[hibeejim21]

As time goes on, it's becoming clear - transparently clear - that the punishments handed out were completely out of scale with what actually went on. The complete over-reaction of senior figures in Scottish football - particularly in claiming that Rangers' actions were akin to match-fixing (a claim that now seems, frankly, obscenely idiotic considering that EBTs are, and always have been an entirely legal framework for entirely legitimate tax avoidance) along with the media shit-storm and the publication of illegally obtained tax documents that ultimately proved nothing - led to the painting of one of the most grossly over-exaggerated pictures of misdeed ever seen.

It's impossible to imagine that the breadth of that Rangers-hating rhetoric didn't influence clubs in their decision to remove Rangers' share in the SPL and give it to Dundee, especially when you consider that some of the main protagonists of that disgraceful rhetoric were senior figures at SPL clubs themselves. That many of them allowed themselves to bow the knee to the demands of the haters in their own supports says it all. Clubs driven by hatred.

Scottish Football - including the vile hatred shown by fans who would rather their own club had died than Rangers not be severely punished - took it's biggest club, it's most successful club, the club with the single largest supporter base and therefore the club that demands the highest value for sponsors and broadcasters - and tried to kill it stone dead.

Pure hatred failed miserably, yet still they see it as the answer. When will they learn?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2161850/Rangers-crisis-Dave-King-apologises.html

‘I think we should be sorry – and I certainly am sorry,’ King told Sportsmail. ‘We owe both the Rangers fans and the Scottish footballing public an apology
Some of the representations made have betrayed more of a victim status. But I think somebody needs to apologise.
‘Clearly, that is not for Charles Green to do. But I am happy to say that I really believe we should be saying sorry and I think there is something to be sorry about.
‘And as a former director when these things were going on, I am minded to do so.
‘With regard to EBTs, I was on the board so I have to take some responsibility.
‘And I follow the logic of the argument that if we lose the tax case then we probably gained some competitive advantage.
‘I believe that, on behalf of myself and most of the board members who were with me and probably agree with me, that we should apologise for that.
‘And the way that Rangers have treated the authorities – instead of having a conversation with them around reparation – has been regrettable.
‘One of the things I would have looked at as part of a consortium in terms of funding is to try and fund them so that they could make some sort of commercial reparation to the other clubs