As I said in the earlier piece today, the so-called “Celtic tax dodge” isn’t exactly a secret. That story has been doing the rounds for a long time. I first heard it last year, and it was old even then. That might make you wonder why the story has re-surfaced now, and in a particularly virulent form.
Someone sent me some screen grabs of the presentation; a football pitch, Celtic’s “tax cheats” superimposed on it like a line-up. It’s so obviously not an investigation into tax at all; it’s a muck-raking job targeting our football club and trying to equate the behaviour of certain individuals with a connection to us with the institutional cheating and fraud which went on across the city.
Still, I find it amusing that The Daily Record is claiming to be doing investigating, a word I wasn’t even sure they knew how to spell. Since they’re in the mood, I can suggest some things they maybe ought to be looking into, if they want to build a reputation for that kind of work.
First, they could ask Stewart Robertson whether or not the article that appeared on this site the other day (you can read it here) carries water; specifically, was he the guy who sanctioned the Barton signing, and did the manager want the player? If they wanted to dig they could speak to “sources close to the manager” and find out if he’s told the managing director he doesn’t want the player in his side again, and what the answer he received to that was?
Secondly, as tax matters appear to be of interest to them they can check up on whether or not HMRC has sent out a ream of letters these last few days to all those who were the recipients of an Ibrox EBT. According to a lot of sources they did exactly that, and a number of people are positively dreading a wee brown envelope dropping through the door.
Not that I’m saying this story is in any way connected to the one which appeared in the papers today, of course. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
Furthermore, as the tax avoidance schemes called LLP’s are what the Record’s story is essentially about they might want to check out one called Taxi Technology, which includes amongst its beneficiaries the likes of Allan McGregor, Barry Ferguson, Craig Moore, Alex Cleland, Maurice Ross, Andy McLaren and others. Or perhaps they could look at Roosternet Global LLP, who’s beneficiaries included the likes of Walter Smith and Archie Knox.
It wouldn’t be difficult – not difficult at all – to put together an LLP XI out of Ibrox, and that’s on top of the EBT’s a lot of these guys have already trousered.
Third, if they are feeling particularly kamikaze and are willing to cheese off those at Ibrox, they could speak with Glasgow City Council’s health and safety department and ask them if there are still outstanding paperwork issues (I’m sure that’s all it is) relating to Ibrox and the roofs over there. I’m told that’s a story that could blow the doors off the building.
Fourth, if they want a real piece of journalism and one that will rock Scottish football, they should consider talking to SNP MSP’s and their researchers about what they’ve heard about licensing rules being amended to bring in Strict Liability over the heads of our professional football clubs; this kind of government interference in the national sport could trigger mayhem with UEFA. At the very least the hacks should be asking the opposition parties whether they’d support the move.
And finally, they might want to have a wee chat with their sources down south and find out whether or not a Sevco board member was in London last week, talking to Sky Sports, about an advance on the television money they’re due this season. Did Doncaster and the SPFL board know about that, and approve it, or was this a lone flight of fancy? And whilst they are at it, they might want to ask what response said director got for this rather pitiful rattling of the old tin cup.
I’ll give you a clue; it wasn’t one that had champagne corks popping in Johannesburg.
I would be willing to bet that none of these issues are deemed worthy of the “investigative” skills of The Record’s hacks, because what we saw today wasn’t journalism at all; it was somebody standing by the shit-pot with a big ladle and a whisk.
The real work is being done where it’s been happening for the last five years or more; online, on the blogs, where people are better informed than they’ve ever been.