It is wishful thinking from any Tigers fans that are hoping that Simon Cohen carried out the scheme on his own and without the knowledge of anyone else. Also that it is wishful thinking to think it was just a misunderstanding. However, I think it’s fair that some people choose to think wishfully and I don’t consider that this blog provides strong evidence against that, it does put an argument very well and strongly that there are other explanations.
I agree that the most shaming fact for Leicester is that we stood by during the shaming of Saracens when we had our own scheme that at least one \ some people must have been wondering if were a problem. Even if it had been a misunderstanding prior to that, and I think that is possible given the in depth debate Saracens had with the salary cap manager and as part of their appeals highlighted during the Dyson report. What Leicester have admitted to seems similar to the MBN events appearances. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/23/dyson-report-saracens-salary-cap-breaches-deal-by-deal)
I also agree that that the announcement timing is very convenient for Premier Rugby coming in a Premiership cup week and during the end of the six nations.
I also agree that it would be better for the sport if all the details were out in the open. This would also help other clubs to know if anything they have done was within the rules. I personally would very much like to know who was involved in terms of which players and which staff \ decision makers.
Things I strongly disagree with.
1) The ‘Get Real’ comment and general tone of antagonism towards Tigers fans who I assume you think are being naïve or complicit. The one think I think all fans of all clubs agreed with regarding Saracens was that whatever Wray and the club had done, the fans were innocent. That is clearly true and even more so for Leicester where there isn’t a period of success and signings of big money players to explain away.
2) ‘The more seasons this took place in, the less easy it is to argue this was a misunderstanding’. Sorry but that’s nonsense. If it is a misunderstanding of what’s included as salary then it makes perfect sense that you would do that every year, if your understanding is that something isn’t salary and the Prem rugby interpretation is that it is, then that is a misunderstanding \ a difference in perception. One option clearly is that it was a misunderstanding.
3) “The fifth - 2020/21 - oddly found Leicester were guilty merely of non-disclosure.” I don’t see what’s odd about this, it seems to perfectly fit with several of the possible explanations. Firstly if the payments were to do with events \ catering then the stadium being closed due to covid would explain that. Secondly, it could be that following the Dyson report more people within the club became aware or the club for the first time became aware that it was possibly against the rules and stopped the practice.
4) I don’t understand the points relating to the punishment at all. Leicester have been given exactly the punishments that are in place for going over the salary cap within the over run amount. As Wasps and Quins were previously.
5) To be clear on the Chesterfield comparison. Are you accusing Tigers of breaking the law rather than just the salary cap?
On a more minor note:
1) Is NFL worse for concussion than Rugby? They have an extremely long off season.
Another great article Chris, and an obviously important one as it's the same subject (other than the quick dit re Nadolo at Birstall) all the way through. This stinks. I get that it's not on the industrial scale of Saracens, but it's cheating. Adam called it, how fortunate that each of the years looked at we were below the run-off. Luck, or deliberate? I really don't know the answer to that question but I have suspicions. Pleased to see the Club no longer rolling out the 'previous regime' were responsible, given 3 Officer's at the Club today were there during these years. I wonder what they'd have found if they could have gone back more than 5 years. Finally, the statement from current CEO "we not there was no breach in recent seasons" which is disingenuous at best, the Image Rights company was wound up almost when the Saracens punishments became mandatory and it's hard to do something when what you were using to do it is no longer in existence.
First of all the things I agree with:
It is wishful thinking from any Tigers fans that are hoping that Simon Cohen carried out the scheme on his own and without the knowledge of anyone else. Also that it is wishful thinking to think it was just a misunderstanding. However, I think it’s fair that some people choose to think wishfully and I don’t consider that this blog provides strong evidence against that, it does put an argument very well and strongly that there are other explanations.
I agree that the most shaming fact for Leicester is that we stood by during the shaming of Saracens when we had our own scheme that at least one \ some people must have been wondering if were a problem. Even if it had been a misunderstanding prior to that, and I think that is possible given the in depth debate Saracens had with the salary cap manager and as part of their appeals highlighted during the Dyson report. What Leicester have admitted to seems similar to the MBN events appearances. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/23/dyson-report-saracens-salary-cap-breaches-deal-by-deal)
I also agree that that the announcement timing is very convenient for Premier Rugby coming in a Premiership cup week and during the end of the six nations.
I also agree that it would be better for the sport if all the details were out in the open. This would also help other clubs to know if anything they have done was within the rules. I personally would very much like to know who was involved in terms of which players and which staff \ decision makers.
Things I strongly disagree with.
1) The ‘Get Real’ comment and general tone of antagonism towards Tigers fans who I assume you think are being naïve or complicit. The one think I think all fans of all clubs agreed with regarding Saracens was that whatever Wray and the club had done, the fans were innocent. That is clearly true and even more so for Leicester where there isn’t a period of success and signings of big money players to explain away.
2) ‘The more seasons this took place in, the less easy it is to argue this was a misunderstanding’. Sorry but that’s nonsense. If it is a misunderstanding of what’s included as salary then it makes perfect sense that you would do that every year, if your understanding is that something isn’t salary and the Prem rugby interpretation is that it is, then that is a misunderstanding \ a difference in perception. One option clearly is that it was a misunderstanding.
3) “The fifth - 2020/21 - oddly found Leicester were guilty merely of non-disclosure.” I don’t see what’s odd about this, it seems to perfectly fit with several of the possible explanations. Firstly if the payments were to do with events \ catering then the stadium being closed due to covid would explain that. Secondly, it could be that following the Dyson report more people within the club became aware or the club for the first time became aware that it was possibly against the rules and stopped the practice.
4) I don’t understand the points relating to the punishment at all. Leicester have been given exactly the punishments that are in place for going over the salary cap within the over run amount. As Wasps and Quins were previously.
5) To be clear on the Chesterfield comparison. Are you accusing Tigers of breaking the law rather than just the salary cap?
On a more minor note:
1) Is NFL worse for concussion than Rugby? They have an extremely long off season.
Another great article Chris, and an obviously important one as it's the same subject (other than the quick dit re Nadolo at Birstall) all the way through. This stinks. I get that it's not on the industrial scale of Saracens, but it's cheating. Adam called it, how fortunate that each of the years looked at we were below the run-off. Luck, or deliberate? I really don't know the answer to that question but I have suspicions. Pleased to see the Club no longer rolling out the 'previous regime' were responsible, given 3 Officer's at the Club today were there during these years. I wonder what they'd have found if they could have gone back more than 5 years. Finally, the statement from current CEO "we not there was no breach in recent seasons" which is disingenuous at best, the Image Rights company was wound up almost when the Saracens punishments became mandatory and it's hard to do something when what you were using to do it is no longer in existence.
Seriously unimpressed as a long standing fan.