Celts' Neil Lennon Loses £200,000 To Convicted Fraudster's Tax Relief Scheme

[Senna 735]

"If you have mismanaged, then it comes home to roost." Now that you mention it Neil...

Financial doping was the term used by Celtic manager Neil Lennon to describe any potentially unlawful EBT scheme used by Rangers FC under former chairman David Murray, basically calling it cheating. There may be an argument for that, but that's another argument entirely.

Accompanying this new-found morality from the Parkhead boss has seen a huge horde of the Celtic fanbase emobody such morality and leap to the defence of their favourite idea – sporting integrity. Indeed, many others from Scottish football have jumped into the same debate defending sporting integrity, such as the Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston and then-St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown.

All of this demanding for morality, sporting integrity and 'corinthian spirit' is well and good if your own washing is whiter than white. However, when it comes to Celtic boss Neil Lennon, we're now told something different altogether – that perennial downtrodden victim Lenny was fond of a tax scheme during his playing days at Celtic.

News emerging this week from the UK's High Court tells that Lennon ploughed in £200,000 to two separate tax relief schemes between 2002 and 2004. The scheme, run by technology investment company Innovator One, was designed so that if investors put in £10,000, they would immediately be returned £20,000 in tax relief from the UK Government. This was possible due to partnerships the investors joined paying large sums for technology using loans from the bank.

However, the new-found best pals of the Celtic fanbase, the taxmen at HMRC have decided that since the loan money went round in a circle – the investors money was deposited within the same bank which had given them the loan - the investors were only eligible for tax relief on any money they had actually contributed.

Lennon and other investors were incensed when the so-called brains behind the scheme, Dane Bjorn Friedl, was jailed for four and a half years in 2004 for an unrelated fraudulent scheme – ripping off £2m from a 200-man Scottish forklift plant's £5m pension fund – and started to look at ways of getting their original cash back.

At the High Court last week, the judgment handed down was that the investors' claims that the plans were fraudulent and and had been badly constructed did not stand up, as investors did initially receive a small amount in tax relief.

Judge Mr Justice Hamblen said: ‘Although the claimants were understandably aggrieved to lose their cash contributions and receive back only limited tax relief, there are obvious risks in going into aggressive tax schemes which offer the prospect of almost immediately doubling your money.’

It is worth noting at this point that not every investor who took part in this tax relief scheme took part in this action at the High Court, only Lennon and ex-England rugby international Joe Worsley, who put in £50,000, were the only two named claimants in the court documents.

So where does this leave blessed Lenny and the position of financial morality that he and his club embodied and continue to do so? Well, before we start that, it should be pointed out that this scheme wasn't illegal, but then again, neither is our EBT scheme.

First things first, Lenny invested £200,000 and lost it to the scheme, only receiving 'limited' tax relief back, estimated to be a nominal five-figure sum. That kind of monetary loss will be felt by anyone, whether you're the Celtic boss or not.

Secondly, it leaves Lennon looking rather stupid. His claims of 'financial doping' in relation to our EBT schemes to manipulate tax monies now ring a bit hollow as he himself was steeply involved in a tax relief scheme. The posturing and inane babbling about 'stripping titles' now looks like petty point-scoring as he and Celtic FC have lost any morality over the idea of tax money manipulation.

Why Celtic FC? Well, okay, no it wasn't a Celtic FC scheme he invested the money through, but he is the manager of said team, and as we've been told by everyone in the Scottish sports media recently, a club can be held responsible for the actions of one man connected with the club.

Lastly, yes, probably lots of big clubs and players have been involved in tax relief schemes over the years and continue to do so today. That's not a matter for me, that's for HMRC to decide upon. What is for me to point out however, is the fact that a huge swathe of Celtic fans, Celtic employees and Scottish sport journalists have lined up to kick Rangers this season over the immorality of our EBT schemes and non-payment of PAYE to the tax man.

I don't think it's entirely moral to invest in an industry you're no way professionally connected to about to try to double your money through tax relief you're not entitled to. But maybe that's just me.

Anyway, it seems you can add another name to your list for a right good kicking – Neil Lennon, the then Celtic captain, now Celtic manager. You get the feeling that the Scottish sport media, Celtic fans and employees alike are now about to jump into a big orgy of hypocrisy. Because, let's be honest, I shouldn't be the one breaking this to you, that should have been the media here in Scotland.

Celtic fans – it's a simple choice. Denounce your manager, demand his sacking, stripping of titles and expulsion from Scottish football for trying to claim tax relief from HMRC that he wasn't entitled to, or embrace your inner hypocrite. It's no good moralising when you've got dirty laundry.

As you sow, so you shall reap.

Admins, please leave in the BD as this has a whole lot to do with us.

[ray 105]

Fuck me the bears den ? RM polis will be swooping,

http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=221859&view=findpost&p=1060095123&hl=&fromsearch=1

[Senna 735]

Fuck me the bears den ? RM polis will be swooping,

http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=221859&view=findpost&p=1060095123&hl=&fromsearch=1

Nice of you to read the article and the post-script.

Good edit though.

43 guests? Coatbridge library is open late.

[jack1690 793]

Fuck me the bears den ? RM polis will be swooping,

http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=221859&view=findpost&p=1060095123&hl=&fromsearch=1

Evening all. Now then....Whats all this then my lad

[the goal machine 7,803]

Good work mate.

Just a small pedantic note, Geoff Brown isn't the St Johnstone chairman, it's his son Steve Brown now.

[Gillete 1,338]

Was this not news yrs ago?

[ray 105]

Nice of you to read the article and the post-script.

Good edit though.

43 guests? Coatbridge library is open late.

Considering I posted it 3 days ago and the hand wringers forced it's removal, fuck all tae dae wi' uz wiz the cry.

[Senna 735]

Considering I posted it 3 days ago and the hand wringers forced it's removal, fuck all tae dae wi' uz wiz the cry.

You are aware that this is a different article, right?

[Senna 735]

Good work mate.

Just a small pedantic note, Geoff Brown isn't the St Johnstone chairman, it's his son Steve Brown now.

Cheers mate, edited. Tried so hard to get the legal side right, I missed something basic.

[TheLawMan 6,240]

"Why Celtic FC? Well, okay, no it wasn't a Celtic FC scheme he invested the money through, but he is the manager of said team, and as we've been told by everyone in the Scottish sports media recently, a club can be held responsible for the actions of one man connected with the club."

7 players

1 player and assistant manager

1 player and manager

1 manager

2 directors

25 schemes all started whilst in the employ of Celtic

Now lets take a walk for a minute.

Lets suppose you worked for asdax and earned £100,000 a year as an area manager and tescox heard about you and came along and offered £110,000. Now Asdax wanted to keep you but they really didnt want to increase your basic so what they did was to bring an expert in to describe a way that you could still earn £100,000 but instead of taking home £60,000 after tax you now take home £80,000 after tax which is now more than Tescox.

Sounds good, so how is it done asks you. Its easy and here is someone to help you says Asdax.

But 9 years on, HMRC say you are onto plums.

Of course you are angry and look silly, but surely Asdax have to accept some culpability in this fictitious scenario.

[ray 105]

You are aware that this is a different article, right?

It is the same content tlb got shafted trying a tax dodge.

But the taxman decided that since the loan money went round in a circle, being put on deposit with the bank that had originally made the loan, investors were eligible only for relief on the sums they had actually contributed.

Aggrieved investors were even more angry after the schemes’ architect Bjorn Stiedl was jailed for an unrelated fraud in 2004.

Only Lennon, who put in £200,000 to two of the schemes, and Worsley, who put in £50,000 to one of the plans, were named in court documents as claimants.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Nice of you to read the article and the post-script.

Good edit though.

43 guests? Coatbridge library is open late.

One has to ask the question .if he had managed to get away with this the tax he would have received for his investment could have had such a dire consequences on nursery education.feeding the homeless or any other numbers of the community needing help from that tax he was greedily trying to take .

After all was this not what ra sellic fans high horse was going on about re Rangers tax scheme......................... sure liewell has to make a public statement before he boards that chartered jet to the Japan tour.

And one has to wonder the shame this has brought to dr reid and brian quin.

Also that infamous did he or did he not sign an alleged loan guarantee with aib.

Integrity I hear the chant from the glitterdome.

[Dunny_01 2,007]

Nice of you to read the article and the post-script.

Good edit though.

43 guests? Coatbridge library is open late.

excuse me its Loyalist Coatbridge if u please!! give it its correct title its our toon!!!

[Senna 735]

It is the same content tlb got shafted trying a tax dodge.

But the taxman decided that since the loan money went round in a circle, being put on deposit with the bank that had originally made the loan, investors were eligible only for relief on the sums they had actually contributed.

Aggrieved investors were even more angry after the schemes’ architect Bjorn Stiedl was jailed for an unrelated fraud in 2004.

Only Lennon, who put in £200,000 to two of the schemes, and Worsley, who put in £50,000 to one of the plans, were named in court documents as claimants.

Oh, so since it's the same, the other article had contrasts between his tax scheme and our EBT scheme? Or how the media here reported upon us and how they've ignored this story? I must have missed that.

[ray 105]

Oh, so since it's the same, the other article had contrasts between his tax scheme and our EBT scheme? Or how the media here reported upon us and how they've ignored this story? I must have missed that.

No what you are missing is that the central concept of lemmon tax dodging i.e. being hypocritical was chucked out of here for being of no interest 3 days ago.

[jdocherty72 215]

GIRFUY.

[HHB 63]

No what you are missing is that the central concept of lemmon tax dodging i.e. being hypocritical was chucked out of here for being of no interest 3 days ago.

Being hypocritical is one thing, being a moron is another.

Here is a piece of free advice to Lennon. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

[Senna 735]

No what you are missing is that the central concept of lemmon tax dodging i.e. being hypocritical was chucked out of here for being of no interest 3 days ago.

That story alone had nothing to do with Rangers. This article does. Agree, disagree whatever, but that's not the point of this thread. Let's leave it at that.

[ray 105]

That story alone had nothing to do with Rangers. This article does. Agree, disagree whatever, but that's not the point of this thread. Let's leave it at that.

OK gotcha lemmon being a hypocritical tax bending kunt and throwing bricks in glass houses, has nothing whatsoever to do with The Rangers.

[dummiesoot 16,008]

So being a moron, a tax avoider and a bigot all make yeller teef a complete hypocrite.

[King Jela 20,371]

So who did 'ray' used to be ? SWSL ?

[covenanter 158]

As you sow, so shall you reap(a wee addendum).

It's only in excess of two years past that sanctimonious Neil lost another significant six figure sum.

He went into a land deal in Northern Ireland with well known PIRA player, Thomas 'Slab' Murphy. It went tits up, the expected development fell through and Slab in a republican solidarity gesture, told Neil it was his responsibility. In a game of musical balaclavas, the perennial vicTIM was left bare-faced.

See Neil, see sanctimosity.

[simon 1,743]

Lenny?

[alexocs 19]

Lenny?

you lost my interest at the thread title when i saw popcorn teeths name...but i just felt i had to add to get my post count up

[Guest Andypendek]

An excellent analysis of the highest standard. This is the kind of thing we need more of! Expose the bassas!!