The average player isn’t clever enough to dodge tax!

THE law surrounding tax is a bit like the offside rule.

Only two kinds of people seem to understand it – those who enforce it, and those who exploit its grey areas.

There are plenty within football who are keen on the latter, but you won’t find them on the pitch.

Honestly, your average football player isn’t clever enough to come up with tax-dodging schemes.

Those are generally dreamed up by outsiders, then brought to football clubs and players via agents and other representatives.

On that note, I can’t say I was surprised to see HMRC launch raids on English football clubs during the week.

HMRC have done it before – and they will do it again.

But if any individuals are found to have been on the fiddle, I’d guess that any players involved will have been dragged in by those who claim to look after their interests.

It’s not good for football, at a time when the average punter is losing touch with mega- rich clubs and the superstars they employ.

I just hope that if there is fire behind the latest billowing clouds of smoke, it gets extinguished quickly.