Offshore tax havens and football

A great piece in today's Sunday Times about "Top football clubs flee to tax havens".

I've blogged before the disgustingly obscene wages that todays footballers get paid in the top flight.

However, thanks to The Sunday Times we now discover that almost three quarters of the football clubs in the Premiership league are based in offshore tax havens.

Direct from the Sunday Times:

"An examination of filings at Companies House by a chartered accountant found that 14 Premier League clubs, 5 championship clubs, 2 Scottish clubs and Hartlepool, a league one club, are based offshore."

Here are some of the clubs and where they are run from:

Fulham FC - Bermuda
Ipswich Town - Bermuda
Blackburn Rovers - Jersey
Tottenham Hotspur - Bahamas
Sunderland - Jersey
Portsmouth - British Virgin Islands
Manchester United - Nevada

British football clubs are becoming an attractive target for wealthy business owners - although it would be much better if these people retained an interest in sport, specifically football rather than an unhealthy attraction to balance sheets.

Mike Warburton, a senior tax partner at Grant Thornton is quoted as saying: the biggest advantage of going offshore was that it allowed a wealthy owner to pour income that had not been taxed in the UK into British clubs.

My reply would be, and so it would if they paid tax here too!

This discussion then moves onto image rights - a headache in itself.

There are arguments for and against in the article, and it is truly a good read.

Manchester United fans want the best of both worlds

Am I the only one who doesn't really get the point of the protest by Man Utd fans?

They don't like the current American owners, the Glazer brothers so they are all wearing the green and gold colours - which were the original colours of the old club.

With me so far? Even I understand that part.

Usually when you protest you don't then go and support the very thing you are protesting about.

That's where the Man Utd fans are weird.

Because they are still going to their beloved Old Trafford week in, week out. Paying the very same owners they are protesting against!

Surely the way to protest and hit the Glazer brothers hardest would be to stay away from Old Trafford and hit them in pocket?

No, instead as a symbol of opposition to the Glazers, Must (Manchester United Supporters Trust) has been encouraging the Man Utd fans to forsake United's traditional red and white colours and instead wear green and gold scarves, the colours of the club, then known as Newton Heath, until 1902 before it became Manchester United. Hmmm.

From The Guardian;

But a spokesman for the Glazers, who reiterated that the family had no intention of selling, said: "There is no dress code printed on the tickets, people are entitled to wear what they like. The important thing is that they show their support for the team."

David Beckham even got in on the protes recently when AC Milan came to play United at Old Trafford by sporting one of the green and gold scarves at the end! 

Martin Rickett/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Chelsea versus Man Utd, second half blow by blow account

Second half kicks off with Chelsea, Man Utd push them back and their counter attack fails.

Throw in to Man Utd in the Chelsea half, Rooney taps it and Fletcher blasts it over the top into the fans.

Goal kick for the Blues and Man Utd break, throw in and Giggs wide on his own but taps it out for a goal kick.

The Blues moved slowly into the other half but attack comes to nothing.

Free kick to Chelsea, Anderson kicks the ball away and gets ticking off by Ref, Reds see off the attack and start a counter attack.

O'Shea gets animated as the Ref awards a throw in and Chelsea get in a shot, Van der Saar kicks it down and Cech catches.

53 minutes and Giggs trips Ivanovic for a Chelsea free kick, Drogba to take this one, the wall absorbs it and Drogba taps the rebound out.

Goal kick reached Rooney, and eventually Cech catches it and kicks it up field, Chelsea put pressure on but give away a free kick.

Man Utd just passing it around, and now Chelsea push back but now its the Reds and then the Blues.

First yellow card goes to Ivanovic, but he did actually get the ball. Reds free kick.

Fletcher's shot was blocked by Carvalho and Chelsea mount counter attack but again thwarted.

Blues get a shot on target but Van der Saar scoops it up and the Reds go on the march, but the Blues hit back and are now moving the ball closer to the Reds goal and Lampard gets a shot away.

One hour gone, still nil - nil but a fairly evenly balanced match.

Rooney on the ball, to O'Shea who puts in the box and Giggs heads it out.

Cech takes the goal kick, and now at 62.54 Joe Cole takes part. Evra taking a throw, Ref slow to act on clash of heads.

Man Utd players crowd the ref in a usual Reds bullying style over nothing.

Giggs and Ivanovic are both okay.

Chelsea still applying pressure on the reds goal, good shot but also good save.

Man Utd launch a counter attack and now its all hotting up, nasty tackles and Rooney shoots, just wide but Cech had it covered.

Chelsea slow the play down a little as they move up the field, throw in to Man Utd, Evra getting the Stamford Bridge boo treatment, passes to Rooney who unleashes a shot curling in, Cech on the case.

Reds have a corner, Giggs takes but cleared to the halfway line and then back to Rooney who gets another shot blocked.

The game is going a bit more the Reds way at the moment and now they have a free kick close to the box.

Cech has a wall of four as Giggs, Valencia and Rooney line it up, blocked by the blues and then back in with a limp shot by Giggs.

Drogba gets a boot in the chest by Evans but he will live! Get up Drogba.

Drogba then gets a yellow card. The bench are questioning why as am I.

Now Fletcher is getting his knickers in a twist as a free kick is awarded for tackling Ashley Cole, Lamps takes it and JT taps it in, one nil to Chelsea.

Van der Saar chases the Ref to argue, to no avail.

Giggs gets a shot off but Cech saves.

Now another free kick to the Blues as Rooney gets booked. Game is starting to get messy as the Man Utd players start and get the attitude and start playing and acting dirty - no need, grow up!

80 minutes played, Chelsea piling the pressure on, it breaks the other way, Man Utd players are reacting badly they really should be ashamed of themselves, this is what kids watch and they should set a better example.

Drogba coming off for Kalou.

Reds launch an attack, Evra gets the corner, Giggs to take, and Valencia shoots well wide.

Owen and Obertan on for Giggs and Anderson.

Cech takes the goal kick, headed back and forth, Reds push forward and get a free kick - Fletcher needs to calm down - Rooney takes it and now they have another corner, Rooney takes it, Obertan had a shot and then out for a goal kick.

Chelsea get a free kick, not entirely sure why. Ballack takes it, Rooney and Valencia break and then Valencia gets a yellow card for a lunging attack on Lampard - although slow motion showed not that bad.

After 89 minutes we've had 6 yellow cards, three each.

Blues launch a blistering attack but Van der Saar has it covered.

5 minutes extra awarded.

Reds are winding up an attack, Obertan gets the Reds a corner, and he takes it, nothing comes of it, Rooney pushes it back and Ashley Cole heads it out. Second corner goes out for goal kick.

3 minutes of extra time left.

Evra and Obertan push it forward, JT heads it out for a corner.

Anelka comes off for Alex.

Obertan takes the corner, but goal kick for the Blues. Cech kicks it up field and Lampard wins a free kick for the Blues.

Final whistle. Chelsea go 5 points clear as Man Utd stay in third place.
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Chelsea versus Man Utd - first half, blow by blow account

A good build up to the game and always good to see the Chelsea Pensioners and the men and women from the three branches of HM Armed Forces for Remembrance Sunday.

John O'Shea has to beg for the ball after it gets tapped out for a throw, Chelsea fans have a small dispute with stewards!

End to end action

Good build up by Chelsea and a shot on goal after 4 minutes.

A good run by Rooney at 7 minutes but just offside - close call (but the right one).

Then back up to the Man Utd goal, then Chelsea and then Man Utd.

After 10 minutes, corner to Man Utd, O'Shea takes the corner, headed over for a goal kick.

Good end to end stuff from both teams, although no shots on either goal.

Man Utd push ahead, John Terry defends well, although a wee bit of shirt pulling may have occurred!

15 minutes in and Man Utd have had 58% of the possession.

Man Utd break again, and again Chelsea thwart it and go on the counter attack, but no shot from Drogba.

Man Utd push back up the other end, but a double heading ends up with the ball knocked out by John Terry.

Wasted shot by Man Utd, men on the right were wide open.

Slow build up by the Blues at 21 minutes, knocked out for a throw, back to the other end but JT never leaves Rooneys side.

Then one end to the other and a free kick after a tackle on Anelka.

Lampard steps up, and blasts it over the top. Goal kick, then end to end. Drogba denied a corner cos the Ref and Linesman didn't see it!

Back up the other end with an attack by Man Utd, good block

Free kick for the Blues, the wall blocked Lampards shot, then knocked back in and Anelka gets a shot away, and on target.

End to end again resulting in a goal kick for Man Utd, headed off by JT.

Half an hour gone now and Chelsea mount another attack, good shot on goal by Chelsea's Anelka and a good save by Van der Saar.

Now a throw in, no shot and kicked away by Man Utd who turn it into a mini counter attack, but no shot and easily defended.

Then end to end and a mini attack by Rooney, a back heel and then an over kick. Goal kick to Chelsea. Back down to Man Utd and then Rooney fires a shot but easily defended by the Blues.

37 minutes in and the Blues attack again, Ballack gets a free kick awarded against him as a Man Utd player trips over - honestly Ref, get a grip!

JT gets elbowed by Ashley Cole in a clash, then Ferguson gets his knickers in a twist as the Ref eventually calls a halt.

Restart and Man Utd go on the attack but don't clear it, Fletcher knocks it back in, now the Blues go on the counter attack and stretch Man Utd, but not enough.

41 minutes gone and Man Utd are pushing Chelsea but wasted by Carrick who blasts it over the top.

43 Minutes and Chelsea have had 3 shots on target to Man Utds 1.

Chelsea mount another attack, then a second but Drogba shoots and well wide.
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Chelsea at the top of the league

Honestly, I am not gloating (way too early in the season for that), just relishing in the fact as I know that this season will be a big one for a few clubs, such as the mighty blues Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, then there are the ones to watch such as Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Obviously for Chelsea and Tottenham it has been the perfect start to the new season.

Sir Alex Ferguson definitely won't be happy although on another level he is currently 3 points ahead of Arsenal but they have a game in hand so the gunners may shoot Man Utd yet.

Chelsea played a blinder yesterday and deserved the three points.

Fulham, oh Fulham - what was today about and even the boss could not energise himself to motivate them from the bench, he basically appeared to be glued to his seat today.

This is going to be a great season.