Previous owner or not, and unfortunate as it maybe to the club but the FA has a right to take action. I think it pretty clear that the watford owners have once again found a loophole in the rules so you can be Udinese Reserves. What are the odds on these players being sold back to udinese next close season at the same price as they were bought?
I don't think anyone's complaining about the FA or league sanctioning us - what we're not happy with is the way that it's being represented both in terms of what the sanction was for in the first place and the actual sanction itself. I don't blame other fans for getting annoyed about it as it's been grossly misreported by the media. i'm not one of these who would say "check your facts" as quite honestly you expect better of the Beeb etc.! I'd also have to say i like the way it's being discussed on here. On certain other boards we're being called all the names under the sun - not on this one though so cheers for that. I always used to like Ipswich when i was growing up back in the Bobby Robson days so always look out for your scores - good luck next season.
You make fair points Guru, if they weren't based on poor information. I have to be careful what I say here because our previous owner is somewhat litigious. The monies from the transfer of Danny Graham did not go into the Watford FC accounts, unbeknown to any of the directors of the club. They went into an account solely controlled by the owner. Some might say that this was defrauding the club. The previous owner might say that it was his club so he should be able to put the money where he likes. Legally there is a difference between a maverick individual breaking the law (or competition rules) and a board of directors breaking the rules. The FL decided, in this case, to ban the previous owner from being involved in football for three years, and make sure Watford's accounting procedures were not being high-jacked in the same way by the new owners. So, reading between the lines, the Football League believed that possible illegal activity had been conducted by one member of the Board against the club, but they can't say that, as they are not a court of law. From the outside I can quite understand why you made the statements about the sanctions. It does seem limp if the complexity of the facts are not known. Sorry to go on but I've always found Ipswich fans fair.
Oh dear, I expect this crap to flow from the mouths of the usual suspects (Leeds, Leicester, Palace) but I thought you lot were more intelligent but you have just proved me wrong and now I must taint you with the same ****ty brush. Welcome to the Stupid and Ignorant Morons club boys. Please, don't let me stop you now...
So if Ipswich suddenly got a squad of 11 Man City players GIVEN to them for next to nothing you wouldn't see why fans of other teams would be annoyed? With the new FFP rules coming in and the majority of teams cutting back on spending big, for Watford to be allowed to pull a stunt like this is very unfair. Perhaps the so called "transfer embargo" has been mis-represented in the media, but for me it's just the icing on the cake for a very dodgy set of circumstances.
Tax avoidance isn't illegal but it's still not right. The point I'm making is although they are not breaking the rules, in my opinion it certainly isn't in the spirit of the game.
My only beef is you're claiming it's wrong based on misinformation! Is it any more wrong than Man, City or Chelsea having owners rich enough to buy the title? It's happened, it is within the laws of the game! Get over it!
why you need to poke your nose in is beyond me, unless supers is now tea boy at the fa and watford and have the 'facts'. Also, i have in-laws who are die hard watford season tickets holders so i'm probably a bit more informed than you think i am.
Agreed. I don't like tax avoidance and I would be surprised if Watford are not indulging in it, though i would guess that that is not the primary focus of their accounting activities. However, I would be equally surprised if most clubs and players don't employ accountants whose job it is to reduce the payment of tax. I don't like the way professional football is run these days. It is all about money and personal egos. What is happening at Watford is an attempt to overcome the problem of having to spend millions of pounds to get promotion without getting heavily into debt yet stay within the rules. From the outsider it may seem unethical but then you can't find much in the way of ethics in football anymore. Players are taught to cheat. Owners cheat. The FA is not what I would call an ethical organisation. Neither is FIFA. The system is rotten to the core. What Watford supporters object to is being singled out as the epitome of this corruption. Some even seem to suggest that we are the cause of it. As I write this I wonder why I take an interest in this game but support of Watford is part of me, just as, I would imagine, supporting Ipswich is part of you.
So dave, do you believe that watford could have signed these players if there wasn't that connection.
To be honest Guru, I haven't a clue, I can only say that all these transfers have been scrutinised by the FL and have ALL been given the green light, no laws broken, no monies going anywhere other than where it's supposed to go! What is there to moan about? It can only be jealousy because your team didn't think of it first!
Dave at post 33, you may well be right that it is all above board, and no rules have been broken, but it still looks very dodgy. To suggest it is jealousy on behalf of our club because people have voiced an opinion different from yours is a very sad outlook.
Of course we could not have signed those players without the Pozzo connection, but the Pozzo's have access to a lot of good quality players that they get in very cheap and who play for relatively low wages and who want to play in England, so why not? Why don't other clubs improve their scouting connections in the same way that the Pozzo'z have and also improve their squads with a much smaller investment? The Pozzo's have a proven track record in improving the poorly performing football clubs into clubs that punch far above their weight and also make some coin out of it for themselves - who else in England can say the same? We are all shocked at the level of debt that clubs like Pompey, Cardiff and Bolton have racked up, yet when a financially sustainable model is established, we have the same fans wringing their hands in anger and shout "cheat". But a couple of things are being missed here:- 1. The Pozzo's obviously want to use Watford to showcase their talent in England - look at all the noise about Vydra last season. 2. There is a lot of talk about Watford flaunting the FFP rules with obtaining so many players so cheaply. I suggest that those who are using the FFP rules as a reason to bash Watford check them out first - they may find the model being used at Watford actually fits the FFP rules a lot closer than those clubs paying English "stars" stupid wages to mouth off on Twatter and get pissed up in their local night club every week-end. Oh and BTW - we also picked up a couple of players from English clubs on free transfers as well.
Really good post, I completely agree with what you are saying. I think the main reason is that I personally am so annoyed by this is that I thought (perhaps naively) the days of owners just chucking money at a team to get them promoted would be over with the introduction of FFP. I thought finally it would be more about bringing through youth, smart buying and good managers. I knew things wouldn't be perfect (i.e. parachute payments), but we might lose some of the short-term quick-results owners and actually get back to the game itself. If Ipswich were in the same position I probably wouldn't be complaining. I would certainly feel out of touch with the club, especially as we have a strong tradition of bringing through our own players. I think if Ipswich were to get promotion like that then sure I would be happy, but nothing beats winning when you know you haven't taken a short cut.
I understand your thoughts in the last paragraph. The belief amongst most Watford fans (if I can speak for them) is that the Pozzos are committed to the development of youth. What is happening at the moment is a quick fix to get the club back on an even keel which with then allow for all the things you rightly state should be the prerequisite of any decent club. We have had a succession of uncommitted owners followed by the last one who was (allegedly) using the club as a way of enhancing his own financial position following his bankruptcy. We were heading for insolvency under our previous owner. For the first time in a decade we have owners who are actually interested in football. This is why there is so much support for the Pozzo regime. Our academy is working as well and as efficiently as it always has. That now has the opportunity to expand. I'm sorry to go on so much on your board. I appreciate your misgivings. You can't be expected to know about our recent past, but I want to assure you that things aren't as bad as they seem from the outside.
Guru, you are entitled to your opinion, of course you are, it's just a shame that you can't be as unblinkered as Wrighty in post # 36 Considering the alleged dodgy dealings of your owner, it seems strange to me that you wish to take the stance that you have!
you misunderstand me Dave, Do i blame them for taking this route if they have found a loophole, no. would i like ITFC to get promoted with basically a italian reserve team, no. And regarding ME and his 'alleged' dodgy dealings, Alleged is the important word in all of this, not found guilty. Watford/previous owner have been found guilty. the same as last season the FA felt watford were being unsporting in their use of the foreign loan system, thus closing that loophole. but it seems to most of us that they found another loophole by saying these players have become 'permanent' signings <cough> <cough>.
