Rangers: the leaked e-mail
Apologies I’ve not been able to get this out in full til now but here’s the email leaked to Channel 4 News last Thursday the details of which I blogged on Friday.
Some club chairmen say that Mr Regan should now resign as a result of what’s going on here, back on June 23rd. That is a matter for them.
The email of June 23 is to:
Scottish Premier League chief exec Neil Doncaster; Scottish Football League boss David Longmuir, SFL President Jim Ballantyne, SFA vice-president Alan McRae, Hibernian FC chief exec Rod Petrie and SPL chairman Ralph Topping.
It seems to me the key points revealed are:
1. SR talks about RFC being “relegated” which isn’t possible since it’s liquidated, not relegated
2. He’s setting up a secret back channel to brief the Ibrox Newco and C Green via Mr Petrie to avoid ‘surprises’
3. The timetable laid out appears to show a catastrophic mis-reading of the mood of both SPL and SFL who clearly called his bluff on all key votes.
4. Dundee into SPL as a fait accompli. Hardly likely to please rival candidates
5. Green must accept the transfer embargo even though this has been ruled unlawful.
Stewart Regan’s email:
”Dear all,
Many thanks for your contribution and support over the last two weeks in trying to deliver a programme of change that will move Scottish football forward whilst addressing the need to deal with the Rangers matter with integrity and in line with our own values as an organisation.
I was hugely encouraged with where we got to last night on a long and tiring phone call and I thank all of you for your efforts to move this issue forward.
I thought it would be helpful if I summarised where I think we are:
1. The Rangers Football Club will be relegated to the 1st Division of the SFL with immediate effect and will be replaced in the SPL by Dundee FC.
2. The television rights for Rangers FC matches in the SFL will be purchased by the SPL for the sum of £1m as a one-off fee for the season 2012/2013.
3. The two leagues will merge into a single league body – The Scottish Professional Football League – effective season 2013/14 – with a working party set up immediately involving representatives from the SPL, SFL and (if required) the Scottish FA to plan the integration of the two bodies – people, rules, rebranding, commercial considerations and so on.
4. A new Board of Directors will be appointed to govern the single league. The make up of this Board will consist of an Independent Chairman, CEO, 3 representatives from the Premier League, 2 representatives from the Championship/Leagues 1 & 2 and 2 Independent Non-Executive Directors.
5. Play-offs will be introduced immediately with the first matches taking place at the end of the coming season 2012/2013.
6. Enhanced parachute payments will be implemented from the end of the season 2012/2013 to soften the landing for club(s) relegated from the Premier League.
7. A revised all-through distribution model will be put in place to provide: a) An all-through distribution model for clubs 1-22 and a minimum guarantee for 20 clubs in Leagues 1 & 2, equivalent to what they would earn under the current settlement agreement.
8. A Pyramid System will be put in place which open up the bottom of League 2 effective from the end of season 2013/2014 with the first opportunity for promoted clubs to enter the league being 2014/15 thus allowing for licensing to take place.
9. Consolidation below the Third Division to take place to create a Lowland & Highland League structure effective 2014/15 with appropriate play-offs and promotion/relegation to be put in place. Clubs to be briefed that the previous season 2013/2014 will involve the opportunity to enter play-offs for the first time.
In terms of actions/timings I think the following needs to happen in this coming week:
A) A joint statement today from all 3 bodies confirming that productive discussions have taken place on a new blueprint for Scottish football. Consultation will continue over the next two weeks with a view to clubs getting together week commencing 2nd July to try and agree the way forward. (D Broadfoot to provide this and circulate to DL/ND for approval)
B) Rod P / Jim B to finalise the all-through financial model by Wednesday this week latest.
C) Neil / David to finalise the detail on Governance, Commercials and Play-Offs (ideally Monday/Tuesday) and incorporate these, plus the financials in B) above into a legally binding Heads of Terms ‘draft’ for presentation to each league body w/c 2nd July.
D) DL to organise SFL Board Meeting w/c 25th June to gain buy-in to the plan and also arrange an all club meeting w/c 2nd July
E) ND to gain support from SPL Clubs 28th June
F) SFL Clubs Meeting to be planned for 3rd July
G) SPL Club Meeting to be planned for 4th July
H) Scottish FA Board to sign off on the final plan post 4th July. Subject to approval all bodies (including Newco) to sign legal documentation.
I) Agree joint communication strategy
J) In parallel to A-D above, could Rod Petrie please brief Charles Green confidentially on the discussions from a Scottish FA perspective so that there are ‘no surprises’ and there is a general acceptance of the plan plus all of the other conditions discussed e.g. transfer embargo, fines, repayment of football debt, waiving rights to legal challenge, acceptance of relegation and so on.
K) Andrew to ensure our check list of disclosures relating to Newco and Fit & Proper Person criteria are delivered by 2nd july. The Board will need these plus the Heads of Terms above in order to complete this plan.
The Scottish FA Board have agreed to provide a one-off restructuring budget of £1m on condition the above plan is delivered.
I hope this covers everything.
Speak soon….now off to the airport!
Regards
Stewart”
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There are 31 comments on this post
I guess Alex that you find it astonishing that this behaviour exists within the corridors of power in the SFA.
Not me.
Paranoid they called us.
Change is on it’s way, Regan & Co must go and a place must be found for Turnbull of Raith Rovers.
The old way’s are over, transparency and integrity, that’s the future.
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I notice you don’t mention Mr Vice-President (MR Celtic resident ) Mr Eric Reilly? I wonder why.. It doesn’t “fit” into your delusional paranoid world of masonic/proddy/anti-Irish/anti-Celtic (delete as appropriate) world. The simple truth on this is that the SFA is run by The SFA Board INCLUDING Mr Reilly. The employee of said board is Mr Regan ( good pal of Mr Lawwell). Oh by the way it was the Man on the Grassy Knoll with the SFL gun what did it. Ludirous nonsens eposte don thsi site by assorted creeps, freaks and geeks!
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Dear,The Simple,are you Marty in disguise?
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Erm…. Eric Reilly sits on the SPL board, not the SFA board!
He’s also not mentioned because he wasn’t a recipient of the email; but hey, that probably doesn’t fit with your “they’re all out to get us” delusion……………
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Not a single word about fans opinions, which thankfully the SFL member clubs were only too well aware.
Regan’s position is untenable and you might think he must go, but Ogilvie, in spite of everything, still hangs on grimly, so its reasonable to assume Regan will attempt to do the same.
Shameful.
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He misjudged the total lack of confidence in the SFA as a ruling body and how this undermined any trust in their motives.
Allowing Campbell Ogilve to stay was a major error in this respect.
Lack of understanding of meeting the feelings of supporters by lack of inclusion of them as stakeholders in our game is shown by his proposed governance structure. Including supporters was I think a recommendation of McLeish review. The SFA did not take it seriously enough. They will have to now. What he should have done to restore trust was recommended at
http://celticunderground.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=856:in-whom-do-we-trust&catid=47:season-2011-2012&Itemid=83
before Rangers entered administration. The propsals then are even stronger now. He identified Rangers too closely as being Scottish football and he, the msm and the game need to realise,that is work in the reality,that those days have gone.
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Thanks Alex ,i would use words like,incredible,shocking,unbelievable but not where this MOB are concerned.STV and their cronies didnt help on Thursday ,when you tried to speak the truth,talking over you .Stick to your guns and come out shooting pal
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Wow…..just wow!
Is Regn still here?
Is Dungcaster still here?
Hibees! Are you guys sure you want Petrie hanging around?
This is shirley grounds for a vote of no confidence if not grounds for dismissal
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Scottish football fans always believed the SFA was merely an extension of Rangers with incidents in the past being proof of that, the Jim Farry affair being the most memorable.
I dont think many thought Stewart Regan would be so much in the Rangers camp having not long been in the job and was considered a breath of fresh air having never before been involved in Scottish Football.
This leaked memo shows us all how wrong we were to give Mr Regan the benefit of the doubt and it also perhaps answers some of the question as to how it was ever possible that Rangers could field ineligible players for years and years and years on end and to have gone unnoticed right under the noses of the SFA despite them being our governing body.
Well done Tomo for exposing our Footballing Governing Bodies for what they are.
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If Scotland’s Bard, Robert Burns were alive today, he might well have wielded his quill to reflect the feelings of Scottish football supporters towards the current Heirarchy :
“To A Mouse,…” (Mr.Stewart Regan Esq.)
“Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie,…”
Then: “To A Louse” (Mr. Neil Doncaster Esq.”
“Ha! whaur ye gaun, ye crowlin’ ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly,….
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn’d by saunt an’ sinner…”
I couldn’t have put it better myself.
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“…The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ (lice)
Gang aft agley…”
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What a shambles, (1) “rangers…relegated” = not possible (2) “legally binding…..DRAFT” = illogical (3)back door briefing to Charles Green = extremely dodgy (4) newco to sign legal documentation = should that not be the relegated rangers he mentions earlier and surely he cannot mean the newco which is not even a member of the SFA or was the plan to quietly admit them before signing. What a shambles, and all those seem to be going along with it must surely be called to task.
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‘SR talks about RFC being “relegated” which isn’t possible since it’s liquidated, not relegated’.
Only the old company will be liquidated, Alex – and even that hasn’t happened yet. The club was around before the limited company and will go on after it too.
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Do you think if you keep spouting that nonsense long enough you’ll eventually wear us all down and we’ll agree with you?
You’ll have a long wait. Club = company = dead.
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Unbelievable. Corruption in smoke filled rooms. Sporting integrity – what sporting integrity in the Scottish game? Time to clean out the stable and start again.
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The club called Glasgow Rangers, formed in 1873, is dead; it no longer exists and is consigned to history. What is extremely disturbing however is that certain Scottish football officials and media elements are so desperate for a newco Rangers club to be parachuted into the SPL or Division 1 that they are totally prepared to completely ignore existing football rules OR make new ones up as they go along.
Shamefully there has been so much disgraceful spindoctoring, misinformation and scaremongering from sympathetic ‘Rangers’ elements within the various Scottish football authorities and Laptop Loyal media that many decent people feel very confused. Talk about TV deals, finance and restructuring has left many feeling they are being bullied and put under pressure to suit the Rangers agenda and it is causing so much anger within the game.
It is very simple; the shamed club formerly known as Rangers should go to Division 3 and be thankful they are still involved in Scottish football. These rotten elements within the Scottish game and Rangers media should continue to be exposed for their sinister antics and this Alex is where your role becomes so important. Scotland will NEVER admit what is going on there; brilliant, honest journalists like you have to counteract them and tell the truth. Once again sir take a bow and I wish you well.
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Not conviced that Sevco Scotland Ltd is a proper person to operate a football club, it will be interesting to see how the SFA deal with that, but with Regan still there and Ogilvie, no doubt a way will be found.
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SB Belfast
You are wrong
Rangers FC formed in 1872, is still alive, with it’s history intact.
Only Rangers FC LTD formed 1899, that then became a PLC, has gone.
Like Leeds, Fiorintina etc, our History is still ongoing, no matter, how hard you try and convince everybody of different.
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One further point Al, since you’re quoting other clubs. Leeds weren’t liquidated. Nor was Fiorentina. Middlesbrough were. In 1986. Now go and look at the club badge Middlebrough wear on their shirts nowadays.
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That should be the Middlesbrough badge between 1986-2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Middlesbrough_crest_old.png
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If this email is valid (and I have no reason to blieve it is not) I fail to see how Regan can remain in post. Aside from having gone behind the backs of the clubs, he is now revealed as supporting a strategy that has been totally rejected by the members of both the SPL and SFL. What credibility has he? The clubs have made the correct decisions – good luck to all of them. Time for a change of leadership at the top.
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Can someone tell me the big problem with this email? I’m not a big football fan, but I am Scottish, and would like the Scottish league to work better. The email seems to be suggesting a streamlining of the Scottish system – merging SPL and SFL, which seems a good thing. People have been complaining for ages that there’s too much bureaucracy in the Scottish game. Why the outrage at people trying to make the game better?
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I can only agree with you. The email is a collation of the collective thoughts of the SFA not just one man. They seem to be pressing for much needed change, which I am sure that everyone would welcome.
It may look dodgy purely because of the timing of events but the main players in the Scottish game are all asking for change and it would be incredulous to believe that they are not all aware of what is happening.
This whole email looks like perfectly normal business practice and sure, the words can be twisted, but it really does seem that this is a non-event.
Sorry Alex, I think you have missed the target with this one but keep pushing hard to get to the truth about what is going on.
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Regan & Doncaster to go… SPL & SFL to merge>
But we must address the snoozefest of the current situation – we are all fed up with the current system and so here’s my take on what could be a prospective blueprint for taking Scottish Football forwards:
16 team SPL
(Existing 12 members + 4 from SFL1)
Play 15 home and 15 away……. 30 games so far
Then split with 4 groups of 4 points gained from post-split added to points total pre-split as before:
Teams 1-4 play each other (3 home/3 away) to determine SPL winner and 2nd place for UCL qualifier spot, 3rd enter Europa League
Teams 5-8 play each other (3 home/3 away) to determine Europa league play-off spot*
Teams 9-12 play each other (3 home/3 away) to determine Europa league play-off spot*
Teams 13-16 play each other (3 home/3 away) to determine relegation**
Now all 16 teams will have played 36 league games.
*Teams 5 & 9 enter EL play off final at Hampden
**Teams 15 & 16 Relegated, Team 14 v Team 3 (SFL1) in play-off at Hampden for SPL status next season
16 team SFL1
(Merger of remaining 6 SFL1 teams + 10 SFL2)
Play 15 home and 15 away……. 30 games so far……. SFL1 Winner & Team 2 promoted, Team 3 in play-off with SPL Team 14
Teams 15 & 16 Relegated, Team 14 v Team 3 (SFL2) in play-off at Hampden for SFL1 status next season
16 team SFL2
(Former SFL3 10 teams + 6 new teams***)
Play 15 home and 15 away……. 30 games so far……. SFL2 Winner & Team 2 promoted, Team 3 in play-off with SFL1 Team 14
*** 6 teams to POTENTIALLY include Celtic B, Aberdeen B, Hearts B, Hibernian B, Dundee United B & Spartan . All “B” teams former U19 teams – therefore similar setup to Spanish Leagues with big clubs able to field B teams in lower tiers. Thus opportunity to hold “NEW” Old Firm games with Sevco in Lowest Tier.
SFL Challenge Cup
(Cup for SFL1 & SFL2 teams only)
All 32 Clubs (16 SFL1 + 16 SFL2) to be placed into 8 groups of 4 teams (a la Champions League) whereby each team has 3 home / 3 away fixtures. These fixtures provide the necessary additional games as league only covers 30 games.
Thereafter the 8 group winners go through to KO stage : QF, SF and then Final at Hampden. These games played in midweek to allow league fixtures for weekends only.
I believe these proposals would encourage the passion and reignite the fans to come back and watch Football with more excitement and chase for European Places etc. The bonus is the rivalry between Celtic and Sevco can be formed in SFL2!
Therefore TV and other commercial avenues can be explored for Scottish Football as a reformed competition for all!
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Sorry mate but that’s way toooooo much football. I agree with a 16 team SFL/SPL1 but that should be 30 games – we need to cut down on matches not increase them. Under your proposal there would be 30 + 6 play off = 36 then Challenge Cup 6 + 3 for winners = 45 matches and that’s without Europe, League Cup and Internationls! With so much better football televised, I think people are tired of football and in Scotlands’ case, less would definitely be more. However, I remain open to suggestions.
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Hi john
The challenge Cup is for SFL clubs only , not SPL.
36 game SPL is based on Belgium model to allow competition to continue even mid table otherwise it’s just about who finishes 2nd and who’s relegated.
the SFL1 and SFL2 have 30 games each and so the Challenge Cup is purely to keep revenue incoming
Otherwise less games = less income which very few clubs can afford to do!
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Campbell Ogilvie – whose strings is he pulling? Why has he still not resigned? Until he’s gone the job of cleaning the SFA out will not be done.
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PIEGATE THE LATEST SCANDAL TO COME TO LIGHT FROM IBROX
Following a online debate about the creditors report on the 10th of
july it has come to light there is serious mistomeniors with the
catering account which a will explian below
food and beveriage sales £300k rough estimate
food and beveriage cost £900k rough estimate
period 5 months
this is from a club run under the administration and includes a period
which includes a time when every 1 was of on holiday leave.Over 12
months this leads close to £1.3million JUST IN FOOD AND BEVERIAGE this
to me looks like a bit of skull dugger
actual figures from report are £388,973 Food & Beverages Sales under
Income column then £991,155 Catering/Food and Beverage under
Expenditure column.
My interpretation (without the detail or a degree in accountancy)
would be that even allowing for a 0% profit on sales, the club spent,
in just a 5 month period that includes off season when most employees
would be gone, £602,182 on food & beverage over and above what they
sold (to fans on match days). I assume this expenditure must be on
players and other employees. And over a 12 month period that would be
a running cost of £1,445,238.
Of course, there may be a good explanation for this eg the pie’s were
being baked for £3 each but sold for only £1 each. Under such
circumstances D&P would probably argue this would be in the best
interest of creditors as it keep the pie
this to me looks very much like a thief and should be highlighted to
the police as any money lost during the admin period amounts to
stealing from creditors
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Has the newco got a chance of a licence?
Have people realised that Rangers cant be punished as they don’t exist at present?
The remnants of Rangers are gettinga By into the league,as they don’t have the accounts,but if they use the old Rangers accounts then they must also take some of the debts that go with they accounts,is that about right?
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Alex, It seems a bit obtuse of me to raise the subject of the former Rangers whilst you are engaged in reporting on the genocide that’s going on in Syria but on the basis that the world goes on I would ask you if you would be prepared to put your weight behind the case for pressing the Scottish football authorities to refuse a licence to Newco or Sevco to use the word Rangers in their phoenix organisation.
As I understand it, in any other business sphere, when an organisation is liquidated, the phoenix organisation is not permitted to use or profit from the use of the former name. Rangers case should be no different.
I have made this point before but somehow, people do not seem to see the significance of the name. As I see it the Rangers brand has brought the name of Scotland and Scottish football into disrepute. Most of the Glasgow media pay lip service but really don’t want to damage Rangers as they live off the Old Firm and really believe that it has some significance outside of Glasgow/west central Scotland/Northern Ireland. It doesn’t. I don’t recall these same people claiming the imminent demise of the Scottish game when they were salivating at the prospect of Man. Utd. and Chelsea etc. coming to Glasgow every week as the O.F. flaunted themselves before the EPL.
Rangers(Oldco) should probably be stripped of titles won whilst they were involved in financial doping but just as importantly, any newco should not be able to benefit from the Oldco history and SFA records for them should start from scratch.
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OLDCO NEWCO still GLASGOW RANGERS FC SIMPLE THE BEST COME ON THE GERS LETS GET BACK UP THERE WERE WE BELONG ONLY ONE TEAM IN GLASGOW
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