This morning the Daily Record led with a front page headline “Celtic and the tax dodge firm”. They went on, “Celtic supremo Peter Lawwell and other club figures have been linked to a £434million tax dodge”, linking Martin O’Neill, Neil Lennon and a number of players from the O’Neill era.
Let’s be clear on the facts of this case:
Celtic employees (they did speak to each other) took advice from one of the big four accountancy firms and made arrangements accordingly.
Each of these employees declared these arrangements to HMRC.
HMRC informed them that these ‘investments’ were not offset-able against tax.
All Celtic and former Celtic staff settled this issue with HMRC years ago.
This was reported in 2012 (a cursory internet search will confirm). Nothing new has happened to any Celtic or former Celtic employee since. No Celtic or former Celtic employee is involved in any on-going related issues.
Celtic pay employees through income declared to HMRC. Tax was and is deducted at source and paid to HMRC – including the matter referred to today. They even asked HMRC if tax was due on Juninho’s EBT and paid by return when told it was.
There are no hidden tax schemes at Celtic. There are no side-letter arrangements at Celtic nor has there ever been. There are no disputes with HMRC.
The newspaper headline is misleading; “Celtic and the fax dodge firm”. There is not once piece of correspondence between Celtic and HMRC or any other body on this matter. Celtic deducted and paid tax to HMRC which their employees subsequently applied for relief against. HMRC have not demanded any connected payment from Celtic, nor is any due.
They can pick on Peter Lawwell, Martin O’Neill and Neil Lennon if that is their motivation (their hostility to each of them has been clear for years), but headlines putting the words “Celtic” and “tax dodge” are designed to damage your club. This is unacceptable.
The bigger question is “Why?”
It’s a tax issue reported years ago which nothing will subsequently happen about because nothing is in dispute by any of the parties concerned. So why make it a front page story now?
That remains a mystery for the time being, but know how ‘news’ works in Scotland, and more importantly, know who instructs what makes the news. This has all the hallmarks of a deflection piece before something bigger hits the fan. Someone is panicking.
The issue remains what do Celtic do about this kind of media distortion. Some newspapers are under so much financial pressure they live for tomorrow’s headline, accountability is a luxury they cannot afford to think about. They do not appear concerned at biting the hand that feeds them.
One (good) news journalist I know told me the football guys keep his ‘paper afloat, as no one would buy to read his (worthy) submissions. Football is the last gig in town for the old media. As a consequence, your club will be savaged at any opportune moment, with or without just cause.
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will jabbas interfering strop make the STV & BEEB news?
That ole Celtic hit
MON DIEU CSC
jobo baldie
Or it could mean that the Moderators are working nights!
Good evening…………….
Nil-By-Rekord.
VFR800A8 on 12TH OCTOBER 2016 5:53 PM
BIG JIMMY
This may be true,but I think if you print an article which could be misleading to the reader,then this is not on.The Press Commision would certainly uphold this complaint.Celtic should be going for a retraction of the article and an apology from the rag.
Sat, 15th Oct Motherwell
Ladbrokes Premiership
15:00 H
Wed, 19th Oct Borussia Monchengladbach
UEFA Champions League
19:45 H
Sun, 23rd Oct Sevco
Betfred Cup
14:15 N
Fixtures Awe_Nawed
Rangers give Barton an extra week suspension. Barton has to reply to betting charge. I see Barton has now asked the SFA for an extension to reply. Clear cat and mouse here. Magic.
The Daily Ranger
Trash the Record CSC
BSR (and everyone else, of course) –
surely a much more pleasant (on ears AND eyes) version – https://youtu.be/Retl499FhEU
The Daily Record
Put it in the Bin CSC
JOBO
Yip that was a better one, and he’s using one of your guitars.
Three more sleeps?
BSR – aye, 3 sleeps till The Champions and 3½ till Mallorca ;-)
redeyeflightsundayCSC
Just watched Jabba at the iborcs presser. Bully. Faux hard man.
What a delightful individual he is.
Utter embarrassment to himself and to those he represents.
VFR800A8
and as if by magic … I might be with him this weekend unless he picks them up beforehand
THanks again
HH
TURKEYBHOY on 12TH OCTOBER 2016 6:04 PM
Yes, that may be true.
Maybe we can all complain about the article as well?
FAC the Act
KTF
Hi Bhoys
Just thought I would lighten the mood with all this doom and gloom surrounding The Famous Glasgow Celtic in the proddy/gutter press today.
I was sitting at the traffic lights on Duke Street around 3 o clock today. I usually stare straight ahead when I am sitting here due to the eyesore that sits adjacent to them burning my irish eyes.(the louden den of iniquity). But for some reason my eyes were drawn to look at it today. Well my old heart jumped with joy and my irish eyes were suddenly smiling as I could see that both doors were locked and there was no deluded zombies standing outside having a puff.
I truly hope that this is a sign that it has followed the club it endorses into the great unknown and we can all rejoice. More JELLY AND ICE CREAM anyone. I hope this makes you smile as it did me.
KEEP THE FAITH
vfr800a8
email sent! I’m in for the race
T
TONYROME on 12TH OCTOBER 2016 6:33 PM
Is that the joint that were offering the free pies and rolls to the Mancs?
If so, it looks like they were overcharging.
I actually think it’s really good that the Daily Radar is re-printing stories from 2012.
Maybe tomorrow they will have the one about Rangers dying. What was it – “RIP RFC”?
I’m sure the “teacher in a million” will also be pleased to get some more publicity!
Leftclicktick
Not on Sevco TV news, though they did show Warbiola waxing lyrical about young players’ lack of opportunity or something, most respectfully, of course, at the same press conference.
Warbiola not the only poodle of Jabba on show today.
In ither news……………..
The Fat Bully of the The Billy Boys has just made himself the story…………
Guid.
Just watched the video, I think Jabba delivered Warbiola’s fatal blow.
The Celtic Board have a duty to protect Celtic’s reputation and they need to sue for, at least, defamation …. and ban the record rag permanently ….. I’m all for rising above the bigotry and hatred of all things Celtic in this Country, but they have ‘crossed the line’ with this ….. they know there is no case to answer here, but ignored that fact in order to try to tarnish Celtic’s reputation ….
And shockerooni, Shortbread decides to enjoy the silence too.
Did STV show Sevco scoring against us?
Thomthetim,
it was the other one next to ibrox that hosted the Mancs
There’s only two Louden Taverns.
Fat Jabba – just can’t help himself! What a laff this joke of an outfit are – keeps on giving…..!
I see the old manager merry go round has stopped at a couple of usual suspects,
the same guys get hired ,fail and then someone else gives them a job,
can an owner not take a chance on an up and coming manager,like Warbiola
Celtic fan charged over blow up dolls at Old Firm match is allowed to return to games
16:55, 12 OCT 2016 UPDATED 16:55, 12 OCT 2016
BY ASHLIE SWALLY
ROSS Brady had been banned under his bail conditions but they have now been
lifted and he can return to support his team.
A CELTIC fan charged with displaying an allegedly offensive banner and two
attractive blow up figures at the recent Old Firm match has been allowed to
return to football games.
Ross Brady, 27, is accused of a single charge of carrying two threatening balloons
under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act.
Strict bail conditions imposed last month stopping him from attending
matches were removed at a pre-trial hearing and he was granted bail on
the standard conditions except one, with the added condition he must not use
the dolls in the meantime as they are considered crown evidence and it is an
offence to interfere or tamper with Crown evidence, to prove he will be of good
behaviour.
Brady´s lawyer expressed reservations that the blow up dolls will not he held
by the Scottish CPS as is customary but Sheriff Cubie insisted on this being an
exception.
The trial which was originally set for this month, has been adjourned until
March next year.
Sheriff Cubie would not be drawn on whether Brady was allowed to blow the
dolls back up before returning to trial and grew visibly irritated when pressed on the matter
Prosecutors claim – that while acting with hundreds of others – Brady did
commit the offence at the Parkhead clash on September 10 which Celtic won 5-1.
It includes the claim that Brady did “engage in behaviour” which may be
likely to “incite public disorder” by massaging the dolls in a provocative
manner and singing in a sectarian manner while performing ventriloquy.
This is said to involve the display of a banner that contained a
“True but threatening and offensive remark to some”.
The charge also states two “inflatable figures” were shown which were
“fashioned in a threatening and permissive manner”.
Brady, from Pollok, Glasgow plead not guilty through his lawyer when he
appeared from custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court last month.
Sheriff Andrew Cubie granted bail with a number of special Irish Republican
conditions including banning him from football matches and ordering him to sign
in at a police station during the first half of Celtic’s European games.
Today, lawyer Neal McShane told the court that on the last occasion,
the sheriff imposed the stringent conditions if prosecutors were able
to bring the matter to trial within a short space of time.
He argued that because that isn’t possible, the special bail conditions
should be removed.
Bail was granted to Brady on the standard conditions but with the extra
condition that he must pay £800 within seven days to prove he can comply.
Sheriff Mungo Bovey QC told him if he complies with the bail order he will
get his money back and said: “If you don’t comply then you lose it
automatically.” He also stated that the bail order did not specify how
blown up the dolls were required to be for next years trial and would not
be drawn on the matter
LOL at the mental Hun Monkeys. A club run like Fawlty Towers.
Imbicilic Jabba outs himseklf as the shot-caller and we can chuckle at all those boorish demented statement now in the definitive knowledge he wa sbehind them all.
In fact, are we not due a rambling aggressive statement on today’s events threatening all enemies of the Huns, blah, blah, blah, yadda-yadda,, etc,etc…
BSR@6.59
One foe each Andy Goram
HH
For obv or Freudian ….?…
HH
finally saw jabbas circus,
Warburton looked mortified
tick tock
GEAROID1998 @ 7.11
I’ll set them up :-)
OK, I have complained to the IPSO about the Record articles; here is the test of the e-mail:
I would like to complain about 2 articles published by the Daily Record in Scotland on 12th October 2016; the first article appeared in print and online and is entitled:
Celtic chief Peter Lawwell among club figures linked to £434million tax dodge
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/celtic-chief-peter-lawwell-among-9027258
This was followed up by a second online article entitled:
Companies House records show how former Celtic stars invested in film schemes linked to tax dodge
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/companies-house-records-show-how-9028719
I would like to complain that both articles breach Section 1 of the IPSO Editors Code:
1. Accuracy
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text.
The first article alleges that a number of people who are or have been employed by Celtic Football Club were involved in illegal tax evasion and clearly implies that Celtic Football Club were complicit and involved in this. The bulk of the article concentrates on current or ex-Celtic employees and has minor detail on others who were involved in the schemes.
The second article then goes on to display pictures and details of 13 players and officials who at one time or other were involved with Celtic Football Club.
At no point does it publish details of any other individual the articles mention.
The article goes on to state: “However, following the tax tribunal ruling, investors have been hit with bills totalling £434million in unpaid tax plus interest and legal fees.” It does not indicate if any of the individuals associated with Celtic Football Club were previously or are currently being pursued by HMRC for any unpaid tax.
There is no mention of the fact that those involved became involved in the tax schemes as private individuals NOT as employees of Celtic Football Club. Nor does it state that all tax payable by these individuals whilst in the employ of Celtic Football was paid fully and on time by the Club.
In the context of the Rangers Football Club 1872 – 2012, who entered liquidation in 2012 and the liquidators are still being pursued for illegal tax evasion by HMRC, the implication is that Celtic Football Club were involved in illegal tax evasion.
I would request that in order to comply with Section 1 the IPSO Editors Code:
1. Accuracy
ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and — where appropriate — an apology published. In cases involving IPSO, due prominence should be as required by the regulator.
The Daily Record are requested to withdraw the articles and print an apology to Celtic Football Club.
FAC the Act
KTF
I also complained online using their form, which is a wee bit more convoluted but here’s the info:
IPSO website: https://www.ipso.co.uk/make-a-complaint/complaints-form/#
IPSO e-mail address: inquiries@ipso.co.uk
First article: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/celtic-chief-peter-lawwell-among-9027258
Second Article: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/companies-house-records-show-how-9028719
I just used the same text in the reason for complaint box.
Anyone who wants to cut and paste, feel free to do so. The more the merrier!
FAC the Act
KTF
BSR
No better mhan
HH