I can accept that one, or maybe a few players signed a blank form without really thinking about it... but every single one of them? Seems to be stretching things a little, and that's being kind.
I guess its impossible to prove they knew though.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
I was actually being sarcastic but I realise now I didn't make that obvious!
While I can believe that one or two of them might be thick enough to have signed a blank form, it's very, very hard to believe that every single one of them is that thick. But maybe we're being too kind to them!
So none of the players ever discussed amoung themselves that "blank player registration form" they signed,YA RIGHT.
Is there a tax issue here aswell?Players basically avoided paying higher taxes because the higher waged contracts werent publicly known till last Wednesday.So would the U.K Revenue crowd not want "a word" with the Derry chairman and board??
The PFAI might want to have a word with their shop steward if he was allowing other players to sign blank contracts. He signed one himself apparently
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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just seen the quigley interview and I feel so sorry for the lad.
From the sounds of things the Derry board have been extremely calculating and have engaged in a serious fraud. I would not be surpirsed if this led to some legal action from the revenue on tax evasion charges.
The mind boggles as to how they thought this was fine to do. They have put a very well supported and respected club into serious trouble and have tarnished the name of Derry city forever.
I hope that the fans can work with a new board (fan driven) to ensure that you can keep the club alive.
What a night! Been at work since six, but frantically hitting F5 on the bar computer. Absolutely delighted to be honest. It completely stinks of fudge, but we now have a way back. Hopefully the meeting on Thursday can bring more good news.
I don't think we've heard the last of this either - if what the players have said stands up, then surely the former (yay!) board are guilty of fraud (not so yay). I hope everyone gets out of this with at least some reputation intact.
DCFC
Something I found very strange about the Quigley interview was that he said he went to the FAI because they are a players SIPTU. That's not so . The PFAI are the players SIPTU with the FAI being a governing body and not there to protect the interests of the players. I wonder is the PFAI behind this and they got the FAI involved, which it has to be said wouldn't have been the wrong thing to do. There has been times in the past when one of those bodies were contacted and the other one made an uninvited and unwelcomed interventsion.
Neale Fenn on retiring: 'I think once you finish you might as well finish rather than making all sorts of comebacks.'
No hold on I think there is some confusion around this point. The players weren't paid for two contracts. They got the amounts that were shown on the contracts they agreed and signed. The contract given to the FAI were for lesser payments and appear to be simply for the purpose of getting around the 65% cap.
That's my understanding of the matter.
Last edited by SMorgan; 11/11/2009 at 7:53 AM.
Neale Fenn on retiring: 'I think once you finish you might as well finish rather than making all sorts of comebacks.'
Read the statament again. They're claiming that the only contract they knowingly signed was the unofficial/illegal one, which is the one that had the inflated salary that they were actually paid. The second contract, the one they "thought was just a registration form", was the official FAI Standard Player Contract, which had the lower salary that was declared to the FAI.
Still not saying I believe a word of it by the way, just saying that's what their statement says!
Is it clear which amounts were declared to the tax authorities by the club.
"I'd rather play in front of a full house than an empty crowd" Johnny Giles
It does seem that the PFAI and FAI take a very soft line on players being a party to systematic cheating.
Are we really to believe that the players didn't notice that their P60 (presuming they got one) at the end of last season was radically different to what they'd expect?
Last edited by Mr A; 11/11/2009 at 8:57 AM.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
I think the P60 would have been what they expected though; that's the point (as far as I can see).
They agreed £500 a week (say) and signed a contract to that effect. They then signed this magical blank piece of paper for the craic, without querying what it was (oh, OK - they also signed a contract for £300 a week) which was purely for the purposes of getting around the 65% rule. They still expected to get paid the larger amount.
There's no indication that I can see that tax has been avoided surely? Everything seems to have been done officially except for the second contract to mislead the FAI. Presumably the players were told they had to do things this way to get extra pay.
That's my take on it anyway.
On the First Division promotion thing, remember Sporting Fingal jumped the queue last year when joining the First Division. All the interested/ready A League clubs were asked to apply, and the one with the highest marks or best presentation was promoted. I imagine something similar will see Derry back in the First Division next season to fill the gap created by themselves.
I think.
Would the increased figures not have appeared in their accounts some place, even as a total, if there was tax paid on the correct amount?. Surely the auditor would have to see the P35?.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
That's the other thing I don't understand. The money wasn't cash payments, it seems; it was regular wage payments through the bank. If (if) that's the case, and there was a massive extra chanrge for, say, groundswork, how come the extra underage costs at Bohs aren't being investigated? What brought all this about so quickly? Is it a case of the FAI realising Derry as a club were screwed anyway and they wanted to enforce quick regime change so the club could be back for next season?
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