20 Nov 2023 19:40:06
LFC was investigated for possible FFP breach in 2015, but we were cleared. We were fined for illegal approaches made to a youngster at Stoke in 2017, and there was a fine, I believe for the way we went about signing VVD, but nothing relating to FFP.
I would also be genuinely very surprised if we were serial ‘tapper-uppers’. Given the focus on the scrutiny of clubs these days, I would have expected multiple fines and sanctions if it were the case. As far as I’m aware, I can’t find any reports / evidence that we are either being investigated or are under the threat of investigation.
Obviously we are not angels, but we seem not to be the worst culprits around by any means.
20 Nov 2023 23:14:59
The two main ones that do not sit well with me are how we handled the Stoke child and his education. That was horrendous. And then the holding up the career of Jay Spearing who was a loyal servant over 100 grand. At least they went some way to repairing that with a coaching job.
It is what it is. You only get to be as wealthy as these owners/ CEOs etc. by having greed as a core attribute.
21 Nov 2023 00:32:12
When you are talking about the amount of money in the game right now, the rewards for success and the consequences of failure I wouldn’t be surprised if every club hasn’t employed ‘creative accounting’ at one time or another.
I feel sorry for the fans, it’s not their fault that their clubs are run by crooks but ultimately they are the ones that will pay for it.
I do think that we should not cast aspersions as we have no idea what our owners are doing behind closed doors and the same thing could happen to us one day. These clubs that have been places of worship for generations of fans are nothing more than rich people’s play things nowadays. It’s a sad state of affairs.
20 Nov 2023 23:42:05
@Davey, I agree entirely with what you say about the young lad from Stoke and given it was five or six years ago now it looks like we may have learned the lessons - that’s the hope anyway.
The thing is, certainly at the level Liverpool are at, it’s not a game anymore. It’s a business and business, for the most part is driven by profit - which sadly is often synonymous for greed.
My problem with football being a business driven by greed is that it’s forcing out genuine fans, who can no longer afford the cost of the match, a season ticket (even if you were willing to wait for the 80 - 100 years for one to become available), or the ever changing merchandise.
I have four sons - all grown up now - and there would be no way I could afford to take the boys to the match on a regular basis if they were kids (living in Oz would cost thousands every week anyway ?) .
Going back to the 60’s and 70’s standing on the Kop with my dad and uncles and cousins was what it was about - a game that you could get lost in. If I was a kid now there’s no way I’d be going to the match - too much cost and hassle - and that’s what may kill (sad to say, hopefully) the elite game as it currently exists.
I love Liverpool FC and I love football, but I don’t like the business the game has become. The product is hurtling towards saturation point, at least for me and sadly I can’t see what’s there to stop it.
21 Nov 2023 12:35:47
The sad thing is that the people who own the rights to broadcast the premier league see it as a product and they want to market their product to a family audience as easy going entertainment.
It wouldn't surprise me if in a few years time the VAR panel consisted of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Dave.
21 Nov 2023 17:11:42
Completely agree there WDW.
As I said - It is what it is ?.
22 Nov 2023 06:50:01
I think you’re sticking your head in the sand if you don’t think we are “serial tapper uppers”
I mean, I don’t know how much is too much but it does seem to be every season, under Klopp anyway.
22 Nov 2023 08:26:05
@TIR - where’s the proof? Why aren’t we being continually fined? We hear anecdotes but (and this is considering that everybody in authority - especially VAR - has it in for us) we seem to have an uncanny knack of avoiding sanctions.
22 Nov 2023 09:47:26
West Derby Wanderer3, we tap players up, man. That is just what it is. Now does that always lead to fines, as we know them? No. Now does that often lead to us getting fleeced and overpaying for players we tapped up like VVD or even Naby? Yes so you can call those fines, man.
Also, does Klopp (or BR before him) tapping up players lead to us being reported to the authorities or lead to clubs not wanting to do business with us anymore like Zielinski, Kovacic, Ugarte, Amrabat etc.? Yes. These are sanctions of diff. kinds that give the club a bad wrap all over Europe and is not goo for our image and our reputation.
Again, not all bad behaviour lead to fines and punishment that you expect. There are other types of punishment that we suffer from these illegal practices which prevent us from literally getting the players we need. That needs to stop and ASAP. Just my take.