Taxing Times Now The Rozzers Want A Piece Of The Action!

Only West Ham United and Newcastle 'had their collars felt' in today's 'storming' of their respective offices by HMRC officers at a highly respectable 8am, they normally arrive a lot earlier! Given the nature of the action and it's potential to implicate and tarnish two of football's most disliked and resented hierarchy's in the form of Mike Ashley and David Sullivan, it is no small wonder that the BBC's Dan Roan has jumped on the story like a dog after a butcher's bone!
In a statement, HMRC said it had arrested "several men working within the professional football industry for a suspected income tax and national insurance fraud". Business records, financial records, computers and mobile phones were also seized in the raids."180 HMRC officers have been deployed across the UK and France today," the statement added. West Ham United said in a statement the club was "cooperating fully with HMRC to assist their inquiries."
The key points of the HMRC statement :
"Investigators have searched a number of premises in the north east and south east of England and arrested the men and also seized business records, financial records, computers and mobile phones.
"The French authorities are assisting the UK investigation, have made arrests and several locations have been searched in France.
"This criminal investigation sends a clear message that, whoever you are, if you commit tax fraud you can expect to face the consequences.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, HMRC is unable to provide any further detail at this time."
As this was a joint operation between the English and French tax authorities, the amount of french players at a club would surely dictate the extent of the enquiries which is why Newcastle with it's large contingent of french players over the years is an obvious target, but West Ham? Only the Payet and Sakho deals could be open to scrutiny, as they came from Marseille and Metz respectively, unless a certain manager who was at the club during Sakho's arrival had his fingers in the pie, but he wouldn't would he? - Ed