Tax cheats and self-serving Help

Well, at least we don’t live in Spain, where tax fraud convicts are lauded like some sort of distorted victim if they have a connection to football. No one really expected Leonel Messi to go to prison, accountability in Spain isn’t that exacting, but he will have to live with a conviction for defrauding the tax system of millions of euros. A shameful act for one so wealthy.

I’ve always been a bit uncomfortable at the politicisation (from all sides) of the poppy and charities like Help for Heroes. Society has been poor at looking after its literal cannon fodder in the 100 years since the Somme, but flag wavers around these parts have imposed political sentiment on these charities which doesn’t exist elsewhere in the UK.

Four years on from the infamous Rangers-Milan legends supposed charity match, James Doleman’s article yesterday, on the unauthorised use of Help for Heroes logos on t-shirts, gives us more to ponder. It’s impossible to damage a brand which is already at junk value, but activity like this makes it difficult for all good causes to make their appeals.