulled out and why they won't tell him why. I would speculate that the book was not going down the path they wanted.

I would certainly agree with him that the story is bigger than just the last 10 years and the story pre-dates the arrival of Whyte. Murray placed the club in serious jeopardy and the actions that lead to 2012 started years before it.
Murray used the club as a vehicle to prop his own businesses up. As much as his hubris and spending made the club successful on the park by making huge signings, as well as Walter of course, he also started his own downfall by believe his own hype.

The club had been threatening financial trouble as far back as 2005-6, teetering on the brink of administration and that very idea was mooted by Murray and his board but were thankfully talked out of it. He wasted so many millions of pound investment by ENIC and Dave King among others, and had nowhere else to turn. Come 2008 he was in trouble with the financial crash starting. Murray, in the end, was just as big a conman as the little scum prick he gave the club too, masqueraded as a genuine sale.

Murray can never be forgiven for his part, ever. He caused it, Whyte just made it worse.
 
I wonder why DC Thomson pulled out and why they won't tell him why. I would speculate that the book was not going down the path they wanted.

I would certainly agree with him that the story is bigger than just the last 10 years and the story pre-dates the arrival of Whyte. Murray placed the club in serious jeopardy and the actions that lead to 2012 started years before it.
I wonder if Celtic and that bastard John Reid get a mention in the book.
 
It was the duty of the SPL board to decide whether to accept the transfer of Rangers"share" to the new owners, as directors they were not allowed to do this, since it would have significantly decreased the SPL income. The SPL rules were changed to allow the clubs a vote to reject the transfer of Rangers "share" to the new owners. Then changed them back again after Rangers were excluded.
The SFA advanced Hearts their prize money to avoid an insolvency event, they simply kept Rangers prize money, and distributed it amongst themselves.
The 5 way agreement contained further unwarranted and illegal punishment for the club.
It was not their intention that Rangers would survive, sell out Saturday was just around the corner.
The whole episode was a microcosm of Scotland and politics. Corrupt and filled with insidious little individuals.
 
bruce-almighty-comedy.gif


DEEr ProFesUr, rAnjURs DiEd iF ye dONt belEeV Me PLeeZ SEE AttaCHd a PiKtuR of DaILY REkurD heAdLinE SaYs Rip RaNjUrs
 
Murray used the club as a vehicle to prop his own businesses up. As much as his hubris and spending made the club successful on the park by making huge signings, as well as Walter of course, he also started his own downfall by believe his own hype.

The club had been threatening financial trouble as far back as 2005-6, teetering on the brink of administration and that very idea was mooted by Murray and his board but were thankfully talked out of it. He wasted so many millions of pound investment by ENIC and Dave King among others, and had nowhere else to turn. Come 2008 he was in trouble with the financial crash starting. Murray, in the end, was just as big a conman as the little scum prick he gave the club too, masqueraded as a genuine sale.

Murray can never be forgiven for his part, ever. He caused it, Whyte just made it worse.

A lot of the support were dazzled by Murray and believed, right up to the end, that he would save the day. Perhaps some still believe it. Even the board of Johnston, Paul Murray, et al thought Murray wouldn't be so devious as to sell the club down the river to Whyte. And yet he did.

Whyte was a rat but Murray started the problem and then left the club to deal with the fallout.
 
Murray used the club as a vehicle to prop his own businesses up. As much as his hubris and spending made the club successful on the park by making huge signings, as well as Walter of course, he also started his own downfall by believe his own hype.

The club had been threatening financial trouble as far back as 2005-6, teetering on the brink of administration and that very idea was mooted by Murray and his board but were thankfully talked out of it. He wasted so many millions of pound investment by ENIC and Dave King among others, and had nowhere else to turn. Come 2008 he was in trouble with the financial crash starting. Murray, in the end, was just as big a conman as the little scum prick he gave the club too, masqueraded as a genuine sale.

Murray can never be forgiven for his part, ever. He caused it, Whyte just made it worse.
Completely agree. Whyte did what Murray didn't have the courage to do though. Murray knew administration would happen.
 
Everyone with a grudge (sectarian, cultural, political, sporting) put the boot into Rangers.
However, Murray made us vulnerable and certain influential people then teed us up, and if we are to believe, The Inland Revenue were encouraged to use us as a test case against a huge tax avoidance scheme used around the nation and especially in the City of London.

Has anyone investigated or written about how after eviscerating Rangers with a totally exaggerated tax bill, how HMRC with lessons learned successfully recovered billions back into the economy from other bigger and more significant users of these schemes?

One thing we as a support and a community should retain from this experience, is that the hatred is still out there and we are very much still a target of it.

Never forgive and most of all, never forget!
NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET. Till my last breath bilkobear.
 
Im fine with this book provided it delivers what it promises. Cold facts without the politics. Let the truth come out.
To acknowledge the SFA’s reaction to our downfall and to separate the companies from the football club and the fans is a very encouraging start.

I would love to hear a debate between the author and the leading figures fighting against Murray in the years preceding 2012. People like Mark Dingwall and David Edgar (and many others)
 
It was the duty of the SPL board to decide whether to accept the transfer of Rangers"share" to the new owners, as directors they were not allowed to do this, since it would have significantly decreased the SPL income. The SPL rules were changed to allow the clubs a vote to reject the transfer of Rangers "share" to the new owners. Then changed them back again after Rangers were excluded.
The SFA advanced Hearts their prize money to avoid an insolvency event, they simply kept Rangers prize money, and distributed it amongst themselves.
The 5 way agreement contained further unwarranted and illegal punishment for the club.
It was not their intention that Rangers would survive, sell out Saturday was just around the corner.
The 5way agreement was one of the biggest stitch ups in Scottish Football, but not in the way Timmy thinks.

We were pre judged as guilty and issued fines while in a admin. The prize money for finishing 2nd, the little money we received for Steven Davis from Southampton was hoovered by the SPL and they divvied it among themselves. Legalised theft that we had to agree to in order to have the licence transferred to allow us to play Brechin. We also had to give up the right to seek any compensation if anythhing came out down the line too I'm sure.
 
Just like to add, if I remember right, before Murray bought into Rangers he tried to take over Ayr United but the people running the club at the time would not entertain him. Big question, 'Why would that be'?
I thought the issue was that the people of Ayr had memories of David Murray's dad which weren't wholly positive.
 
It was the duty of the SPL board to decide whether to accept the transfer of Rangers"share" to the new owners, as directors they were not allowed to do this, since it would have significantly decreased the SPL income. The SPL rules were changed to allow the clubs a vote to reject the transfer of Rangers "share" to the new owners. Then changed them back again after Rangers were excluded.
The SFA advanced Hearts their prize money to avoid an insolvency event, they simply kept Rangers prize money, and distributed it amongst themselves.
The 5 way agreement contained further unwarranted and illegal punishment for the club.
It was not their intention that Rangers would survive, sell out Saturday was just around the corner.
Sell out Saturday was one of,if not the most hyped thing in Scottish football history.
It was never going to happen one week never mind a full season.
Absolutely ridiculous!.
 
The 5way agreement was one of the biggest stitch ups in Scottish Football, but not in the way Timmy thinks.

We were pre judged as guilty and issued fines while in a admin. The prize money for finishing 2nd, the little money we received for Steven Davis from Southampton was hoovered by the SPL and they divvied it among themselves. Legalised theft that we had to agree to in order to have the licence transferred to allow us to play Brechin. We also had to give up the right to seek any compensation if anythhing came out down the line too I'm sure.

other clubs had money advanced despite not knowing where they would finish
ours was stolen
 
I would certainly agree with him that the story is bigger than just the last 10 years and the story pre-dates the arrival of Whyte. Murray placed the club in serious jeopardy and the actions that lead to 2012 started years before it.
Absolutely! The club was clearly in very bad nick for an asset stripper like Whyte to be interested in the first place. That doesn’t make Whyte blameless I doubt he would have looked if the club had been healthy in the first place.

Murray carries the can for me almost as much as the people who took over.
 
The 5way agreement was one of the biggest stitch ups in Scottish Football, but not in the way Timmy thinks.

We were pre judged as guilty and issued fines while in a admin. The prize money for finishing 2nd, the little money we received for Steven Davis from Southampton was hoovered by the SPL and they divvied it among themselves. Legalised theft that we had to agree to in order to have the licence transferred to allow us to play Brechin. We also had to give up the right to seek any compensation if anythhing came out down the line too I'm sure.
Hopefully if it ever does get to court this bit doesn't stand up as we were signing under duress.

Theiving, corrupt, cheating bastards.
 
Everyone with a grudge (sectarian, cultural, political, sporting) put the boot into Rangers.
However, Murray made us vulnerable and certain influential people then teed us up, and if we are to believe, The Inland Revenue were encouraged to use us as a test case against a huge tax avoidance scheme used around the nation and especially in the City of London.

Has anyone investigated or written about how after eviscerating Rangers with a totally exaggerated tax bill, how HMRC with lessons learned successfully recovered billions back into the economy from other bigger and more significant users of these schemes?

One thing we as a support and a community should retain from this experience, is that the hatred is still out there and we are very much still a target of it.

Never forgive and most of all, never forget!
HMRC were after us from the day we said we were using EBTs. It's a myth that Reid etc encouraged them to go after us over this. Every year we had to qualify our accounts re EBTS as we were targeted by them.
There is no doubt SPL and SFA could have helped us, but Lawwell did an amazing hatchet job in getting everyone against us, but if Murray wasn't so arrogant, he'd have shelved the EBTs after 3 or 4 years and settled with HMRC.
All this to save £22m approx in NI and tax.
 
other clubs had money advanced despite not knowing where they would finish
ours was stolen
The SPL were being worked from the back.

Mouthpieces and Rent a Gubs like Thompson at Dundee Utd and the old pratt from Raith Rovers were pretty much saying in public what Celtic wished they could say. I remember Milne being apoplectic at something, possibly the Lord Nimmo Smith verdict, the one that in the lead up we were all to accept no questions asked as he was a Law Lord and afterward he was a nobody because he didn't go the way the haters wanted

Not to mention the fat paper gatherer's outburst during one of the meetings in the run up to the Brechin game.

It's utterly incredible what the SPL and the SFA were able to get away with over that few months and a decade later, thanks to the 5way agreement, still don't need to answer any questions.
 
It looks like an interesting and balanced book. Certainly worth approaching with an open mind.

One thing I take issue with is that some Rangers fans weren't sounding the alarm bell over MIH. We absolutely were, including me. Hopefully, those of us on FF who were around at the time will remember.

The problem was that no-one was listening as the MIH commercial property juggernaut rolled on towards disaster.
 
HMRC were after us from the day we said we were using EBTs. It's a myth that Reid etc encouraged them to go after us over this. Every year we had to qualify our accounts re EBTS as we were targeted by them.
There is no doubt SPL and SFA could have helped us, but Lawwell did an amazing hatchet job in getting everyone against us, but if Murray wasn't so arrogant, he'd have shelved the EBTs after 3 or 4 years and settled with HMRC.
All this to save £22m approx in NI and tax.
They did deals with other clubs who used them. Maybe Minty fighting them on it wasn't the best idea, but you have to remember if we are being told that it was kosher by lawyers at the time then why would you admit liability.

He offered them £12m to settle it and they refused so we went throught the process of disputing it all.

Regardless of Murray's fault in it, we've had a lot of the penalties etc wiped out by BDO fighting it even after the Supreme Court decision. HMRC wasted all this public money going after us because they said they wanted to use it as a 'test case'. Have they gone after any other club or any other company - Have they buggery.

HMRC were give a sum of almost £95m to vote against our CVA with. That in itself was an utter scandal. The FTT at the time hadn't even ruled and they were given a figure as if they'd won the damn thing.
 
Back
Top