17 Comments

Points deduction threat has no legs

CryRumours that West Ham could suffer a points deduction or even demotion from the Premier League along with newly promoted Newcastle are extremely wide of the mark. Social media went into overdrive yesterday suggesting a possible points deduction or exclusion from the Premier League for the Hammers.

The rumours were fueled by a Sun newspaper story which claimed: “West Ham and Newcastle could face points deductions if found guilty of serious tax fraud. But any punishment is likely to be years down the line given the complex nature of such investigations – and much will depend on exactly what the clubs and their past or present employees are alleged to have done.”

However, whether Newcastle and/or West Ham are found guilty of any wrongdoing with regards to their tax affairs, a points deduction is extremely unlikely and would most likely require a change of rules for future offences which would need to be agreed by the twenty member clubs.

Under current Premier League regulations points deductions are reserved for those clubs entering financial administration and/or fielding ineligible players. Rule W.54 of the Premier League rule book does describe a range of punishments that can be handed down by a disciplinary commission and that includes a points deductions and even expulsion from the league but in reality, the commission has never done so and has no appetite to do so.

HMRC say they will visit all Premier League clubs with a specialist team to investigate the wide use of image rights in potential tax avoidance and they claim the misuse of image rights is widespread in the football industry. Twelve football clubs are under investigation for tax affairs claims the Taxman which has so far refused to name and shame them.

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter

17 comments on “Points deduction threat has no legs

  1. Wasnt there a lot of rubbish and hot air on west ham sites yesterday.
    Gossips all jumping to conclusions about the owners or brady when if you actually take the time to read up on this it is an issue that in all honesty you would imagine effects every top tier club with regard to agents,deals,image rights and such like.
    We really do have a lot of curtain twitchers in our fan base lol

    • I wish I was as confident as you are over a positive outcome. COYI

      • Why are you concerned, there is nothing to be concerned about. Even if there is anything in it there will be an amount identified that the club will be owed the HMRC. This is a very murky area, so very easy to get it “wrong” but it is a storm in a teacup!!

  2. Should the headline not have read ” 6ft unplayable striker threat has no legs” 😀😀

  3. If this is such a widespread problem, why have they started on us and Toon first.Why haven’t they named and shamed the other twelve clubs involved. I find it very unfair we are named at all until found guilty.
    The link is Marseille, both clubs have bought players from them and French clubs have also been visited.
    I just hope Gold n Sully have hidden whatever proper. COYI

  4. t is unfortunate that West Ham and Newcastle have been the first but there will be more. Chelsea was visited too yesterday but it was played down.

    HMRC realised that high profile investigations such as Starbucks and Google can damage brands and change public opinion.

    They have been tasked to go after high worth individuals in the public eye to show no-one is immune so celebrities and footballers are in the firing line. The Premier League is one of the biggest brands in the world and therefore will fill lines and lines of media columns with tales of tax avoidance

    • Thank god for squeaky clean slug and his pearls of wisdom if only more were like him and his total honesty and truth 😂😂

  5. Last year Wayne Rooney is another named could be liable for a £3.5million tax charge over a suspected tax avoidance scheme the Daily Mail reported last October.
    The Manchester United and England captain was said to be the largest investor in a scheme involving the film industry and the investment firm Invicta.The star has allegedly been told that HM Revenue & Customs believes he is liable for the multimillion pound sum. Invicta disputes the allegations.

    The 30-year-old is one of 225 celebrities and other wealthy investors who jumped on the investment opportunity before the Government closed the scheme in the mid-2000s.

    Gareth Southgate is also being probed by HM Revenue & Customs over his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme.

    Allardyce, Jose and Fergie were all previously investigated over their tax affairs and use of film investment vehicles in an alleged £450m tax scam and a £275m tax fraud

  6. This is all going back to 2011 onwards isnt it.Dont know how true it is but the Demba Ba transfer seems to be the earliest looked in to.
    There will be many other clubs contacted wont there,some will make the media,some wont.
    Nothing to sweat over as far as the clubs are concerned i should think.It will be some players & agents with twitchy buttholes at the moment 😁

    • Yeh I just read that Rads. So Demba Ba in 2011 was what the HMRC were looking at. So before the current board arrived then? Well that’s going to disappoint the Haters then won’t it? No Tower of London for Gold Sullivan and Brady then? Shame. Yesterday showed clear as light the Haters amongst us. I wish they FO and support another side.

      • 2010 they took over didnt they.I got a memory like a sieve though so it might not be.
        Well it gave the nappy fillers something to bang on about yesterday so they were happy 😂😂

        • Was it? Ok well I still hate the haters and I still wish they’d FO. I’ll think of another reason why I will hate them. I mean who changes those nappies anyhow? That’s got to be a lousy job.

  7. That’s good to hear, but it was a bit of a shock to hear this stuff the day after I had renewed, especially after my Brother was giving me grief because he was all for waiting till the last minute.

  8. Think the PL will be taking an interest & giving the lawyers a call. Any government involvement in football admin & FIFA starts to get hot under the collar. Obviously clubs have to follow the laws of the land but I reckon this would be a legal nightmare.

  9. It all boils down to fact that there just too much money involved with football for the taxman
    To keep his greedy eyes or paws off . Money begets greed . Too many people with Thier fingers in the pie ., and players wages so much And so far over the top .
    Agents , media , advertising , marketing ect ect . The whole world of professional football needs cleaning up .

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