Rangers in crisis: SFA considering knocking Ibrox club out for acts almost as heinous as match fixing
Rangers in crisis: SFA considering knocking Ibrox club out for acts almost as heinous as match fixing
The Scottish Football Association stated this night that they considered removing Rangers from Scottish football after they were found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.
A Hampden court panel imposed a 12-month transfer restriction, fined the Glasgow giants £160,000, and banned disgraced owner Craig Whyte for life. However, the SFA claims the punishment might have been considerably harsher, claiming Rangers’ misdeeds were second only to match manipulation.
The Ibrox club is disputing the sentence, and their appeal will be heard on Wednesday.
Rangers are hoping for a reduced penalty, but Record Sport knows that the tribunal has the authority to raise the severity of their punishment.
The SFA came out fighting ahead of the appeal, deciding to publicize their reasons for finding Rangers guilty of financial irregularities.
The judicial panel’s report stated: “The Tribunal attempted in its exercise of fixing these matters on the scale of offences to identify a more serious offence than those on the complaints, and concluded that only matchfixing in its various forms might be a more serious breach.
“Taking into account its view on the undeniable gravity of the breaches, the Tribunal considered whether it should terminate Rangers FC’s membership of the Scottish FA and concluded that punishment was too severe.
“It considered whether suspension of membership was a less serious but still appropriate punishment, but decided that it was likewise too severe.
“The Tribunal was dealing with a top-tier Scottish football club with a history of signing excellent players who, logically, expected commensurate compensation.
“It appeared that in this case, the punishment should be meaningfully related to the unpaid taxes resulting from high wages and salaries.”
“It appeared that a 12-month temporary limitation on registering new players was a reasonable, relevant, and proportionate sanction.
“The Tribunal recognised that it would place pressures on Rangers and accordingly limited the period and specifically excluded from the prohibition the registration of persons under 18.”
However, enraged former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston blasted the SFA last night, accusing them of trafficking in “bull****”.
Johnston is furious after the explosive SFA report chastised him and his other board members for failing to communicate their concerns about Whyte to the football authorities.
He thinks Rangers are the biggest sufferers of Whyte’s reign, and he blames Sir David Murray for selling to the shady dealer.
According to the SFA investigation, if they had been made aware of a private investigator’s dossier, they might have been able to prevent or at least delay the Whyte takeover.
The research was commissioned by a third party in March 2010, and former CEO Martin Bain discussed its contents with Johnston – but they did not notify the SFA about their concerns.
Johnston stated, “All information we obtained independently was passed on to David Murray, the seller of the shares. All of our issues were addressed to the Murray Group and the one person who could take action on them.
“I would return it to the SFA. We received no calls requesting information about Whyte. They didn’t reach out. If they had, we would have gladly shared what we know.
“The SFA sat so far back that they might as well not exist. Why didn’t the SFA ask why board members were sacked or felt forced to resign? We spoke publicly and loudly about our concerns.
“Do the SFA not read papers or watch television? That’s bull****.
“If they wanted to pick up the phone we would have been happy to talk but they showed no interest whatsoever.”
The SFA banned Whyte for life and imposed a £200,000 punishment, which he refuses to pay.
And Johnston stated, “The SFA penalized Whyte and admitted he was responsible for sanctioning payment of every bill from Dundee United’s ticket money to the local newsagent.
“How can they turn around and still find Rangers guilty? Rangers were, are, and will continue to be the victims in all of this.
“The SFA’s actions against the club are equivalent to someone being murdered and their family being told it was entirely their fault.
“I feel terrible for Dundee United and Hearts, as well as everyone else who was not paid, but the Rangers were the largest victims of Whyte’s misbehaviour.
“For the SFA, then find Rangers guilty is diabolically incongruous. It’s just not logical.”
Other directors at the time, including Martin Bain, John Greig and John McClelland, were last night unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, the SFA took the rare step of announcing those who will serve on the tribunal on Wednesday, but after receiving security advice from police, the three original panel members have advised against intimidation.
An SFA official stated: “In light of the subsequent release of members’ identities from the initial tribunal, and given the extraordinary circumstances of the appeal, it has been agreed that we shall identify the members of the appellate tribunal.
“This decision was made with the consent of the parties involved and following consultation with the police authorities.
“It is critical that these members are permitted to conduct the appeal without fear of intimidation, and we respectfully encourage those involved in the process to do their best to observe our wishes and the wishes of the panel members.”
Rangers manager Ally McCoist has welcomed the decision to make the identities public.
He stated, “We want transparency and clarity, and I’m glad the panel has been named. We hope the three gentlemen make the right decision for us.
“The worst-case scenario is that the embargo remains and we are unable to sign players for a year. Half of our squad could leave in the summer, leaving us in a rather gloomy situation.”
However, Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes the SFA’s decision to name the panel is excessively unjust.
Lennon stated, “These people do this voluntarily, because they love the game and for the right reasons.”
“This puts additional pressure on these people and they are under enough pressure as it is.”
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