Jump to content

Livingston - all the threads merged


Recommended Posts

Interesting piece in the SoS today. If the paperwork the reporter has is accurate, SFL may be asked a couple of awkward questions tomorrow.

Having said that, Neil Rankine has no business claiming the moral high ground. He is a charlatan of the highest order and I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. For him to criticise McMaster is blatant hypocrisy given his involvement with East Fife (oh, sorry, it is his young niece who has the shares there).

He also should be hauled over the coals for his dealings with Donny McIntyre.

As for tomorrow, I reckon all of the stories emanating from Rankine/Livi 5 direction over the past couple of weeks has been part of a strategy to undermine and discredit the SFL and their decision and really plant a seed of doubt into the minds of SFA appeal hearing committee.

I really hope it is all over by this time tomorrow and if Livi are reinstated to the First Division then it will be very interesting to see 1) why? and 2) what the ramifications will be for some of the key officials involved in this hopeless affair.

Longmuir continues to spout that "SFL have handled this issue impeccably" but he is talking tosh. The handling of this matter has been questionable at best and I really hope an independent board, with no conflicts of interest, is set up to decide on issues such as this in our game.

Edited by southview
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting piece in the SoS today. If the paperwork the reporter has is accurate, SFL may be asked a couple of awkward questions tomorrow.

Having said that, Neil Rankine has no business claiming the moral high ground. He is a charlatan of the highest order and I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. For him to criticise McMaster is blatant hypocrisy given his involvement with East Fife (oh, sorry, it is his young niece who has the shares there).

That was my initial reaction. Quite what Neil Rankine (who installed a 12-year-old girl as majority shareholder in East Fife) is doing casting aspertions people for quasi-dual shareholdings is moot.

In principal, there isn't anything wrong IMO with an individual holding shares concurrently in 2 clubs provided [1] this is not a permanent scenario (i.e. part of a temporary arrangement, like when you're buying a new house and selling your old one); and [2] you report it to and receive approval from the relevant football authorities. It appears McMaster has done that in this case.

What was more disturbing from the SoS reports was: [1] suggestions that a secret meeting, not minuted, was held between some SFL reps (but not Longmuir or the Office Bearers?) and Livi 5, between the first (stay in Div 1) and second (go to Div 3) official meetings; and [2], claims that Ballantyne actively participated in those official meetings, although he didn't cast a proper vote.

As regards tomorrow's appeal... unless there is clear evidence that the SFL directly breached it's own rules in dealing with Livi (not all the other stuff over McIntyre etc.) OR unless Livi suddenly can prove they were never in "a form of insolvency practitionership"... I think the most the SFA tribunal can and should do is send it back to an SFL SGM for a second look. That will give all the SFL clubs an opportunity, free of bias from officialdom etc., to pass final judgement on the case.

Ideally the SFA would conduct a review of the SFL - but that simply isn't going to happen IMO...

:(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt it will be all over tomorrow, no doubt there are a lot more things to come to light yet. :(

I think it's unlikely (but still very possible; maybe 35% odds?) that the SFA tribunal will throw out Livi's appeal entirely, or uphold in entirely. I think it's most likely they'll send it back to the SFL + make some "observations" for them to consider. (The more severe their "observations", the more difficult it will be for the SFL or its clubs to ignore them). For me, this is really the best scenario.

If the appeal is thrown out, I can't really see what Livi can do. They can appeal to CAS over in Switzerland... but [1] this will take a long time and a lot of money; and [2] there is grey area in terms of the fact that the SFL rules don't include an option for appeal to CAS (which - in theory - could require an appeal to the SFA and/or FIFA first to clear a route for an appeal to CAS :blink: ).

I really cannot forsee a situation where Livi - Neil Rankine and Gordon McDougall riding up front - take this into the Law Courts. To date, no-one has actually proved anything ILLEGAL has occurred.

If the appeal is upheld entirely, and the SFA tribunal propose re-instating Livi to Div 1, then I'd be very surprised if there isn't massive fall-out including a counter-appeal/legal action/question of competency by the SFL. If the SFL haven't clearly broken their own rules in punishing Livi for their financial misdemeanours, then it's hard to see SFL accepting SFA wiping out their decision.

If the SFA does throw out the appeal, or send it back to the SFL who them ratify the demotion to Div 3, then I believe seperate action should be taken by SFL for the scratching incident v ES.

Edited by HibeeJibee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahoj!

The judge refused to turn up. Lord Maclean said he was a top level judge, and there was no way he would take part a lower level dispute. A spokesman for Livingston United said they were disgusted by the inconvenience caused to them and all the other people involved.

ROTFL!

Excellent joke!

Borys

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The judge refused to turn up. Lord Maclean said he was a top level judge, and there was no way he would take part a lower level dispute. A spokesman for Livingston United said they were disgusted by the inconvenience caused to them and all the other people involved.

:D

The judge should be docked twenty points for this B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...