Sir Philip Green accused of being Shadow Everton Director

Sir Philip Green has been accused of being a Shadow Everton Director, by a local MP and club season ticket holder today.

The allegation was made by Chris Matheson MP, Labour MP for Chester, who was speaking in a Culture, Media and Sport Committee on the governance of football.

Addressing Greg Clarke, who is the chairman of the Football Association, Matheson brought up the subject of off-shore companies that have become involved with football clubs.

Matheson said: “I understand that Sir Philip Green had something of a role of shadow director at Everton, including having PWC (accountancy firm Price Waterhouse Cooper) conduct an audit of the club and summoning the chief executive and the team manager to BHS headquarters to discuss transfer budgets.

“If someone has paid for some shares through someone else and through an entity in the British Virgin Islands, but isn’t a director, would that a problem?”

“Those questions were wrong and shouldn’t be asked. To repeatedly be asked about where we lend from and where Philip Green is in all this is just wrong.”

“Do you know who or what is Vibrac?” he said.

“Do you know who or what is BCR Sports?”

“Vibrac is an offshore entity….which I believe provided finance to Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Reading and Southampton.

“And I understand it has provided £150m worth of finance to European clubs, including those clubs I just stated, in 2013.

“And I believe Vibrac is registered in the British Virgin Islands. Does it ring any bells?”

Moving the conversation back to BCR Sports, Matheson added: “Until March 2016, Robert Earl was a director of Everton – and I should say I am a season ticket holder at Everton – declared 23% of the ownership at Everton through BCR Sports, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

“However, a previous director and, in fact, the previous owner of those shares, Paul Gregg, says he wasn’t paid for those shares that were transferred to Robert Earl , by Robert Earl or even by BCR Sports … by Sir Phillip Green who was not registered as a director at Everton.

“And I understand that Sir Philip Green had something of a role of shadow director at Everton, including having PWC conduct an audit of the club and summoning the chief executive and the team manager to BHS headquarters to discuss transfer budgets.

“If someone has paid for some share through someone else and through an entity in the British Virgin Islands, but isn’t a director, would that a problem?”

Clarke confirmed that he was unaware of either company.

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