" Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff player face jail "
Mon Feb 05, 2018 12:57 pm
Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff City player face jail after scamming £5m from schools and colleges
By Rachael Burnett, Press Association andCiaran Jones
Monday 5th Jan 2018
An ex-Wales international footballer and a former Cardiff City forward face prison terms after scamming £5m from schools and colleges using a bogus sports leadership scheme .
Former Wales star Mark Aizlewood, 57, who played for clubs including Leeds United and Charlton Athletic, and Paul Sugrue, 56 – whose past clubs include Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Cardiff City – promised to help struggling youngsters gain an NVQ in activity leadership.
They told colleges across the country they would provide full-time training in football coaching as well as work experience and a £95 weekly stipend to 3,800 students.
But in reality hundreds of the students on their books didn’t even exist, many lived at the opposite end of the country from the training scheme, while others were doing just two to three hours of study a week.
On Monday Aizlewood was convicted of one count and Sugrue of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation by offering the non-existent apprenticeships through their firm Luis Michael Training Ltd at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Aizlewood was also acquitted of a second court of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
The pair – along with fellow directors Keith Williams, 45, and Christopher Martin, 53 – submitted false accounts to colleges to persuade them to do business with the firm.
They promised the colleges it was the perfect opportunity for “neets” – youngsters not in employment, education or training – to gain a qualification.
Williams was also convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
Football coach Jack Harper, 30, was convicted of fraud and using a false instrument. He was acquitted of another count of conspiracy to commit false representation.
Martin admitted two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation ahead of trial along with Stephen Gooding, 53, who admitted one charge.
The jury of five women and seven men reached verdicts after more than 24 hours of deliberation.
Judge Michael Tomlinson described the case as “very serious” and adjourned sentencing until February 26.
The company enrolled suitable apprentices to claim money from the colleges, which in turn received funding from the Government-run Learning and Skills Council (LSC), later renamed the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
Gooding and Harper, who were employed in the business, helped funnel new learners into the scheme.
Some of the bogus students were sourced from a summer football camp run by Harper, who secretly enrolled students to apprenticeships without their knowledge or consent.
LM Training even got sixth formers on work experience in its office to complete tests on behalf of learners to make it seem like they had the minimum level of maths and English competency.
The work experience students were told they were just practice papers.
When the scam unravelled the Skills Funding Agency demanded its money back, leaving large deficits in the budgets of many schools.
By Rachael Burnett, Press Association andCiaran Jones
Monday 5th Jan 2018
An ex-Wales international footballer and a former Cardiff City forward face prison terms after scamming £5m from schools and colleges using a bogus sports leadership scheme .
Former Wales star Mark Aizlewood, 57, who played for clubs including Leeds United and Charlton Athletic, and Paul Sugrue, 56 – whose past clubs include Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Cardiff City – promised to help struggling youngsters gain an NVQ in activity leadership.
They told colleges across the country they would provide full-time training in football coaching as well as work experience and a £95 weekly stipend to 3,800 students.
But in reality hundreds of the students on their books didn’t even exist, many lived at the opposite end of the country from the training scheme, while others were doing just two to three hours of study a week.
On Monday Aizlewood was convicted of one count and Sugrue of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation by offering the non-existent apprenticeships through their firm Luis Michael Training Ltd at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Aizlewood was also acquitted of a second court of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
The pair – along with fellow directors Keith Williams, 45, and Christopher Martin, 53 – submitted false accounts to colleges to persuade them to do business with the firm.
They promised the colleges it was the perfect opportunity for “neets” – youngsters not in employment, education or training – to gain a qualification.
Williams was also convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
Football coach Jack Harper, 30, was convicted of fraud and using a false instrument. He was acquitted of another count of conspiracy to commit false representation.
Martin admitted two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation ahead of trial along with Stephen Gooding, 53, who admitted one charge.
The jury of five women and seven men reached verdicts after more than 24 hours of deliberation.
Judge Michael Tomlinson described the case as “very serious” and adjourned sentencing until February 26.
The company enrolled suitable apprentices to claim money from the colleges, which in turn received funding from the Government-run Learning and Skills Council (LSC), later renamed the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
Gooding and Harper, who were employed in the business, helped funnel new learners into the scheme.
Some of the bogus students were sourced from a summer football camp run by Harper, who secretly enrolled students to apprenticeships without their knowledge or consent.
LM Training even got sixth formers on work experience in its office to complete tests on behalf of learners to make it seem like they had the minimum level of maths and English competency.
The work experience students were told they were just practice papers.
When the scam unravelled the Skills Funding Agency demanded its money back, leaving large deficits in the budgets of many schools.
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Re: " Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff player face jai
Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:14 am
I remember the training scheme, my dad got an email from them when he was involved in a junior football club.
On a wider issue, football has never been so expensive for kids to get involved in, now parents pay a lot, and get told they got s chance of them turning pro.
Just enjoy the game and your pay your subs to a local team, not a ££££ just to play haha
On a wider issue, football has never been so expensive for kids to get involved in, now parents pay a lot, and get told they got s chance of them turning pro.
Just enjoy the game and your pay your subs to a local team, not a ££££ just to play haha
Re: " Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff player face jai
Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:21 pm
Mark Aizlewood was manager of Carmarthen Town; they sacked him once the guilty verdict was announced.
Re: " Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff player face jai
Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:17 pm
llangainbluebird wrote:Mark Aizlewood was manager of Carmarthen Town; they sacked him once the guilty verdict was announced.
Absolutely the only decision to make!
Re: " Ex-Wales footballer and former Cardiff player face jai
Tue Feb 06, 2018 4:47 pm
Wow how the almost mighty have fallen !!!
Greed is the route of all evil !!!
Greed is the route of all evil !!!