Unequivocal Support For A Con Artist

At the news that Clapton Community Football Club had been offered a lease on the Old Spotted Dog Ground there was a flurry of internet activity.  People sent their congratulations to the club and many members of CCFC were obviously delighted with the freeholders' decision.

Amid this activity was a tweet from Hackney Wick Football Club who have played at the Old Spotted Dog since 2012.  They first arrived in Forest Gate in 2012 as London Bari FC and, following a merger in 2017, continued their tenure under the name of Hackney Wick FC.

The tweet, which was posted at 3:43pm on the 17th September 2019 read : 
"So we paid £4k for half the season at the OSD where we've been for the last 3 years and since have had to switch our FA Cup ties, costing more money, pay up front for 2 other home matches elsewhere, and now have to pay for a full season at Coles Park.  It your face don't fit"

So Hackney Wick handed over £4k,  For what, and to whom?

Undoubtedly, HWFC would have been fully aware that the company that previous held the lease of the OSD were in liquidation and thus the ground should be under the control of the liquidator.  So why would they pay this money to anyone else?

Despite the liquidation, the recipient of rent from London Bari/Hackney Wick in previous years has been Vincent McBean and/or limited companies under his control. This, of itself, is theft and the dishonesty continues as HWFC have been conned or misled into paying £4,000 for the specific purpose of playing football at the OSD.

HWFC have not yet made it clear whether the payment was in cash or via a bank, or whether it was paid into a personal or company/business account.  What is clear is that HWFC have parted with a substantial amount of money and that they are extremely unlikely to get it back.  Their options are that they sue, or ask the football authorities to help them.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw that Essex Senior League Chair, Lee Dorling, was present at a meeting called by Vince McBean on Wednesday 18th September.  Mr Dorling addressed the meeting in his capacity as ESL chair, expressing unequivocal support for Vince McBean in the matter concerning the lease.

This support was given, not withstanding the con that has been perpetrated on HWFC, a club that until last season, was a member of his League.

Something is very wrong with the priorities and the moral compass of the Essex Senior League and I wonder how much longer the member clubs will continue to allow the 'Dorling charade' to continue in their name.

NB : It has been suggested that HWFC issue legal proceedings to recover the money.  Good luck with that.  Mr McBean uses false/accommodation addresses, purports to be impecunious and is adept at avoiding bailiffs.

Is This Why the Essex Senior League Are Supporting Vince McBean?

I have read, with some amusement and disbelief, the twitter exchanges between the Essex Senior League account @essexsenior and various others (mainly, but not exclusively, supporters of Clapton) concerning Vincent McBean’s club and I was particularly interested in the exchanges relating to it's actual constitution.

What is apparent that many supporters and indeed, even the Essex Senior League, have very little understanding of what the actual position is.

This is hardly surprising in the case of the former, as Mr McBean has run and collapsed a number of limited companies that purported to have been Clapton FC, since he arrived.

Some years ago, supporters wrote to the Essex Senior League asking for clarification on the legal entity that was playing in their competition as Clapton Football Club.  It was a league rule that clubs should disclose this either on their website or in the match day programme.  Needless to say, at the time, McBean’s club did neither.

The response from the ESL was less than helpful and, in essence, they refused to enforce their rule.   One wonders why this was such a guarded secret.

In the twitter thread, a supporter talks of fans not being able to influence the club because they were not shareholders.  This would be correct if McBean’s club was a Limited Company and, given the on-going confusion on who or what is Clapton FC, this error is perfectly understandable.

It should be said that McBean’s website now describes his entity as an unincorporated association.

But the response from the ESL was quite interesting. "This is one of the main issues - being a fan, paying an entrance fee - does not entitle you to a share in any decision making and/or profits unless you’re a shareholder.”

With respect to whoever is running the ESL twitter account, (said to be ‘the Committee’) ‘shares and shareholders’ are not an issue in the Clapton case.  An unincorporated association would normally have members but, as we know, Vince McBean closed the membership six years ago for “restructuring”.  One may speculate that his was clearly to protect his position within the entity as its been the same old same old, ever since.  (Note : he has posted a written on-line denial that he was the owner of Clapton FC)

But I can fully understand why the Essex Senior League Committee are so confused in thinking that shareholders are an issue as far as Clapton Football Club are concerned..

This is because not so long ago the Essex Senior League were accepting and banking cheques from the Santander bank account of Clapton Football Club Limited. At the time they should have been fully aware that this was not the legal entity of the ‘member club’.

Nonetheless, the Essex Senior League continued to bank cheques from the company after it had been struck off, dissolved and no longer legally existed.

The assets of any struck off/dissolved company immediately becomes ‘bona vacantia’ (property of the Crown) and therefore this money was not theirs to accept.

This use of shell companies, and fraudulent transactions such as this, clearly smacks of money laundering, and is most certainly, false accounting and tax evasion.  A casual inspection of the bank statements of McBean’s Clapton FC Limited, reveals that the company traded quite actively before and after dissolution, although it never actually filed accounts at any time.

Nonetheless the Santander bank account in the name of Clapton Football Club Limited remained active until 2014.

Given the amount of unbridled support for Mr McBean in the Essex Senior League twitter feed, is it just a co-incidence that their determination to keep him afloat, not enforce their own rules, and consistently bat away any criticism of him, is founded more on the concern that their financial transactions with Clapton Football Club Limited, if revealed, may implicate them in future investigations regarding Mr McBean?

One thing is for sure, such behaviour, whether it be naivety, or by assisting or failing to disclose/report such financial misconduct, is not that which should be expected, at the very least, of a Senior League.  (described at page of this season's ESL Handbook as a 'Senior Attitude'.)

One wonders what sanctions and financial penalties the Essex Senior League would have meted out to other member clubs if those clubs had been involved in such financial skullduggery?

The Clapton Petition. Why Would I Sign?

I think most of us with an interest in non league football in London and Essex are aware of the recent developments at the Spotted Dog ground. Simply put, the landlords, Heineken UK, have repossessed the ground because the rent has not been paid. For me, that's totally understandable and straight forward enough.

In response, an on-line petition has been launched, addressed to Heineken UK, asking people to sign in support of Keeping Clapton Football Club at the Old Spotted Dog Ground.

At the time of writing just over 400 people have signed the petition.  However, I wonder how many of those signatories are actually mis-informed or have signed due to sentiment.

The first fear to allay is that Heineken have clearly stated that they have no intention of the ground being used for any other purpose than leisure and sporting activities which benefit the local community.  So we can forget yuppie housing being built on the site. It should also be remembered that the football ground has been designated as an Asset Of Community Value, and as such, is safe from developers.

Therefore the question is, who will occupy the ground as tenants/lessees?  The petition asks you to sign to show support for Vincent McBean's Clapton FC.  However, his club are entwined with the recently evicted company, Newham Community Leisure Limited who Mr McBean also mismanaged and took into liquidation.

The script of the petition page is interesting for a number of reasons.  

• There is no mention of Vincent McBean the CEO of Clapton FC  who was a director of Newham Community Leisure Limited before he placed it into liquidation.  In addition, Clapton club secretary Shirley Doyle and team manager Wilfred Thomas signed documents as members of NCL to support this action.
• The Charity Commission launched a statutory inquiry into Newham Community Leisure Limited in 2013 and I cannot imagine this is undertaken lightly and it could only have been done in the face of serious allegations of misconduct by trustees/directors/ members, who include Mrs Doyle, Mr Thomas and Mr McBean.
• The petition blames the Charity Commission for not allowing the terms of the lease to be met (payment of rent).  This is also misconceived, as Vince McBean, Shirley Doyle and Wilf Thomas will know that the assets of the company are under the control of the liquidator who was appointed by Mr McBean to administer the liquidation.

As for terms of the lease, Mr McBean will need no reminding that he, and other trustees, have been fined by Newham Council for causing, and the continuance of, public nuisance to neighbours and local residents through loud music being played in the early hours of the morning.  This, of itself, is a breach of the terms of the lease and could result in forfeiture. 

Licensing is not a strong suit for the Vincent McBean's Clapton as, older supporters will know, there was no liquor licence at the ground until 2009.  So that's at least four years of Essex Senior League officials, players and supporters enjoying hospitality at Mr McBean's 'illegal drinker'.  This is a breach of the terms of the lease and could result in forfeiture.

Putting this aside, were McBean's club good tenants?  Judging by what I have seen of the clear up at the ground since the repossession, I don't think so.  Rubbish skips are bursting to the seams with refuse, some looking like it had been previously fly tipped.  I also recall the old urinals piled behind the scaffold stand and imagine that they have also found their way into the skip. Keeping the ground is such a lamentable state is breach of the tenant's covenants in the lease and could result in forfeiture.

I am also aware that Newham Council visited the ground in August 2017 and served notices on Mr McBean due to the dangerous state of the ground due to building spoil littering the public areas.  Once again, this is a breach of the lease and could result in forfeiture.

So, had the landlords been aware of the above, they could have reasonably removed the lease from Newham Community Leisure at any time.

But, fellow non league supporters, let's be honest, were it not for the location, (an oasis of old school football in the middle of a residential area) and the history connected with the name of Clapton Football Club, would we be as unforgiving of a ground in such a poor and potentially dangerous state of repair.  For example, imagine if there was a pile of old urinals stacked at the side of the stand at Cricklefields or Wadham Lodge or a pile of hardcore and glass in the spectator areas of Oakside or Catons Lane?  Would the ground grading gods sit back and ignore it as they clearly have for some time at the Spotted Dog..

I have purposely not referred to Vince McBean's personal antecedents in running charities and companies  That is all over the internet and on public record.

As for the demise of the 140 year old club, this is total folly as Vincent McBean suspended Clapton Football Club in 2000.  He formed a new entity, Clapton Members Club whose constitution is that which is lodged with the Football Association. The interest in Clapton FC, a members' club, has remained with the life members of that organsiation.

So, I hope those who propose to sign the petition understand why I will not do so.  I appreciate the sentiment behind wishng to sign the petition, but be assured, the ground is safe and is not longer being used for personal gain as opposed to being a community asset.  Its a case of the landlords finding a responsible, democratic, local community based entity to run it, for the good of Newham.

To reinstall Mr McBean and his friends as tenants would be like inviting guests to your home who, when they previously stayed with you, defecated and then wiped it up the walls.

I'm not sure that is what any responsible landlord would want to happen.  One can only imagine what the cost of the clear up and making secure has cost them on this occasion and I am sure they would not want to repeat the process.

BBC 3 on the Ultras. Epic Fail

Justin

Last week a short documentary was released on the BBC3 website that told the tale of a West Ham supporter, Justin, who has turned his back on English football to follow an Italian 3^rd division team which enjoys the support of a vociferous group of Ultras. In listing his reasons for this change of perspective, he mentioned that, prior to the decision, he had concluded that his support was no longer valued by the club and he felt like he was merely a ‘customer’.

Having witnessed the ‘Ultras effect’ at the Old Spotted Dog over recent seasons, I can certainly understand why this young man is attracted to this way of supporting a team. The incredible atmosphere that was created by the Clapton Ultras was not only the envy of many other non league clubs, even those at a higher level, but was also a contributory factor as to why many good players stayed with the Tons rather than move on to other teams where they could possibly earn a few quid. It still amazes me that some players would, for the sake of a few bob, rather play in front of one man and a dog than in front of a real crowd with all the atmosphere. [but that’s for another day]

There is little doubt that, whilst the Ultras were at Clapton, attendances increased, and with it came a lot more income and, consequently, many other non league clubs in the area have been doing their best to attract similarly vociferous supporters in order to form their own version of the ‘Ultras’.

For some time Non League football has presented itself as being the part of game in which supporters can be come actively involved in their club. Despite this, many clubs are still being run by a small group of people or just one individual, and are lacking the requisite numbers and expertise, whether that be in administration, matchday organisation or even in marketing the club.

In recent seasons we have seen the increased number of clubs who have become fan owned, not least Clapton Community Football Club, where supporters decided to change their allegiance from Vincent McBean’s Clapton where they had been clearly and deliberately excluded, to enjoy active participation in a club in which they have a say in how it is run. This, despite they are now watching football that is a number of levels lower in the football pyramid.

So, this brings me back to the BBC3 documentary.

During the film, the young man visits the Dog and clips from various videos are shown in which the Clapton Ultras are seen in full voice, cheering on the lads in their inimitable style. Some of these clips are at least three years old and deliberately mislead the audience. The reality is that McBean FC's home matches have been sparsely attended since the home match boycott and the advent of CCFC. There is, however, a very short clip of a more recent match with McBean’s team playing in their new, non Clapton garb, with red shorts. It is devoid of any fan noise or chanting but is clearly designed to give the impression that the Ultras continue to support McBean FC.

So, imagine my surprise, given his consistent condemnation of the Ultras, when Vincent McBean appeared on the film. Interviewed whilst standing in front of the “famous scaffold stand” (his words), he went on to say about the Ultras, “They’re the heart and soul of the club, Those guys are the ones who make the club.”

As far as I am aware, none of the Ultras have ever been members of Vincent McBean’s club. In fact Mr McBean is on record as having made allegations of racism against the Ultras (all of which were mischievous, totally unsubstantiated and none reported to Kick It Out.)

I am no investigative journalist, but one doesn't have to be Hercule Poirot to assemble enough accurate information so as not to be hoodwinked by the McBean, the Walter Mitty of Forest Gate (and of London SW4 - thank you to my sources).

Unsurprisingly, this film has been criticised by many Clapton supporters including some of the old Ultras. They have a point, as it is an appalling piece of journalism which gives a totally misleading account of the present situation at McBean FC. Instead it gave the false impression that Clapton Ultras were still attending McBean FC matches, did not mention the boycott, the new fan owned club or the ongoing court case that was sparked by McBean’s attempt to liquidate the leaseholding Charity. Even more surprisingly, Justin, or the filmmakers failed to contact the Ultras to obtain their account. So what we were left is an unbalanced and misleading report.

Had they done so, they would have become aware that the legacy of Clapton Ultras continues at the Stray Dog where Clapton CFC are setting an example to McBean, and other 'exclusively run' entities that aree passing off as 'clubs', in non league football. Matchdays are exciting and atmospheric, the players and supporters come together as a group in striving for victory (as they used to do before the boycott at the Old Spotted Dog) Most importantly, membership of the club is open to all, every member own a share in the club and can propose and/or vote on any motions or proposals put forward.

Compare this with McBean's set up. The loudest sounds at matches comes from the dugouts and the players. He is flanked by other individuals who, whilst possibly well meaning, are being totally duped by the false persona he has developed in many years of his dodgy dealings. (Lets not forget the south London Charity from which he took nearly £500k).

I need not mention the litany of failed and struck off limited companies using the name, and other variations, of Clapton Football Club.

I was also interested to read a recent tweet from one the McBean FC team management who insisted the players were playing for them and not McBean. That, is not a club. The fact is that McBean FC amounts to a profit making entity from which only one person benefits (the licensed bar, rents from London Bari FC/Hackney Wick, Filming Shoots, The Tyre Warehouse etc). The players and team management are supporting this regime as they are a cog in that wheel and seem content to play their matches, amid the atmosphere of Sunday team on the Marshes, despite the obvious problems. It is a matter for their conscience alone.

It is therefore very little wonder why Clapton Community Football Club was established. Since its inception it has managed to recreate, and even improve upon, the old, inclusive club that was Clapton Football Club before the arrival of McBean. CCFC has the support of all the Life Members of the old Clapton FC and, coupled with the enthusiasm and vision of the members and owners, there is every reason to be optimistic that they will return Clapton to its old standing in non league football. That standing not only includes matters on the field but, just as importantly, what happens off the field. I salute Clapton CFC on the sterling work they have done to overcome a variety of obstacles whilst remaining true to their principals.  Sport should be for all to enjoy.

The future will be interesting. The High Court case appears to be coming to a head and McBean is been known to bail out just before the axe falls (as he did with the South London charity). This decision will obvious impact upon the ground and its usage and ultimately McBean FC. I have long since given up on the idea that any of the purported governing bodies will intervene of their own volition. The Charity Commission, HMRC, The Essex Senior League, the Football Association etc. have all stood by and done very little. 

Is it that their governance and adminstration is lamentable?  Or do they all stand squarely' McBean? One certainly has a reason to be curious.....

The documentary can be viewed at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/clip/f41124ba-6b55-401d-a976-be92114e6cdd

The credits for the film, on the website of producer Charles Copsey (www.charlescopsey.com) read as follows :

I Turned My Back On English Football For Italian Ultras - BBC Three

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Upset with West Ham, Justin turned to Italian club Arezzo to find the passion he believes his old club lost.

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Director, Producer, Editor: Charles Copsey

BBC Producer and Development: Ally McCrae

Cinematography: Lloyd Cook

Sound Location and Post: Louis Lincoln

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Commissioned by BBC Three for digital channels. Released and distributed by BBC Three, BBC Sport and Match of The Day social media channels.