[mish]

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:28 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

You sound incredibly young. A teenager maybe? Either way, maturity is a long way off for you just now so I can't really take your post seriously.

My team is in Superleague, in case you haven't noticed. I'm not remotely interested or involved in your Championship petty squabbles. My concern is to see this great sport of ours spread as far and wide as possible and also to offer support to the Celtic fans who've had a rough deal this season through no fault of their own.

You'll appreciate that, once you're a grown up.

Thank you for your kind words of wisdom Saintsfan - even though I'm not young, I am a woman, so perhaps I can be forgiven if I don't know what I'm talking about.

Anyhow, how do you feel about the fact that Leeds can now potentially put 100 points past Celtic this weekend? How will your mighty Saints feel about having the league leaders title taken away from them then?

BTW I went to Headingley last week to watch them play Cas and they were hot, hot hot!!

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:55 pm  

I wasn't there at Cawoods wrote:

+1

The so called most cash rich, high proflie, modern thinking sporting league in Europe (Premier League) still yes STILL has P&R!

Yet still has a joke of a national team who take pride in beating teams like Azerbaijan (sp?)

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:08 pm  

pmarrow wrote:

If you hate it so much, why the venom at not being in it ?

What SL ? I dont hate SL , or it's clubs , officials or fans

I dont ' hate ' the RFL

I do think that SL is poorer for not having a different team in it every year , but i can understand why

I do think that the RFL are clueless when it comes to trying to understand what sport in general and RL in particular is all about

[mish]

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:21 pm  

Celtic and the RFL speak out tonight on Boots 'n' All. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 91,00.html

Celtic and the RFL speak out tonight on Boots 'n' All. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 91,00.html

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:31 pm  

This is a piece from the sun today page 7

''The players applied for holiday and tourist visas-not mentioning their plans to play a professional sport''.

It also says---''after ADMITTING lying in visa applications''
Looks to me like they have pulled the wool over the UKBA.

Naughty boys.

[mish]

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:54 pm  

poppys mum wrote:

This is a piece from the sun today page 7

''The players applied for holiday and tourist visas-not mentioning their plans to play a professional sport''.

It also says---''after ADMITTING lying in visa applications''
Looks to me like they have pulled the wool over the UKBA.

Naughty boys.

But the issue here is, how could a club official not spot they were on tourist/student visas? (and therefore illegally employed)

Who told 6 individual players to apply for these particular visas? (or did they all just turn up one day at Celtic and say 'I play rugby' - I don't think so)

How come no one at the RFL noticed that these players were playing with the wrong visas?

I think the world of Rugby league deserves some straight answers.

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:55 pm  

poppys mum wrote:

This is a piece from the sun today page 7

''The players applied for holiday and tourist visas-not mentioning their plans to play a professional sport''.

It also says---''after ADMITTING lying in visa applications''
Looks to me like they have pulled the wool over the UKBA.

Naughty boys.

But surely they didn't play proffessional sport as they were working for Dekor PLC and playing for free , as Mr Samuels suggested in his recent interview

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:47 pm  

poppys mum wrote: This is a piece from the sun today page 7 ''The players applied for holiday and tourist visas-not mentioning their plans to play a professional sport''. It also says---''after ADMITTING lying in visa applications'' Looks to me like they have pulled the wool over the UKBA. Naughty boys. Interesting. Although I'm not sure I would believe anything written in the Sun! There is a statement from the RFL in print also, found on Chris Irvine's blog which backs up what I thought concerning the RFL's involvement in visas: The RFL have today issued this statement: "The RFL has asked the UK Border Agency for a copy of its report into alleged discrepancies in the visa applications of six Celtic Crusaders players. The RFL is also speaking to Celtic Crusaders about the matter and feels it would be inappropriate to pass specific comment until further details are available. The RFL would like to point out that the awarding of visas is an issue between players and the UK Border Agency, not the RFL. For clarification, the governing body would not refuse a player’s registration if the UK Border Agency approved a player’s status and the appropriate documentation was provided." So all those silly people talking conspiracy by the RFL (thinking especially of Starbug) really don't know what they are talking about. As for whether the club was deliberately complicit in what happened with the players, that remains to be seen as presently the investigation is still underway.

poppys mum wrote: This is a piece from the sun today page 7 ''The players applied for holiday and tourist visas-not mentioning their plans to play a professional sport''. It also says---''after ADMITTING lying in visa applications'' Looks to me like they have pulled the wool over the UKBA. Naughty boys. Interesting. Although I'm not sure I would believe anything written in the Sun! There is a statement from the RFL in print also, found on Chris Irvine's blog which backs up what I thought concerning the RFL's involvement in visas: The RFL have today issued this statement: "The RFL has asked the UK Border Agency for a copy of its report into alleged discrepancies in the visa applications of six Celtic Crusaders players. The RFL is also speaking to Celtic Crusaders about the matter and feels it would be inappropriate to pass specific comment until further details are available. The RFL would like to point out that the awarding of visas is an issue between players and the UK Border Agency, not the RFL. For clarification, the governing body would not refuse a player’s registration if the UK Border Agency approved a player’s status and the appropriate documentation was provided." So all those silly people talking conspiracy by the RFL (thinking especially of Starbug) really don't know what they are talking about. As for whether the club was deliberately complicit in what happened with the players, that remains to be seen as presently the investigation is still underway.

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:55 pm  

SaintsFan wrote: Interesting. Although I'm not sure I would believe anything written in the Sun! There is a statement from the RFL in print also, found on Chris Irvine's blog which backs up what I thought concerning the RFL's involvement in visas: The RFL have today issued this statement: "The RFL has asked the UK Border Agency for a copy of its report into alleged discrepancies in the visa applications of six Celtic Crusaders players. The RFL is also speaking to Celtic Crusaders about the matter and feels it would be inappropriate to pass specific comment until further details are available. The RFL would like to point out that the awarding of visas is an issue between players and the UK Border Agency, not the RFL. For clarification, the governing body would not refuse a player’s registration if the UK Border Agency approved a player’s status and the appropriate documentation was provided." So all those silly people talking conspiracy by the RFL (thinking especially of Starbug) really don't know what they are talking about. As for whether the club was deliberately complicit in what happened with the players, that remains to be seen as presently the investigation is still underway. , Of course , they were working as Community dev officers in Wales , which of course is nothing to do with the RFL

SaintsFan wrote: Interesting. Although I'm not sure I would believe anything written in the Sun! There is a statement from the RFL in print also, found on Chris Irvine's blog which backs up what I thought concerning the RFL's involvement in visas: The RFL have today issued this statement: "The RFL has asked the UK Border Agency for a copy of its report into alleged discrepancies in the visa applications of six Celtic Crusaders players. The RFL is also speaking to Celtic Crusaders about the matter and feels it would be inappropriate to pass specific comment until further details are available. The RFL would like to point out that the awarding of visas is an issue between players and the UK Border Agency, not the RFL. For clarification, the governing body would not refuse a player’s registration if the UK Border Agency approved a player’s status and the appropriate documentation was provided." So all those silly people talking conspiracy by the RFL (thinking especially of Starbug) really don't know what they are talking about. As for whether the club was deliberately complicit in what happened with the players, that remains to be seen as presently the investigation is still underway. , Of course , they were working as Community dev officers in Wales , which of course is nothing to do with the RFL

: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:56 pm  

mishmash wrote:

But the issue here is, how could a club official not spot they were on tourist/student visas? (and therefore illegally employed)

They weren't over here on either tourist or student visas.

They were over here on working holidaymaker visas. The government have now tightened up on these but they were used prior to this year by sportspeople from all different sports for playing on a part-time basis. It is very likely that the visa they applied for back then was the right visa. However, from what was said on Boots'n'All this evening, the question appears to be whether they played fulltime or part-time on that visa and whether the club was in any way complicit if they played fulltime. That's aside from any 'quick fixes' they may, as a group, have been advised to employ or employed by themselves in order to obtain the visa in the first place. Either way, the investigations are retrospective because all the players were legal for this season and because of that I think a 10 year ban is overly harsh.