If there's tax fraud then the club would get fines from HMRC and I suspect a points deduction although this won't be resolved for months so we will be promoted and any penalty from the Premier League/FA would be effective from the start of the following season. There was mentioned on TV just now about it perhaps related to image rights payments as HMRC were known to be looking into 40-odd transfers 12 clubs over this. We were wondering what the next Ashley calamity would be. Well, now we know.
Whatever the club has done, it is shameful that they have put us in this position. HMRC have a history of wanting to set a precedent with a football club, but so far have been fairly unsuccessful. Most cases have ended up with it being declared tax avoidance rather than tax evasion. While that difference will make a big difference in terms of the consequences we face, the bottom line is that both are shameful and immoral. It disgusts me that these people represent our club and our city.
Whether it's personal fraud or his activity on behalf of club finances, Charnley HAS to go now. No excuses.
I had a hurried text off him earlier saying he's going away for a little while so may not be able to log on.
If we are to get a points deduction it can't be applied until next season due to the timing of insolvency hearings. It's highly likely that we will get a 12 point deduction applied next season and a transfer embargo imposed. We are being investigated in relation to two transfers between us and Marseilles; Cabella and Thauvin.
That's a worse result than not getting promoted. Just means certain relegation and we're in the championship in two seasons time.
We said at the time those were strange deals. Especially Thauvin when Cabella was still a Toon player. Buy them then loan them back to France having barely given them a run in the team. Smacked of dodgy dealing even then.
Wonder what this would mean in relation to Thauvin being sold. We might end up having to keep him and having a player who absolutely does not want to be here. We'll certainly need to hope that we can get good seasons out of De Jong, Krul, Saivet, etc We're ****ed!
