IN THE MONEY: Prospective buyers of Manchester United will have HMRC to answer to

Manchester United’s new owners potentially face a battle with HMRC as soon as they take over the reins of the club, should the Glazers end up parting ways with their asset.

The issues that have been circling for some years between the club and the country’s tax authority are no closer to being resolved, so neither owner is likely to want the issue to continue.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Brighton spent £3m on the services of a data firm helping owner Tony Bloom win millions on professional betting.

Tax problems rumble for Manchester United

Potential Manchester United buyers, including advisers to Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will have been told just how much trouble United may still be with HMRC over unpaid tax.

United is facing a multi-million dollar payment to HMRC and has been in talks for several years over issues including image rights payments, player taxes and agent money. The token will not deter bidders apparently willing to spend more than £5bn to buy the club. It will probably only be a few million. But no new homeowner wants the problem to linger.

HMRC is also investigating whether David Gold’s West Ham shares are subject to inheritance tax.

The late Gold held a 25.1 per cent stake in the Hammers worth £175m. Based on a 40 per cent inheritance tax rate, that could mean a bill of £70m. About 18 percent of Gold’s shares were in his name and the rest were held in a family trust.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is one of the names looking to buy Manchester United from the Glazers

Brighton spends £3m on a board-linked data firm

It seems Brighton’s faith in the data is as strong as that of club owner and professional gambler Tony Bloom, with the Seagulls spending £3m last season on fees to the same firm that helps Bloom win millions on bets on soccer every year.

The £3m figure was revealed in the latest club accounts and although Brighton won’t specify what exactly they received from StarLizard, the latter’s company website lists three main ‘products’: data, sports predictions and betting execution. .

Bloom is nicknamed The Lizard due to his cold-blooded brilliance in high-stakes professional poker tournaments and football bets. He doesn’t own StarLizard, but is associated with those who do, Adam Franks and Marc Sugarman. Both are non-executive directors of the club.

StarLizard provides custom intelligence to professional gamers and others to gain an edge. SportLizard’s best-in-class services provide the knowledge that enables Bloom’s Betting Syndicate to make consistent profits on football bets. They reportedly bet hundreds of millions of pounds annually, mostly in the Asian markets, with returns of one to three percent.

Tony Bloom -a professional bettor- uses the services of the firm to help him with his bets

Brighton is alleged to have paid StarLizard for data on players or teams. It seems like money well spent, as Brighton achieved the best league finish in the club’s history (ninth) and now look to Europe.

The StarLizard LinkedIn page doesn’t hesitate to help professional gamers beat the odds. It says: ‘StarLizard combines innovative research, analytical thinking, world-class technology, and a constant desire to question and improve.’

Gambling is banned for all footballers, clubs and executives, although Bloom is allowed to be a professional football punter, as is Brentford owner Matt Benham, while Stoke City’s Denise Coates , it can also own Bet365, all under the rules changed by the FA in 2014.

Brighton CEO Paul Barber is also in the money. His salary has nearly doubled in three years, from £1.5m in 2019 to £2.9m last season.

Ennis-Hill enjoys great success off the track

London 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill is enjoying great success off the track, with her new business with assets of £2.1m. The face of the London 2012 Games has grown ella Jennis’ fitness app, designed to address the female hormone cycle to boost athletic performance.

Jennis’s assets increased by £1.6m last year after raising £1m in 2021 to fuel growth and fund research into the impact of periods on female athletes. Ennis launched the app following her own experiences when she won a third world title in 2015 after giving birth in 2014.

First class counties have combined debts totaling over £300m

The 18 first-class cricketing counties have combined debts of £366m, an In The Money analysis can reveal.

With the 2023 Championship scheduled to start on Thursday, that figure is indicative of how badly cricket has been affected by the pandemic and how long it takes to recover.

We looked at the most recent financial accounts for all 18 counties and eight teams posted annual losses, led by Yorkshire (£2.2m), Hampshire (£1.5m) and Middlesex (£1m). Ten of the counties have debts greater than their annual turnover.

The possibility of the ailing Yorkshire county going into administration is a concern, and most teams would not be able to operate as viable businesses without the financial backing of their owners.

The assets held by the counties, a total of £462.3m, are largely tied up in the land.

The 18 first-class counties of England and Wales have combined debts totaling more than £300m.