Dangerous4 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:26 pm
This is precisely where I smell a great big rat. Their books SHOULD have been examined, in order to to find the whole truth, one way or the other. The stench will never be completely eradicated.
What do you think would have been found in the 'books'?
A line marked 'cash withdrawal' for £2 million followed by a row of initials splitting up the amounts?
Have you never heard of the term 'off the books'?
The breaches seem to be characterised by indirect dubious business partnerships and overpayments by third parties.
On the other hand, why were Saracens so reluctant to open their books? I struggle to believe they would be so incompetent as to have the above mentioned transaction highlighted in bold. I think their point of opening their books only if everybody else did was to sling some mud and suggest, probably with accuracy, that they were not the only team with something to hide.
Their reluctance to open their books may well stem from the certainty that the trail of cheating goes back a lot further than 2015 and that the very foundation of their recent success was built on a charade, also the Nelson type blindness that seems to have affected the squad and the coaches while all this money was sloshing about may have been illuminated in an unflattering way, the mud slinging was just that, I am sure if they had anything on another team the Sarrie's friendly media would have been fed it pretty quickly.
I agree that in all likelihood the issues go several years further back than 2015, Ryan Walkinshaw implies that it goes back at least as far as 2010. I don't know why the older breaches would be any more transparent in the books than more recent years despite the wagging tongues.
Your term may be correct but I really don't like the claimed ignorance and self deception that I can't see as being anything other than deliberate being described as Nelsonian.
In terms of dirt on other teams, if there is any truth in Ryan Walkinshaw's comments it should have been relatively easy for Nigel Wray to be fairly specific with identification of other owners, clubs and methods. Many think Saracens should have had a more severe punishment meted out but perhaps Saracens have got the best deal they can for keeping their mouths shut?
Some of the media did seem to be unduly Saracens friendly.
I am neither clever enough to understand nor stupid enough to play this game
Craig Doyle's interview with Farrell was pathetic on BT this week, also Farrell was an advert for sunscreen.
Until the architects of the cheating either properly apologise or move out of the game, the stench remains.
I would suggest the sections of the press knew about all this for sometime but didn't want to rock the boat.
It's a shame it's not really a topic Private Eye would be interested in.
Pardon my ignorance but when it was announced that Sarries were being relegated I did glance over the rules and regulations. I read that promotion to the Premiership was reliant on a club abiding by the salary cap for 2 years.
Therefore does that mean that Saracens cannot be promoted next year?
Lea wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 10:36 am
Pardon my ignorance but when it was announced that Sarries were being relegated I did glance over the rules and regulations. I read that promotion to the Premiership was reliant on a club abiding by the salary cap for 2 years.
Therefore does that mean that Saracens cannot be promoted next year?
That's a misconception which I believe came from a Monye (apologies to him if it was someone else!) comment a while back. Not true.
Lea wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 10:36 am
Pardon my ignorance but when it was announced that Sarries were being relegated I did glance over the rules and regulations. I read that promotion to the Premiership was reliant on a club abiding by the salary cap for 2 years.
Therefore does that mean that Saracens cannot be promoted next year?
That's a misconception which I believe came from a Monye (apologies to him if it was someone else!) comment a while back. Not true.
You're talking about section 15. The rules used to say that the promoted club had to provide the SCM with details of salaries for the year in which promotion was achieved which would imply, although the regs do not seem to state specifically, that the cap needed to be complied with during that season, and also the same details for the forthcoming season that clubs already in the Premiership had to supply.
In the regs for the current season (I haven't look recently to see if it's been corrected, presumably not if your glance is recent Lea) the SCM failed to update the years for the provision of these details so that it reads as if the promoted club has to provide details for the the two season preceding promotion.
Lovely to see a post from somebody who has looked at the regulations. This chap posts some interesting stuff and in this article addresses your point in case I have not been clear:
Yes I did read it through and thank you for the article it was a great read.
It does pose questions to be honest. I feel that it could be ignored as it doesnt specify that this would apply to a relegated club due to salary cap breach....however as that situation had never occurred or thought would occur has that rule now been rethought. I would imagine it would be and possibly to serve as a warning to other clubs as a year in League 1 for 12 months isnt too much of a hindrance.
Seeing the table I noted that Sarries have accumulated 58 points from 12 wins and 10 bonus points.
Had the first 35 point deduction stood then Sarries would now be on 23 points, just 1 point behind Leicester.
That they have done that having played quite a few lesser known players and youngsters in league matches is astounding given the huge mental blow of the punishments.
They have tarnished everything good they have achieved.
Personally I think there is a lot more that we never found out, time for certain sections of the media to call them out.
Press coverage of Saracens has fallen some way short of holding the club to account. Yes, the points deduction and relegation were covered widely, but ever since coverage has fallen back into eulogising them for their past/current achievements.
Note for journalists:
Saracens' achievements over the past THREE years have been sullied by persistent salary cap breaches. We don't still celebrate Marion Jones' Olympic titles, Lance Armstrong's Tour de France titles, or Melbourne Storm's NRL titles, so don't treat this instance of cheating differently.
