Celtic Crusaders in administration

[Ste-word]

Heard a rumour this morning that Celtic crusaders have gone into administration, not sure if this true or not 

[Ste-word]

the most recent info I can find is this http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/10/11/02/RUGBYL_Crusaders.html

[Palin Street]

Got a tweet on my phone from 'lasttackle' 7 hours ago and I quote, 'Wednesday newspapers reporting that Crusaders have entered administration and will be deducted 9 points for the start of next season'

[GRIFFIN]

According to this mornings Sun, Crusaders have gone into administration after Leighton Samuel issued them with a writ for £360,000. As i mentioned on another thread, if a championship club has been in administration within the last 3 years, they can not apply for a SL licence, does this mean Crusaders will not be eligible to apply for a new licence next year. If they were to be awarded a franchise over a financially sound club, the RFL may well feel the hot breath of angry solicitors breathing down their neck.

[Sunny]

Remember, though, that the "original" company in South Wales (the one which emplyed illegal immigrants!) went into liquidation so they relocated to North Wales under a new ownership and name without having to reapply for SL membership and without any sanction made against them - so what makes anyone think that the RFL will take any sanction next time?

The RFL, and Lewis in particular, won't let Crusaders (or whatever they will call themselves) fail thus admitting they were totally wrong.

[HopeThisHelps]

Remember, though, that the "original" company in South Wales (the one which emplyed illegal immigrants!) went into liquidation so they relocated to North Wales under a new ownership and name without having to reapply for SL membership and without any sanction made against them - so what makes anyone think that the RFL will take any sanction next time?

The RFL, and Lewis in particular, won't let Crusaders (or whatever they will call themselves) fail thus admitting they were totally wrong.

No they didn't. The new owners took on the debts of the old owners as a condition of the licence being continued.

[Toffee297]

Here we go again.. same old same old.. Time for the RFL to get the cheque book out again and bail them out again. What a laughing stock our game has become.

[Peter]

According to this mornings Sun, Crusaders have gone into administration after Leighton Samuel issued them with a writ for £360,000. As i mentioned on another thread, if a championship club has been in administration within the last 3 years, they can not apply for a SL licence, does this mean Crusaders will not be eligible to apply for a new licence next year. If they were to be awarded a franchise over a financially sound club, the RFL may well feel the hot breath of angry solicitors breathing down their neck.

They also might be looking for new owners, a new location, and a new team if it is true about their pension funds not being paid into a fund albeit an offshore one. There could also be litigation in the Employment Tribunals under the provisions of the Wages Act, Pensions being deferred wages.

Still if you have crooks being given licences by the RFL what do you expect.

[DJones]

CRUSADERS went into administration last night after former owner Leighton Samuel served a writ on the Welsh club for £360,000.

The news came hours after the Rugby League Players' Association threatened legal action over missed pension payments.

The Super Leaguers will lose a minimum of nine points before the new season starts in February.

And a spokesman said: "We have been constantly firefighting the debts and just couldn't go on once this writ came in."

Last week, The Sun revealed how Crusaders had slashed their coaching wage bill and that only Iestyn Harris remained on the payroll.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/rugby_league/3208952/Writ-puts-Crusaders-intio-admin.html

Although the report is from "The Sun" and possibly could be taken with a pinch of salt

[MathewXIII]

Wrexham Evening Leader report from today

RUGBY league is staying in Wrexham.

That was the hard-hitting message from Crusaders’ chairman Ian Roberts today as the club was served with a winding up notice.

The legal move against the club has been brought by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The case is due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on
November 10.

Mr Roberts said he wasn’t currently able to comment on the matter. However, he said a meeting of shareholders to discuss the issue would be taking place later this week, probably on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. The venue had yet to be decided.

Asked whether he had a message for Crusaders’ thousands of fans Mr Roberts said: “It is the will of the Rugby Football League and the shareholders to continue Super League Rugby in Wrexham.”

News of the winding up petition has stunned fans of the Crusaders, including supporters’ club member Ian Hunter of Borras Park.

“I have already got a season ticket for next year, I’ve paid £150 for it. I phoned the club to ask them what’s going on regarding the courts but the man who answered said that everything was OK,” said Mr Hunter.

“It is very unsettling. The Crusaders has built up a loyal base of fans and I think the club does have the potential to really grow.”

A spokesman for the Rugby Football League, based in Leeds, confirmed his organisation was in discussions with the Crusaders but added he wasn’t able to comment further.

A spokesman for the HMRC said it had a strict duty of confidentiality which meant no comment could be made on individual cases.

She added: “HMRC does not aim to wind up companies, but rather to collect as efficiently as we can the debts that are due.

“We take a sympathetic approach to both individuals and businesses that have genuine short term difficulties in paying the tax they owe. In these cases HMRC will aim to come to an arrangement with them to give time to pay and so avoid taking action that might lead to an otherwise viable business being declared insolvent by the courts.

“HMRC only initiates winding up or bankruptcy action where it believes this really is the best course of action to protect the interests of the Exchequer; we do not take such action lightly.”

- The Crusaders face the possibility of further courtroom difficulties from the Rugby League Players Association (RPLA) regarding claims of unpaid pension contributions for about eight overseas players, a number of whom are no longer with the club.

RPLA sports secretary Geoff Burrow said his organisation was preparing to take legal action against the Crusaders over the matter. Mr Burrow added he was currently trying to find out more information regarding the winding up petition.

[portsmouth_viking]

Wrexham Evening Leader report from today

RUGBY league is staying in Wrexham.

That was the hard-hitting message from Crusaders’ chairman Ian Roberts today as the club was served with a winding up notice.

The legal move against the club has been brought by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The case is due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on
November 10.

Mr Roberts said he wasn’t currently able to comment on the matter. However, he said a meeting of shareholders to discuss the issue would be taking place later this week, probably on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. The venue had yet to be decided.

Asked whether he had a message for Crusaders’ thousands of fans Mr Roberts said: “It is the will of the Rugby Football League and the shareholders to continue Super League Rugby in Wrexham.”

News of the winding up petition has stunned fans of the Crusaders, including supporters’ club member Ian Hunter of Borras Park.

“I have already got a season ticket for next year, I’ve paid £150 for it. I phoned the club to ask them what’s going on regarding the courts but the man who answered said that everything was OK,” said Mr Hunter.

“It is very unsettling. The Crusaders has built up a loyal base of fans and I think the club does have the potential to really grow.”

A spokesman for the Rugby Football League, based in Leeds, confirmed his organisation was in discussions with the Crusaders but added he wasn’t able to comment further.

A spokesman for the HMRC said it had a strict duty of confidentiality which meant no comment could be made on individual cases.

She added: “HMRC does not aim to wind up companies, but rather to collect as efficiently as we can the debts that are due.

“We take a sympathetic approach to both individuals and businesses that have genuine short term difficulties in paying the tax they owe. In these cases HMRC will aim to come to an arrangement with them to give time to pay and so avoid taking action that might lead to an otherwise viable business being declared insolvent by the courts.

“HMRC only initiates winding up or bankruptcy action where it believes this really is the best course of action to protect the interests of the Exchequer; we do not take such action lightly.”

- The Crusaders face the possibility of further courtroom difficulties from the Rugby League Players Association (RPLA) regarding claims of unpaid pension contributions for about eight overseas players, a number of whom are no longer with the club.

RPLA sports secretary Geoff Burrow said his organisation was preparing to take legal action against the Crusaders over the matter. Mr Burrow added he was currently trying to find out more information regarding the winding up petition.

Thousands of fans...have I missed something???

[wildej]

Wrexham Evening Leader report from today

RUGBY league is staying in Wrexham.

That was the hard-hitting message from Crusaders’ chairman Ian Roberts today as the club was served with a winding up notice.

The legal move against the club has been brought by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The case is due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on
November 10.

Mr Roberts said he wasn’t currently able to comment on the matter. However, he said a meeting of shareholders to discuss the issue would be taking place later this week, probably on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. The venue had yet to be decided.

Asked whether he had a message for Crusaders’ thousands of fans Mr Roberts said: “It is the will of the Rugby Football League and the shareholders to continue Super League Rugby in Wrexham.”

News of the winding up petition has stunned fans of the Crusaders, including supporters’ club member Ian Hunter of Borras Park.

“I have already got a season ticket for next year, I’ve paid £150 for it. I phoned the club to ask them what’s going on regarding the courts but the man who answered said that everything was OK,” said Mr Hunter.

“It is very unsettling. The Crusaders has built up a loyal base of fans and I think the club does have the potential to really grow.”

A spokesman for the Rugby Football League, based in Leeds, confirmed his organisation was in discussions with the Crusaders but added he wasn’t able to comment further.

A spokesman for the HMRC said it had a strict duty of confidentiality which meant no comment could be made on individual cases.

She added: “HMRC does not aim to wind up companies, but rather to collect as efficiently as we can the debts that are due.

“We take a sympathetic approach to both individuals and businesses that have genuine short term difficulties in paying the tax they owe. In these cases HMRC will aim to come to an arrangement with them to give time to pay and so avoid taking action that might lead to an otherwise viable business being declared insolvent by the courts.

“HMRC only initiates winding up or bankruptcy action where it believes this really is the best course of action to protect the interests of the Exchequer; we do not take such action lightly.”

- The Crusaders face the possibility of further courtroom difficulties from the Rugby League Players Association (RPLA) regarding claims of unpaid pension contributions for about eight overseas players, a number of whom are no longer with the club.

RPLA sports secretary Geoff Burrow said his organisation was preparing to take legal action against the Crusaders over the matter. Mr Burrow added he was currently trying to find out more information regarding the winding up petition.

So that is where Fax' turnstiles went to.

[Sunny]

No they didn't. The new owners took on the debts of the old owners as a condition of the licence being continued.

A great pity the new owners didn't pay those debts then - isn't it?

[J20]

http://www.crusadersrfl.com/article.php?id=3073

Denial they didn't go into admin last night but not a lot else.

[AB]

What a shame, another great traditional club going down the pan   ........ Oh wait thier not. Amazing how 2 "expantion" clubs have both been in trouble