Maybe your right there Ristac, but given that Import Duty is a tax, is it not just a case of a matter of semantics. Although from looking at HMRC site, it seems Import Duty crimes are a civil matter, where as tax evasion is a criminal matter, so will that make a difference. Who knows, guess this protracted saga will continue a little while longer and we will just have to wait and see what fate brings along.
It is a "formally criminal" conviction in Italy, so you have a criminal record ... however, the sentence carries "administrative" weight, i.e. civil, so you get heavily fined rather than jail time ... you are free to go as long as the fine is paid, but you have a criminal conviction ... the only way Cellino can pass the FL test is if he overturns the conviction on appeal ... he is appealing because he can't afford another criminal conviction against him, not just for trying to buy Leeds, but also his business dealings in the USA ... he will fight this for sure, but whether he has the time to still buy Leeds is now the doubt ... the appeal could take ages, by which time we may well be at the mercy of the FL, and be stuck with a 20 points penalty at the start of next season, no squad to speak of, Redfearn promoted to manager and Lge One a guarantee Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
also, Cellino is using another tactic wiith the FL anyway ... you have to take the F&PP test if you are trying to buy a club, or at least 30% of the club ... Eleanora Sport is buying Leeds, and Cellino has only 10% in ES, so nowhere near what is required to take the test ... FL want proof of ownership of ES, they want to see who owns it, and proof of funds in the trust where the money will be coming from ... in essence, the FL are trying to see if Cellino is putting the money in, because then they can overturn his "10% only" claim and make him take the test ... now with this conviction they are going to really focus because they won't want to let Cellino in via a loophole Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Just out of interest what would you pick? A) Cellino buys the club B) We go into admin YES there might be an option C or even D but they haven't stepped forward yet and if one of those options is another year with GFH in charge wait till they have sold Ross, Byram and any other player they can sell because they can't continue to keep borrowing money off everyone.
Cellino is not a very nice person i really believe him being turned down is a good move he would have destroyed your club just my HO i would not want him anywhere near my club (fact)
[TABLE="class: wsite-not-footer, width: 900"] [TR] [TD][h=2]Football league statement re Cellino[/h]18/03/2014 0 Comments A Football League spokesman said: "The Football League has noted the outcome of the Court hearing earlier today regarding Massimo Cellino. "We are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with his legal representatives in this country and cannot comment further at this time." [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
"Cellino isn't a nice person, convicted fraudster, bad option etc etc". Excuse me, but what is this compared to? Bates isn't a convicted fraudster, he's too smart for that. As soon as he got the club into the Championship he started bleeding it dry. Mortgaging your future ticket sales shortly before selling the club is asset stripping, since we no longer owned the ground, the training facility and he'd sold our best players by that point. GFH were basically hoping to make a few quid and have fallen into a black hole of debt instead, whereby they can't keep the club afloat on their own and have been taking hand outs from anyone who would give them money, including Cellino. So we come to the Italian. He started pumping cash in as soon as he arrived, and that was without evening owning the club. Yes they will turn out to be loans if he doesn't take ownership - anything else would be absurd, it's not a charity. But here's a guy quite willing to start spending early and often, who wants Leeds to progress if and when he actually becomes owner. So what if he has a few tax fraud cases, who on earth hasn't bent their expenses, kept things off the books, been paid cash in hand etc. The bigger the business (man) the more significant the fiddles are. Equally, who cares if he goes through managers like some people change socks. Get winning or get out. I support Leeds United, not the manager. Given that the alternatives are either clueless or penniless, Cellino is the only game in town, anything else is going to end in tears.
Massive problem for us now potentially, as we would go from a cash rich club with a very wealthy owner, and owning our own ground and training complex. To a club going into administration with huge debts, because the FL allowed GFH to buy the club!!!!! The likes of Pearson and Flowers, so-called Leeds fans will sit back and watch the club go under and then buy the club on the cheap out of administration. Probably the're plan all along the fooking crooked shyster bastards
Afternoon All, I keep hearing people saying that Cellino is guilty - but guilty of what? He shells out bigstyle for top lawyers & accountants, and he is simply guilty of listening to their advice. OK, he may have been made aware that he were sailing close to the wind, but EVERY SINGLE PERSON who uses an accountant is guilty of exactly the same single thing - "How can I pay the minimum". It's endemic & only the poor can criticise.
True Jock - but every single person does not get hauled up infront of the judge time and time and time again Fraud, deception, false accounting, and now tax evasion - I am struggling to see why Leeds fans are so desperate to see this bloke in charge. Can only end one way - see Birmingham or Pompey
You made me think about it, there, TC. And it's a strange answer I've come up with (for me, personally) - he may be a crook, but I see it as being a Cellino v Harvey battle, and I most certainly don't want Harvey to win! Sad, but true!
i live here in Italy when i first heard Cellino was buying leeds i laughed my bollocks off. i described him as 10x worse than Bates i still stand by that statement better off rid IMHO find a plan B
Whatever happens, we will still have our club. Can't see Cellino getting it, anyone buying will now knock £10m off Cellino's price for 100% of the club and GFH will have to suck it - else administration beckons. Unless they have merely not been paying anything because they thought they were selling. It's a strange old world 60 - best of luck for your mrs and getting some compo
