Massimo Cellino...

[horlock07]

Two previous criminal convictions for fraud and false accounting, and and one still pending for fraud/embezzlement.

Depends on your definition of 'minor' I suppose.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/who-is-massimo-cellino-the-controversial-italian-vying-to-take-over-leeds-united-9107541.html

With that record I am amazed he has never tried to take over here, sounds like our kind of investor.

[horlock07]

You have to admit that as PaulD says this makes a mockery of the "fit and proper" test in place at the Football League.

It is an absolute joke, the man shouldn't even be allowed into the country let alone own and run a football club, him and Leeds will go well together.

But its deeper than that, when you look at the shysters who have already been passed its never going to hold water. He was accepted on appeal, can you imagine the appeal...

'So Mr FA, you have refused our client, can you please explain this against the precedents of A, B & C who have passed the test...' The whole system is a pointless shambles, but does allow the FA to showboat and claim they are trying to do something.

[leefer]

But its deeper than that, when you look at the shysters who have already been passed its never going to hold water. He was accepted on appeal, can you imagine the appeal...

'So Mr FA, you have refused our client, can you please explain this against the precedents of A, B & C who have passed the test...' The whole system is a pointless shambles, but does allow the FA to showboat and claim they are trying to do something.

Bang on...lets face it the biggest wanker and dodgy fucker in football is Sepp Blatter.

[Summerof69]

Bang on...lets face it the biggest wanker and dodgy fucker in football is Sepp Blatter.

Along with most of the FIFA Executive, as proved by Russia and Qatar getting the next two World Cups.

[janaage]

What's the problem with Russia getting to host a World Cup? Seems fair enough to me.

[pauld]

But its deeper than that, when you look at the shysters who have already been passed its never going to hold water. He was accepted on appeal, can you imagine the appeal...

'So Mr FA, you have refused our client, can you please explain this against the precedents of A, B & C who have passed the test...' The whole system is a pointless shambles, but does allow the FA to showboat and claim they are trying to do something.

1) It's a Football League test, the Premier League have a similar (and similarly ineffective) one. Nothing to do with the FA
2) That was not the grounds of appeal and "They're as bad as me" is never going to be an effective appeal in any quasi-judicial process
3) But yes, it's a completely pointless facade and always has been

[Summerof69]

What's the problem with Russia getting to host a World Cup? Seems fair enough to me.

I don't have a problem with it either when it's a level playing field, but when it looks like that they only got it via very big brown envelopes full of roubles, just like the evidence coming out from Qatar for 2022, that's when I have problems with it.

Going back to Cellino, it looks like the FL are trying to appeal the appeal, as the Independent QC didn't give the right outcome.

[pauld]

Going back to Cellino, it looks like the FL are trying to appeal the appeal, as the Independent QC didn't give the right outcome.

The fact that he was able to make that finding, as horlock rightly says, speaks volumes about the shambolic nature of their process. It's the rules that are at fault, but then they only reflect the complete lack of will in the ruling bodies of the game to actually tackle the problem. Window dressing, and not very convincing window-dressing at that.

[Power to people]

The fact that he was able to make that finding, as horlock rightly says, speaks volumes about the shambolic nature of their process. It's the rules that are at fault, but then they only reflect the complete lack of will in the ruling bodies of the game to actually tackle the problem. Window dressing, and not very convincing window-dressing at that.

But apparently he had made that decision as the written judgement had not come through, when the written judgement comes through, expected June, if it says the tax avoidance is fraud then (or something simular) then I think the FL can again deem him unfit, thous screwing lids over as they now have to pass him fit and proper.

There really does need a fit and proper test that is unwriggable to be created perhaps by the goverment accepted by FL, FA & PL, until all these loopholes are closed the 'directors test' will be a pile of warm turd.

[ron dodgers]

correct - it hinges on the definitions of certain Italian legal terms

[pauld]

Yes I get that. But it shouldn't. The test should be clear, unambiguous and, as p2p so eloquently puts it, "unwrigglable". The fact that the League are now in this mess is their own fault due to their wishy-washy rule-making. Grow a pair and kick all the bent buggers out.

[Bob's Orange]

Yes I get that. But it shouldn't. The test should be clear, unambiguous and, as p2p so eloquently puts it, "unwrigglable". The fact that the League are now in this mess is their own fault due to their wishy-washy rule-making. Grow a pair and kick all the bent buggers out.

Homophobe!