MPS could tackle Liverpool ‘tap-up’ scandal

The Liverpool tapping-up scandal could be investigated by MPS following the failure of the club to compensate the family involved.

The chairman of the Culture, Media & Sport select committee, Damian Collins, told The Daily Telegraph he wanted to examine what he called an “appalling” case.

That could see the select committee convene a public evidence session to which representatives of Liverpool or the Premier League would face being summoned.

“It’s incredibly serious and something the committee should look at,” said Collins, who stressed any decision would not be taken until the committee reforms after Parliament’s summer recess.

The Liverpool tapping-up scandal was dramatically reignited this week when the club were accused of submitting a “falsified” document to the Premier League while trying to lure a 12-year-old from Stoke City. They deny any wrongdoing.

The Premier League was then accused of threatening to sue the boy and his family who blew the whistle on the case after he was left unable to play academy football until Stoke are paid £49,000 compensation and his parents were left in thousands of pounds in debt in private school fees. “It’s appalling and what it shows is that no one is standing up for the victim and the victim is the boy,” added Collins, who said Liverpool were “honourbound” to pay both the school fees of the boy, now 13, and compensation.

The Premier League has brokered talks aimed at resolving the matter since The Telegraph first exposed the scandal, but they have so far failed to bear fruit.

A Premier League spokesman said: “The young person is in a difficult situation and, through dialogue with lawyers representing him and his family, we have offered to help. We hope to play our part in achieving a constructive outcome for the young person.”