A messy wrangle is now over following the £5,000 fine issued to the Crusaders RL club over "Visagate" which affected the club's previous guise - Celtic Crusaders.
Six members of the Crusaders first team squad were found to have been on the wrong type of Visa and this immediately led to their suspension from playing and in several cases, 10 year bans being given about returning to this country. One of the players - Damien Quinn had been over since the birth of the club and even claimed a Player-of-the-Year award title at a sparkling posh-suit dinner thrown by the RFL themselves.
We were told that fines of up to £10,000 per worker could be issued but for those thinking the Crusaders have got away with it need only look through the Border Agency Lists from December to discover that in most cases a £5,000 fine per worker was given to companies.
I also thought I'd look towards Crusaders, having heard something about a new company being set up in Wrexham. This is true according to the Companies House website
WREXHAM CRUSADERS LIMITED
THE RACE COURSE GROUND
MOLD ROAD
WREXHAM
WALES
LL11 2AH
Company No. 07115702
However before letters start lobbying MP's and beseiging Red Hall - the original company is still active, all be it with the same address as above.
CELTIC CRUSADERS LIMITED
THE RACECOURSE
MOLD ROAD
WREXHAM
LL11 2AH
Company No. 05991284
So according to Companies House there are two rugby businesses at the same address. Is this the way that Crusaders were able to get around the rules concerning points deductions? This situation throws up a couple of questions. Who do these two companies employ? Is it a way around the Salary Cap? Why are there two companies?
Maybe we'll never know the answer.
I'm sure there are a number of club chairmen now looking at the Crusaders model though. Maybe at some point in the future I'll look at other company names that make up Rugby League in the UK. I wonder what I'll find?
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