Celtic Player Football Debts March 1994: Charlie Nicholas owed £100,000 by Celtic for over 3 Years then given Dempsey Land/House Tax Avoidance/Side Deal/Football Debt deal.

Celtic’s Bankruptcy Threat Trigger was March 1994 Sheffield United Demand for £350,000 for Willie Falconer

In fact it was demands for a player debt that prompted the Bank Of Scotland to call in Celtic’s overdraft. Willie Falconer was signed in January 1994 from Sheffield Untied for £350,000 and it was the demand for that full football debt be paid on 3rd March 1994 that triggered the bankruptcy threat.

Charlie Nicholas and the £100,000 Tax Avoidance Land/House deal

Charlie Nicholas was owed £100,000 from when he re-signed in September 1990. If this related to the tax avoidance land/house scheme of Brian Dempsey created mentioned in Michael Kelly’s ‘Paradise Lost’ book? it would appear so.

So this debt/deal was not cleared at March 1994 when the takeover was happening and Michael Kelly left the board. Lou Macari released Nicholas in May 1994 but then re-signed by Tommy Burns when he replaced Macari in June 1994.

This is shocking that Nicholas had to wait 3 and a half seasons (from Sept 1990 until March 94) to get his land/house tax avoidance deal payment.

Q. So how many times was this ticked off by the SFA or even worse the SFA didn’t know SFA all about the Tax Avoidance, Side Deal and Football Debt?

Lee Martin signing from Manchester United March 1994

Just before the takeover Celtic signed Lee Martin from Man Utd. However there was a dispute between Celtic and Man Utd about the price. Man Utd wanted £500,000 and Celtic £150,000 so it went to Tribunal which set the price at £350,000. So that had to be settled before the start of the 1994/95 season.

SFA Sporting Integrity Missing 1994

If Fergus McCann’s money used to clear these football debts above when he took over in March 1994 then why did the SFA allow Celtic not to clear the Stoke City debt due for Lou Macari’s move to become Celtic’s manager not cleared until the start of the 1994/1995 season after October 1994?

Did the SFA know about Charlie Nicholas’s debt/deal? Did they approve the carrying over for 3 and a half years? Or was it concealed until Fergus McCann rode to the rescue and cleaned up? 

Given the hammering Rangers experienced, for historic player contract issues, from the SFA then why was the SFA treating Celtic given free passes regarding player deals over several seasons before the Fergus McCann takeover? If Rangers player contracts were opened up as to what was known by SFA and what was not then why should these Celtic player deals remain un-examined?

Will Ian Maxwell answer these questions or will he be like the Invisible man, Murdoch MacLennan?

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