One wonders how naive Duff & Phelps really are… either that, of course, or they are so vindictive it’s hard to fathom – that they would throw their dummy from the pram so spectacularly at their lenient transfer ban punishment to the detriment of the whole of Scottish football. Surely, it must be naivety? Surely, really, in their stupidity and increasing and obvious desperation, they didn’t think taking the SFA to a civil court and having their transfer ban overturned would result in the SFA and FIFA simply going “oh, ok, Duff & Phelps have won, let’s put the fine we gave you in the Big Pot Of Creditors and we’ll say no more about it…”. They couldn’t have thought that, surely? I mean, naivety and stupidity is a watch word for this highly suspect group of administrators, so it MUST have been an error of judgement. Because, as a calculated risk, it shows suicidal tendencies.
As shown with FC Sion’s equally desperate and undignified sabre rattling last year, FIFA do not take kindly to the little fella barking back. Sion’s expulsion from European competition and subsequent civil action resulted in a 36 point deduction, so D & P must have realised that to show such arrogance would only result in the huge stone head of the giant FIFA god slowly, but surely, turning its shark like gaze towards Scotland. And indeed, that’s what has happened, and the spotlight is very much on the SPL and Stewart Regan.
Of course, my opinion on the newco situation at Rangers is well documented (below), but this is something else all together. FIFA are our gaffers. They literally have the power to close down the whole SPL if they so wished. And they’re watching us. And the SFA know they are. As with all court decrees, the SFA has the right, again, to appeal. But it won’t; “by doing so,” it says, “the very principles on which Scottish FA – and for that matter UEFA and FIFA – are founded… would be fundamentally compromised…” And there is the rub. Fundamentally compromised. Never mind the newco situation, never mind how much money Rangers owe, never mind The Big Tax Case, never mind them cheating for years, never mind EBTs, by breaking away from established rules and regulations they have fundamentally compromised the whole of Scottish football. When Sion did that they were docked 36 points. One wonders what sanctions await for Rangers?
Now, naturally, despite Lord Glennie’s ruling, the SFA have three choices. They can ignore them, of course, which will become messy and nasty and not help anyone, and may probably lead to sanctions from FIFA which will affect ALL of Scottish football – one of which is a nationwide expulsion from ALL world competitions (meaning all teams in European and world tournaments including the national team) – so this really isn’t an option. Another is to do nothing, which, again, will probably bring down the wrath of FIFA for showing a neutered and impotent bark and opens up the door to a word where every little rule is challenged or ignored, or, the decision that has been taken, to do as Lord Glennie ruled and send the verdict back to the appellate tribunal for a new punishment to be dished out.
The original punishment of a transfer ban was actually doing Rangers a favour, although ultimately not within the remit of the punishments allowed, which is why it was overturned, so now the SFA must send out a punishment which shows not only FIFA but an increasingly Rangers-hostile SPL, that they will not be treated as a second class association and that their word is, indeed law.
There are two punishments available for the SFA to hand out to Rangers – and again this is outwith any forfeits for any future newco . These are dead straight forward – banning from the Scottish Cup and expulsion from the league (or suspension, which, to be blunt, amounts to the same thing as it is a fatal blow for the floundering club). Stewart Regan told Twitter “we are in consultation with FIFA at present” and you can be sure that won’t be a comfortable consultation for the beleaguered and increasingly out of his depth Regan. Everyone reading this will most probably think that the SFA will go for the easy option – ban Rangers from the Scottish Cup. It allows them to dish out a punishment that Rangers cannot argue with and it also allows Rangers to continue. But surely, that isn’t fair? Surely being banned from the Scottish Cup is just the same as being put out in the quarters? If Rangers can trade players and business as normal, a Scottish Cup ban is no more than another toothless bark from a rubbish governing body. Rangers and Duff & Phelps have won.
There can be only one punishment for what Rangers have done. Expulsion. They’ve embarrassed Scottish Football, they’ve bankrupt it morally and financially – and make no mistake clubs who have gone into administration like Motherwell, Dundee, Gretna and Livingston did so on the effort of trying to keep up with the coat tails of Rangers and Celtic, and one of those was cheating – and they’ve brought our game to the edge of destruction.
I’ve been saying it for months. Rangers are already dead. A newco with no sanctions won’t be tolerated. No punishment for bringing the game into disrepute is unthinkable – and again remember this isn’t a punishment for going into administration, it’s a punishment for not paying PAYE during Whyte’s reign, it’s a punishment for not making sure he was fit and proper, it’s ANOTHER punishment for something else – so for Rangers to keep dodging bullets for different things – disrepute, newco, EBTS, tax payments etc etc – is going to be almost impossible. The SFA can clean this cancer from Scottish football once and for all. Withdraw their playing licence and allow the rest of us to readjust and carry on. However the Rangers situation resolves itself, RFC will not come out of this looking like anything other than a corrupt, desperate, undignified and hated mess, not just by their traditional enemies, but by the whole of Scottish football. And that’s before FIFA decide to do something too…
It’s time to stand up and show some balls.
Forever Claret and Amber
Ed
VFTES