This man

[shaun.lawson]

 

Has any owner in the whole history of British football ever been as vindicated by events as he has?

 

He said the game was corrupt. He was right.

 

He said it was run by a mafia. He was right.

 

He said the media monkeys would never tell the truth about this mafia. Other than Mark Daly and Alex Thomson - who were never monkeys to begin with, of course, but real, genuine, investigative journalists with real, genuine integrity in their work - he was right.

 

Many of us ridiculed him for much of what he said. I know I did. I can only apologise to him for that - because he was right. All along, he was right.

 

And within this corrupt, sordid, abomination of a so-called 'sport' that is Scottish football, he's still making huge debt for equity conversions, still guaranteeing the future of the club, still helping us make inspired managerial appointments and bring in players enabling us to win another Scottish Cup on the greatest weekend of many Hearts supporters' lives?

 

What a man. Seriously. What. A. Man. Every one of us owes him a huge debt of thanks. He should be knighted for services not just to Hearts - but to truth and justice if you ask me.

 

[tartofmidlothian]

A big for this post, Shaun. Completely agree.

 

Just back from the pub and feeling the love, are we?

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

But MAD VALD sacked Burley and WE WOULD'VE WON THE LEAGUE! VALD GTF!

 

Actually, you are spot on Shaun. Divorce Vlad the team selector from Vlad the owner and every single allegation he made, in whatever colourful language he dressed it, has been borne out.

 

The question is, who is brave enough to clean the rancid Augean stable that is the game in Scotland?

 

 

[ToadKiller Dog]

I think in 20 years time we will look back on him as the most important single person in our modern era of the clubs history .

 

To think about the beebs joke of a documentary about him which found nothing . One thing I am sure of is that Uncle Vlad ain't mad .

They changed the rules to punish him while Dungcaster and chairmen are looking to change the rules so they don't have to properly punish newco rangers . It's scottish football that's mad bad and corrupt not our Vlad .

[wibble]

I recall being about the last man standing who backed Vlads claims and you, Shaun, were screaming hysterically that I was as deluded and deranged as Vlad himself.

If I could be arsed looking for the posts you'd be rightly ashamed.

I accept your apology :greggy:.

[shaun.lawson]

I recall being about the last man standing who backed Vlads claims and you, Shaun, were screaming hysterically that I was as deluded and deranged as Vlad himself.

If I could be arsed looking for the posts you'd be rightly ashamed.

I accept your apology :greggy:.

 

I've no doubt I was. You were right too, and yes, I do apologise - as I do to everyone else I've argued with on this over the years.

 

Like Mozart or Martin Peters, he was ahead of his time. Mere mortals like myself just did not understand. I hope I do now, though.

[I.T.K]

The worst thing about it... is that he wants to sell. To me that means he has given up trying to invest and make a change.

 

From a Scotland perspective it show there is just no reason to invest in the SPL unless you are the OF.

[Rudolf's Mate]

How about a pettition to SFA to get his fines refunded?

[Pants Shaton]

OK

[kingantti1874]

Bang on the money Shaun, mad as a hatter but absolutely correct in what he has said.. I'm very surprised he hasn't brought up the subject of the fines

[Do The Dance]

The above is true, but he still made some mental decisions.

[red]

I wish Vlad would reconsider selling us, doubtful but what a chance to flourish we have

[Dr Lager]

Or as he is now known, Sane Vlad. It's a pity all his quotes about the game were such bizarre rants otherwise his complaints might have carried more weight. Also spending so much money on so many rubbish players.

[Drylaw Hearts]

The game isn't corrupt.

 

As for Rangers.....it looks pretty much like they have been involved in a lot of dodgy stuff over the years but we cannot label our entire game 'corrupt' because of the actions of one club.

 

We can't even blame the SFA or SPL for Rangers activities as there is no way they could have known about these backhanded payments. Even now we still don't know if they're illegal.

 

As for the media....we all know, and have known for years, that they have and will continue to pander to the OF. Again this is nothing to do with the SFA or SPL.

 

 

Let's not pretend VR knew anything about Rangers and their possibly illegal EBT's.

 

But along with the rest of us he knew that SDM had the press in his back pocket - but he only realised just how much after he wined and dined thsee same guys, after a Scotland match in Lithuania, and failed to get them on board.

 

Maybe VR's lamb just wasn't succulent enough.

 

[Drylaw Hearts]

.

[reaths17]

The game isn't corrupt.

 

As for Rangers.....it looks pretty much like they have been involved in a lot of dodgy stuff over the years but we cannot label our entire game 'corrupt' because of the actions of one club.

 

We can't even blame the SFA or SPL for Rangers activities as there is no way they could have known about these backhanded payments. Even now we still don't know if they're illegal.

 

As for the media....we all know, and have known for years, that they have and will continue to pander to the OF. Again this is nothing to do with the SFA or SPL.

 

 

Let's not pretend VR knew anything about Rangers and their possibly illegal EBT's.

 

But along with the rest of us he knew that SDM had the press in his back pocket - but he only realised just how much after he wined and dined thsee same guys, after a Scotland match in Lithuania, and failed to get them on board.

 

Maybe VR's lamb just wasn't succulent enough.

 

 

 

these ruling bodies were polluted by people belong to the accused football club and are also accused of receiving these illegal payments. that sounds to me like the criminals are policing themselves, pretty sure that equates to corrupt

[Drylaw Hearts]

these ruling bodies were polluted by people belong to the accused football club and are also accused of receiving these illegal payments. that sounds to me like the criminals are policing themselves, pretty sure that equates to corrupt

 

Only 2 as far as I can see.....

 

Campbell Ogilvie and Martin Bain.

 

We can't blame two separate associations for the actions of two men who just so happened to work for the club accused.

 

Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

[Guess The Crowd]

The game isn't corrupt.

 

As for Rangers.....it looks pretty much like they have been involved in a lot of dodgy stuff over the years but we cannot label our entire game 'corrupt' because of the actions of one club.

 

We can't even blame the SFA or SPL for Rangers activities as there is no way they could have known about these backhanded payments. Even now we still don't know if they're illegal.

 

As for the media....we all know, and have known for years, that they have and will continue to pander to the OF. Again this is nothing to do with the SFA or SPL.

 

 

Let's not pretend VR knew anything about Rangers and their possibly illegal EBT's.

 

But along with the rest of us he knew that SDM had the press in his back pocket - but he only realised just how much after he wined and dined thsee same guys, after a Scotland match in Lithuania, and failed to get them on board.

 

Maybe VR's lamb just wasn't succulent enough.

 

 

Good post.

[Nookie Bear]

I totally agree that Vlad has been vindicated in what he said. He only said what we all knew but he was the first in a position of power to do so......respect for that.

 

But the question is: what did he DO about it? What is GOING to do about it? If ever there was a time for him to step forward and take leadership, this is it, but he is as quiet as a mouse and he is walking away.

[reaths17]

Only 2 as far as I can see.....

 

Campbell Ogilvie and Martin Bain.

 

We can't blame two separate associations for the actions of two men who just so happened to work for the club accused.

 

Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

 

 

i think you'll find that over the length of this there were others, gordon smith anyone. it has also become pretty clear that there were many within football/media that new exactly what was going on but chose to turn a blind eye.

[Jam Tarts 1874]

I was right all along.

 

 

[Bickfest]

The game isn't corrupt.

 

As for Rangers.....it looks pretty much like they have been involved in a lot of dodgy stuff over the years but we cannot label our entire game 'corrupt' because of the actions of one club.

 

We can't even blame the SFA or SPL for Rangers activities as there is no way they could have known about these backhanded payments. Even now we still don't know if they're illegal.

 

As for the media....we all know, and have known for years, that they have and will continue to pander to the OF. Again this is nothing to do with the SFA or SPL.

 

 

Let's not pretend VR knew anything about Rangers and their possibly illegal EBT's.

 

But along with the rest of us he knew that SDM had the press in his back pocket - but he only realised just how much after he wined and dined thsee same guys, after a Scotland match in Lithuania, and failed to get them on board.

 

Maybe VR's lamb just wasn't succulent enough.

 

DH, I know you're trying to play sensible devil's advocate, but even you must know that, in football terms, that's utter p*sh. We do know they were made, we do know they were contractual, we do know they were not part of the contracts registered with the SPL and SFA. Ergo, they were illegal.

 

And what role in football does the former Company Secretary of Rangers now hold?

[hmfc1440]

 

Has any owner in the whole history of British football ever been as vindicated by events as he has?

 

He said the game was corrupt. He was right.

 

He said it was run by a mafia. He was right.

 

He said the media monkeys would never tell the truth about this mafia. Other than Mark Daly and Alex Thomson - who were never monkeys to begin with, of course, but real, genuine, investigative journalists with real, genuine integrity in their work - he was right.

 

Many of us ridiculed him for much of what he said. I know I did. I can only apologise to him for that - because he was right. All along, he was right.

 

And within this corrupt, sordid, abomination of a so-called 'sport' that is Scottish football, he's still making huge debt for equity conversions, still guaranteeing the future of the club, still helping us make inspired managerial appointments and bring in players enabling us to win another Scottish Cup on the greatest weekend of many Hearts supporters' lives?

 

What a man. Seriously. What. A. Man. Every one of us owes him a huge debt of thanks. He should be knighted for services not just to Hearts - but to truth and justice if you ask me.

 

 

Nothing great here. Vlad was sent a deluge of faxes/emails advising him this was the case straight from the off. Pile of pash posted on here on a frequent basis.

Sure Vlad is strong in many cases and deserves credit for that but quick-on-the-uptake he ain't. Club for sale? - Jury out on that also.

[Drylaw Hearts]

I totally agree that Vlad has been vindicated in what he said. He only said what we all knew but he was the first in a position of power to do so......respect for that.

 

But the question is: what did he DO about it? What is GOING to do about it? If ever there was a time for him to step forward and take leadership, this is it, but he is as quiet as a mouse and he is walking away.

 

He's doing the right thing by saying nothing.

 

Whatever he says will not influence any decisions against Rangers.

[reaths17]

I totally agree that Vlad has been vindicated in what he said. He only said what we all knew but he was the first in a position of power to do so......respect for that.

 

But the question is: what did he DO about it? What is GOING to do about it? If ever there was a time for him to step forward and take leadership, this is it, but he is as quiet as a mouse and he is walking away.

 

 

every time he said summit he was fined or they moved the goal posts so he could be fined. i'd imagine if someone were to pay his fines for him he might be willing to tell us more on the subject of monkeys

[Bickfest]

Only 2 as far as I can see.....

 

Campbell Ogilvie and Martin Bain.

 

We can't blame two separate associations for the actions of two men who just so happened to work for the club accused.

 

Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

Yes we can, particularly if those associations do nothing to rectify the position (eg Campbell Ogilvie's role as president of the SFA). In exactly the same way as we can blame Rangers for the actions of its Directors.

[Drylaw Hearts]

DH, I know you're trying to play sensible devil's advocate, but even you must know that, in football terms, that's utter p*sh. We do know they were made, we do know they were contractual, we do know they were not part of the contracts registered with the SPL and SFA. Ergo, they were illegal.

 

And what role in football does the former Company Secretary of Rangers now hold?

 

The SFA and SPL knew nothing of these payments until HMRC start crawling about Rangers books and up until last night there was no evidence they were contractual - and this is assuming the evidence is of course real.

 

It is not unusual for Clubs to loan players money - I recall Motherwell giving John Spencer a 'loan' for about ?500,000 just a few years before they went into admin.

 

We can't have a pop at the SFA and SPL if, at the time, they knew nothing about the goings on at Rangers.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Yes we can, particularly if those associations do nothing to rectify the position (eg Campbell Ogilvie's role as president of the SFA). In exactly the same way as we can blame Rangers for the actions of its Directors.

 

I have to assume the SFA are awaiting the outcome of the HMRC v Rangers case before they act against anyone.

 

And tbf...

 

You again have to assume that everyone who took a wedge from the EBT's did indeed think this was legal at the time.

[kingantti1874]

I have to assume the SFA are awaiting the outcome of the HMRC v Rangers case before they act against anyone.

 

And tbf...

 

You again have to assume that everyone who took a wedge from the EBT's did indeed think this was legal at the time.

 

They maybe thought it was a fair way to remunerate staff.. but they also knew side contracts were strictly off limits.

[Rudolf's Mate]

The only thing which would see the SFA save face would be them pulling the huns membership!

 

As for people still saying they don't know if they've done anything illegal

[Bickfest]

The SFA and SPL knew nothing of these payments until HMRC start crawling about Rangers books and up until last night there was no evidence they were contractual - and this is assuming the evidence is of course real.

 

It is not unusual for Clubs to loan players money - I recall Motherwell giving John Spencer a 'loan' for about ?500,000 just a few years before they went into admin.

 

We can't have a pop at the SFA and SPL if, at the time, they knew nothing about the goings on at Rangers.

In June 2003, Ogilvie (then a Director and General Secretary at Rangers FC) became the Treasurer, now second vice-president, of the Scottish Football Association.

On 15 July 2008, Bain (Chief Executive Officer since 2005 at Rangers FC and a Director since 2001) was elected to the Scottish Premier League's board of directors for a second term.

 

Remind me who received loans from their own EBT's, who would have known about the existence of EBT's for players (see Hugh Adam's comments), who would have been responsible for registering players' contracts with the SPL and SFA, who would have approved Rangers' accounts as Directors and would have been party to the actual transfers of monies to the trusts? And who exactly offered to shred evidence?

 

We can, and very much should, have "pops" at both the SPL and SFA.

[Drylaw Hearts]

They maybe thought it was a fair way to remunerate staff.. but they also knew side contracts were strictly off limits.

 

Maybe the individuals didn't recognise this as second contract. It was probably paid out in lump sums and it was looked upon as a tax free bonus.

 

We are accusing a lot of players here of acting out with the laws of the game by taking money this way.

 

Maybe I'm being a bit soft...but I think most of them thought this was legit. Infact....it may still be legit.

 

 

It worries me a little how long it's taking for confirmation on whether Rangers bumped the tax man or not.

[Guest Dipped Flake]

DH, I know you're trying to play sensible devil's advocate, but even you must know that, in football terms, that's utter p*sh. We do know they were made, we do know they were contractual, we do know they were not part of the contracts registered with the SPL and SFA. Ergo, they were illegal.

 

And what role in football does the former Company Secretary of Rangers now hold?

 

No he isn't. He hates Romanov and will not allow anything to stand in the way of that. Vlad has been totally vindicated with everything he has ever said (yes it would have been nice if he had phrased things better but you try having a rant in Lithuanian and see how you get on).

[Drylaw Hearts]

In June 2003, Ogilvie (then a Director and General Secretary at Rangers FC) became the Treasurer, now second vice-president, of the Scottish Football Association.

On 15 July 2008, Bain (Chief Executive Officer since 2005 at Rangers FC and a Director since 2001) was elected to the Scottish Premier League's board of directors for a second term.

 

Remind me who received loans from their own EBT's, who would have known about the existence of EBT's for players (see Hugh Adam's comments), who would have been responsible for registering players' contracts with the SPL and SFA, who would have approved Rangers' accounts as Directors and would have been party to the actual transfers of monies to the trusts? And who exactly offered to shred evidence?

 

We can, and very much should, have "pops" at both the SPL and SFA.

 

The EBT payments were published in Rangers accounts every year and nobody thought to question it.

 

If Ogilvie and Bain have acted unlawfully then unless they've openly told others within the SFA or SPL at the time then it appears to me nobody else have done much wrong.

 

The SFA/SPL get the contracts, have a read over them, file them and job done.

 

I don't imagine they ask every club if they have second contracts on the side. And if they did....what would Rangers have said ?

 

We have to remove the Rangers element from the SFA and SPL imo as I very much doubt either of them knew a thing about an 'side contracts'.

 

If they did.....someone at Rangers would have said so by now to deflect the attention off them for a bit.

[Drylaw Hearts]

No he isn't. He hates Romanov and will not allow anything to stand in the way of that. Vlad has been totally vindicated with everything he has ever said (yes it would have been nice if he had phrased things better but you try having a rant in Lithuanian and see how you get on).

 

This has nothing to do with my feeling on VR.

 

And please don't use the 'lost in translation' bullshit as an excuse for his silly rants. It's feeble.

[Independence]

1337826350[/url]' post='2933811']

 

Has any owner in the whole history of British football ever been as vindicated by events as he has?

 

He said the game was corrupt. He was right.

 

He said it was run by a mafia. He was right.

 

He said the media monkeys would never tell the truth about this mafia. Other than Mark Daly and Alex Thomson - who were never monkeys to begin with, of course, but real, genuine, investigative journalists with real, genuine integrity in their work - he was right.

 

Many of us ridiculed him for much of what he said. I know I did. I can only apologise to him for that - because he was right. All along, he was right.

 

And within this corrupt, sordid, abomination of a so-called 'sport' that is Scottish football, he's still making huge debt for equity conversions, still guaranteeing the future of the club, still helping us make inspired managerial appointments and bring in players enabling us to win another Scottish Cup on the greatest weekend of many Hearts supporters' lives?

 

What a man. Seriously. What. A. Man. Every one of us owes him a huge debt of thanks. He should be knighted for services not just to Hearts - but to truth and justice if you ask me.

 

 

Spot on but I believed him when he made his statements! Having watched Hearts for over50 years and had to put up with the incredibly biased reporting from our monkeys in Glasgow I have agreed with him since day one!

[Independence]

1337849260[/url]' post='2934028']

This has nothing to do with my feeling on VR.

 

And please don't use the 'lost in translation' bullshit as an excuse for his silly rants. It's feeble.

 

I feel so sorry for you. Wake up man!

[Drylaw Hearts]

I feel so sorry for you. Wake up man!

 

I'm wide awake thanks.

[Nookie Bear]

I feel so sorry for you. Wake up man!

 

He's right about the 'lost in translation' bit. It is pretty feeble.

[Vlad-Stupid]

I love you Vladdy

 

 

[Drylaw Hearts]

 

Spot on but I believed him when he made his statements! Having watched Hearts for over50 years and had to put up with the incredibly biased reporting from our monkeys in Glasgow I have agreed with him since day one!

 

This is hardly earth shattering news though.

 

I stopped buying papers years ago because they were filled with Rangers and Celtic - should I get an award or something ?

[reaths17]

a new petition time i think, to have mr romanov's money returned as it cant be against any rules to speak the truth, unless they change them again

[wibble]

Drylaw, you astound me. If this isnt trolling then you need a psychological assessment.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Drylaw, you astound me. If this isnt trolling then you need a psychological assessment.

 

Ok.

[Tasavallan]

All this shan adulation is becoming weary.

 

Mr Romanov is no Nostradamus composing football prophesies in quatrains to be decoded to suit subsequent events.

 

I have DH on my ignore list but I suspect I'd be agreeing with him over this.

 

And for the record I am not, nor have I ever been, anti-Romanov but at the same time I am no lickspittle sycophant. Some on here have very short memories.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Drylaw

 

It is not a question of the payments being legal or not, maybe the EBT scheme was run correctly and Rangers will win the tax case. It is about them knowingly deceiving the SPL/SFA over player registrations with regard to not divulging the 2nd contract.

 

As far as I can see it now looks very likely that they did that in a number of instances and therefore played ineligible players in many many games. Where this impacts on the credibility of the SFA/SPL is if anyone in office at either knew about the deception over player registrations and what actions they now take against Rangers.

 

This needs cleaned up and if the SPL fail to act promptly and thoroughly then the SFA have to step in and take control for the sake of the rest of the Sport in this country.

 

My view is Rangers are over, if they start again it will need to be a new club with a new application to join the SFA and go on from there.

 

Sorry - On Topic - Vlad 100% correct from very early on in his time here.

 

I haven't questioned this highlighted bit at all....infact I've mentioned this on numerous posts.

 

If there is evidence that more than one employee of the SFA or SPL, who weren't employed by Rangers, knew what was going on then thats the time to demand action against both these bodies.

 

 

And like I said earlier.....VR was right about the media but as we all knew it was the case it gave me very little trouser movement.

[TheBigO]

But MAD VALD sacked Burley and WE WOULD'VE WON THE LEAGUE! VALD GTF!

 

Actually, you are spot on Shaun. Divorce Vlad the team selector from Vlad the owner and every single allegation he made, in whatever colourful language he dressed it, has been borne out.

 

The question is, who is brave enough to clean the rancid Augean stable that is the game in Scotland?

 

That's the point Geoff, and the point most miss.

 

As a straight up owner, he's what our game needs. He's been pretty generous financially, he speaks his mind, isn't happy with status quo and wants genuine change within our game.

 

Unfortunately his other, egotistical side is what most can't see past, and understandably because it effects on-field performance so is more obvious. He just can't keep his nose out and especially when things are going well, he'll start demanding this player must play, this player must not, and worse making wild allegations against our own players. None of this helps and if it wasn't for that and with the money he's put in, we could be in a tremendous position. Imagine we'd made it into those CL group stages!

 

But all said above, I'm more in his camp than out of it. We'd be nowhere without him. I guess the most annoying thing is how he presents his rants. The message is so often correct, but gets lost. Not sure if it's translation or intentionally cryptic, but with his views on our game, if he'd played it better and made the right allies, he could have effected genuine change.

[ToadKiller Dog]

Where has anybody stated Vlad knew the inerworking of what went on at ibrox . Vlad was correct about the workings of the SPL it is a corrupt institution and works in a style akin to the mafia , in the interest of the big families who keep the others in place by a little drip of money and fear of debt .

I don't think the clubs chairmen if the ten are themselves corrupt but have no choice but to operate in a corrupt body of the SPL .

Yes the voted its structures themselves but did they have a choice ?

The 11/1 vote is the prime example of this , the sky tv deal and the %share the old firm get . The rangers newco question as exposed how corrupt a set up the SPL is .

When you hear how SDM is alleged to have used his contacts at BOS to threaten clubs again stinks of mafia style bullying . Could this have been a tactic which shattered the breakaway 10s moves some years ago ?

 

When we were up for late wages charges it was noted by Ewen Murray that hearts had not had representation on the important SPL board for 10 years even though we had been a pernamenr member all those years .

 

Vlad noticed that the SPL was not a fit or fair organisation I agree . In my view it should be taken back into the SFA/SFL banner .the SPL needs shut down for our game to have any real chance of cleaning itself .

I don't think the SFA is corrupt but was blinded by its own rules to be an effective body , this seems to have changed under very Recent times still think it needs Uefas hand on its shoulder over the Rangers fiasco .

[Bickfest]

Drylaw

 

It is not a question of the payments being legal or not, maybe the EBT scheme was run correctly and Rangers will win the tax case. It is about them knowingly deceiving the SPL/SFA over player registrations with regard to not divulging the 2nd contract.

 

As far as I can see it now looks very likely that they did that in a number of instances and therefore played ineligible players in many many games. Where this impacts on the credibility of the SFA/SPL is if anyone in office at either knew about the deception over player registrations and what actions they now take against Rangers.

 

This needs cleaned up and if the SPL fail to act promptly and thoroughly then the SFA have to step in and take control for the sake of the rest of the Sport in this country.

 

My view is Rangers are over, if they start again it will need to be a new club with a new application to join the SFA and go on from there.

 

Sorry - On Topic - Vlad 100% correct from very early on in his time here.

With respect, BD, it is more than that. It is doing it whilst also acting as office bearers of the relevant organisations. That goes beyond mere omission/failure to report into the realms of corruption. DH is trying to differentiate between the actions of individual office bearers at Rangers and the actions of the SPL and SFA - Rangers own defence in the SFA disrepute hearing and appeal. However, as was held in that, and the appeal, the actions of officials whilst in office are the actions of the organisation. They cannot be separated or distinguished. so, if Bain and Ogilvie's actions were corrupt, it follows that the SPL and SFA can be regarded in the same light. The utterly ridiculous delay in the SPL enquiry into off-contract payments does little to dispel the odour of decay.

[Jam Tarts 1874]

All this shan adulation is becoming weary.

 

Mr Romanov is no Nostradamus composing football prophesies in quatrains to be decoded to suit subsequent events.

 

I have DH on my ignore list but I suspect I'd be agreeing with him over this.

 

And for the record I am not, nor have I ever been, anti-Romanov but at the same time I am no lickspittle sycophant. Some on here have very short memories.

 

 

Including yourself it seems. Perhaps you can't remember what Romanov has done for Hearts!