Leeds get lifeline

[RedRover45]

Cellino decision overturned and he is now able to take over Leeds. Unbelievable 

[afro goal machine]

Wonder how much that cost him ????

[GM-MarkB]

Meanwhile...somewhere near Elland Road......

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CX20bBNJE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CX20bBNJE</a>

[RedRover45]

Meanwhile...somewhere near Elland Road......

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CX20bBNJE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2CX20bBNJE</a>

Ha ha ha brilliant...

[Filo]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

[Sprotyrover]

Good luck to him it's a  reight sinkhole. He'll soon be skint

[i_ateallthepies]

Best thing that could happen to them.  Can't wait for him to run them into the ground.

[WBDRFC]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

It's not that shocking when you look at the facts. It is all about his recent conviction for evading import duties on a yacht. His previous convictions from the 1990s and early 2000s are spent and cannot be taken into account under the FL's own rules.

The evading of import duties does seem to be a bit debatable. He lives in Miami and owned a US-registered yacht through a US-based trust. The Italian authorities thought he should pay import duties in Italy, even though it doesn't appear to be anything to do with Italy (quite a common thing for the Italian authorities to do, especially as the country is almost bankrupt). The FL had claimed this was "an act of dishonesty" (the disqualifying reason they gave). Any half-decent lawyer would have been able to argue otherwise, as Cellino's lawyer obviously did.

[Donnywolf]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

Now they should make him find a "fit and proper" Club to finance

[ravenrover]

My understanding was the appeal was won on a technicality, FA said he was guilty of fraud he claimed because the decision was under appeal he hadn't actually become guilty, The QC agreed, FA should now say that they will wait until the appeal is heard before they make their decision JMHO

[silent majority]

It'll all end in tears. He's a wrong 'un. No doubt.

Expect the government to legislate in this area, it's the excuse they've been looking for.

[River Don]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

It's not that shocking when you look at the facts. It is all about his recent conviction for evading import duties on a yacht. His previous convictions from the 1990s and early 2000s are spent and cannot be taken into account under the FL's own rules.

The evading of import duties does seem to be a bit debatable. He lives in Miami and owned a US-registered yacht through a US-based trust. The Italian authorities thought he should pay import duties in Italy, even though it doesn't appear to be anything to do with Italy (quite a common thing for the Italian authorities to do, especially as the country is almost bankrupt). The FL had claimed this was "an act of dishonesty" (the disqualifying reason they gave). Any half-decent lawyer would have been able to argue otherwise, as Cellino's lawyer obviously did.

So he has previous and he's been caught avoiding paying tax basically the bloke is dodgy. It seems to me the FL have been bending over backwards to accommodate him.

It will be interestng to see how it all works out.

[RedJ]

You can bet he'd have been told where to go had this been involving a smaller club.. but we can't be having big clubs like Leeds go to the wall can we?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It means anyone who has an appalling business record including previos convictions can be get their hands on a club as long as they are not serving time. Anyway, McDermott must have spent the afternoon packing.

[Lifelong supporter]

It'll all end in tears. He's a wrong 'un. No doubt.

Expect the government to legislate in this area, it's the excuse they've been looking for.

You've got more faith in the government than me.
Besides, what exactly can they do?

[albie]

Well, the proposed changes here would be a start;
http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/europe/14423-british-government-acts-to-shake-up-english-football-s-transparency-and-governance

I assume the lifeline in the OP does not have a noose on the end.....Time will tell?

[WBDRFC]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

It's not that shocking when you look at the facts. It is all about his recent conviction for evading import duties on a yacht. His previous convictions from the 1990s and early 2000s are spent and cannot be taken into account under the FL's own rules.

The evading of import duties does seem to be a bit debatable. He lives in Miami and owned a US-registered yacht through a US-based trust. The Italian authorities thought he should pay import duties in Italy, even though it doesn't appear to be anything to do with Italy (quite a common thing for the Italian authorities to do, especially as the country is almost bankrupt). The FL had claimed this was "an act of dishonesty" (the disqualifying reason they gave). Any half-decent lawyer would have been able to argue otherwise, as Cellino's lawyer obviously did.

So he has previous and he's been caught avoiding paying tax basically the bloke is dodgy. It seems to me the FL have been bending over backwards to accommodate him.

It will be interestng to see how it all works out.

1. This wasn't the FL's decision - it was an independent QC who dealt with the appeal. The FL themselves are not at all happy with the appeal outcome, and are considering their options.
2. The previous things he was convicted of are spent - legally, and under the FL's rules, spent convictions are immaterial.
3. He's been caught not paying tax (no mention of evasion or avoidance) that many would say the Italians have no jurisdiction over. The Italians have been acting dodgy recently in claiming tax that they have no right to.

[River Don]

Why have a fit and proper persons test?

Shocking decision!

It's not that shocking when you look at the facts. It is all about his recent conviction for evading import duties on a yacht. His previous convictions from the 1990s and early 2000s are spent and cannot be taken into account under the FL's own rules.

The evading of import duties does seem to be a bit debatable. He lives in Miami and owned a US-registered yacht through a US-based trust. The Italian authorities thought he should pay import duties in Italy, even though it doesn't appear to be anything to do with Italy (quite a common thing for the Italian authorities to do, especially as the country is almost bankrupt). The FL had claimed this was "an act of dishonesty" (the disqualifying reason they gave). Any half-decent lawyer would have been able to argue otherwise, as Cellino's lawyer obviously did.

So he has previous and he's been caught avoiding paying tax basically the bloke is dodgy. It seems to me the FL have been bending over backwards to accommodate him.

It will be interestng to see how it all works out.

1. This wasn't the FL's decision - it was an independent QC who dealt with the appeal. The FL themselves are not at all happy with the appeal outcome, and are considering their options.
2. The previous things he was convicted of are spent - legally, and under the FL's rules, spent convictions are immaterial.
3. He's been caught not paying tax (no mention of evasion or avoidance) that many would say the Italians have no jurisdiction over. The Italians have been acting dodgy recently in claiming tax that they have no right to.

Whatever.

Good luck to them, we'll see how it turns out. If I was a Leeds fan I don't think I'd be happy.

[The Red Baron]

Must admit, I laughed out loud when I heard this.

I'm not surprised at all. All it proves is that the Football League's rules are poorly drafted and in terms of governance the League are little more than a doormat. You only have to look at what happened with Coventry and Portsmouth to see that.

In the short term, it is good news for Leeds as they won't now be going into administration. Long term? I doubt Leeds and Cellino really are a match made in heaven.

[LincsRover]

A dodgy tax evading character with convictions and L**ds - sounds exactly like a match made in heaven! Hope it all goes t*ts up and he turns out to be another Ridsdale/Bates!

Fit and proper person my arse!

 

[BobG]

There's an art to choosing a specialist, any specialist, you know. In this case it is a QC. In government circles, when there's an enquiry into something and the Govt wants a particular outcome, they always choose someone who is ambitious, or has some other issue, as the leading light. That way the Govt can set out the terms of reference, and offer guidance,  without ever being involved in the actual process. Yet, surprisingly, the result almost, almost always comes in the way the Govt wants. About the only one that didn't that I can think of off the top of my head was the Clive Ponting affair. And that must be 30 years ago now almost. The FL will have done the same. Anybody, in charge of a system where others are being brought in, always has the whip hand. He might have been a QC, but he will have known, definitely, that if Leeds went into administration, the consequences would not be those the FL were looking for. QED I'm afraid.

BobG

[The Red Baron]

Bob- I take your point about "independent experts" and I'll add the infamous Lord Hutton! However, I'm not sure whether this would be the outcome the FL wanted. Yes, I doubt they want Leeds to go into administration and get relegated to League One as a result, but on the other hand all this has proved is that their "owners and directors test" isn't worth the paper its written on.

[silent majority]

As I've said before this will have consequences, and my email inbox is testament to that.

Over the last couple of years the FL and PL have worked very closely in getting the 'Owners and Directors' test more fit for purpose, and the PL have thrown more money at it so as to avoid another Portsmouth situation. This will not be the last you will hear of this. The FL cannot be allowed to see their rules on club ownership overruled in this way.

[Wellington Vaults]

The Football League eh? Whose Chief Executive is Shaun Harvey, whose CV includes taking Scarborough (twice), Bradford City and Leeds united into admin.  The same CEO who, as Ken Bates right hand man, supervised the re-purchase of the club in a manner that bordered on fraudulent.  The same impartial operator who is rumoured in the last week to have introduced a group of Malaysian "Businessmen" as prospective rivals to Cellino for the purchase of the club.

Cellino is less than discrete and if, as he promises to do, he buys back Elland Road for LUFC, a good starting point in negotiations will be to identify who currently owns it.  Harvey and Bates always claimed, ridiculously, that they did not know who this was, despite paying several £million  a year in rent.  Perhaps Mr Harvey is now slightly uncomfortable that the owners will be identified?  Perhaps it was Cuddly Ken after all.

Perhaps the Football League ought to introduce a Fit and Proper test for its board of directors, which includes a member of the Oyston clan at Blackpool?

Have you seen the film of Lord of The Rings? They should have looked no further than the esteemed Mr Harvey when casting Wormtongue.

[silent majority]

Wellington,

Thanks for typing all that out, I'm well aware of Shaun Harvey's history.

[The Red Baron]

As I've said before this will have consequences, and my email inbox is testament to that.

Over the last couple of years the FL and PL have worked very closely in getting the 'Owners and Directors' test more fit for purpose, and the PL have thrown more money at it so as to avoid another Portsmouth situation. This will not be the last you will hear of this. The FL cannot be allowed to see their rules on club ownership overruled in this way.

I'm sure it won't be, SM. But the fact is that this case has blown a huge hole in the test. The FL and PL need to go back to the drawing board.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The spent conviction thing needs looking at. Should anyone with previous criminal convictions relating to their business activities be allowed? And surely anyone with any tax offences must be considered risky.

[Filo]

Personally I think UEFA and FIFA need to take a lead and stop multi ownership of clubs internationally, whats to stop owners such as Cellino filtering funds from one club to prop up another club in another Country?

[BobG]

And if someone happened to own two successful clubs, each in a different country, what would happen if they happened to be drawn against each other in the EUFA Cup or something? (And I know that don't exist anymore. I'm a Luddite).

BobG

[WBDRFC]

The spent conviction thing needs looking at. Should anyone with previous criminal convictions relating to their business activities be allowed? And surely anyone with any tax offences must be considered risky.

I agree with you, with regards to UK convictions. But I have zero faith in the Italian judicial system. I wouldn't trust the Italian authorities to be fair or impartial - there's too much corruption in the country.