Herbert quiet on claims of late payment <!-- google_ad_section_end(name=storyline) -->
SAM WORTHINGTON - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 29/11/2010
Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert has declined to hose down a report that he is not being paid on time by Terry Serepisos.
A Herald on Sunday story yesterday claimed that Herbert had not been paid for several weeks as Phoenix owner Serepisos struggles to pay his bills.
Last Thursday, Herbert was asked by The New Zealand Herald if his payments had ever been late.
Herbert replied "no" but yesterday neither he nor Phoenix media manager John Mitchell would comment on the report, which said Herbert was comfortable with the situation because of his loyalty to Serepisos.
Interim Phoenix chief executive Nathan Greenham could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The Dominion Post revealed this month that the Inland Revenue Department has begun court action to liquidate five of Serepisos' companies, including Century City Football, which owns the Phoenix, over $3.58 million in unpaid taxes and penalties.
Among the money the tax department is seeking to recoup is unpaid Phoenix players' PAYE and KiwiSaver contributions. Concerns over Serepisos' financial stability are an unwelcome distraction for Herbert and the Phoenix, who are seventh in the A-League following their 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night. They fly to Sydney today to prepare for a clash with Sydney FC on Wednesday night.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/4400006/Herbert-quiet-on-claims-of-late-payment
This is a piece of crap gutter jounalism. Its a beat up, a non story. They must be short of stories if they have to right shiite like that.
IT starts with "...Herbert has declined to hose down a report that he has not been paid on time by Terry Serepisos"
Then a few lines later it reads...."Last Thursday Herbert was asked by The NZ Herald if his payments had ever been late. herbert replied "No".."
It then goes on to say that Herbert declined to comment on the report(NZ Herald)
So the whole thing is a NON story. Its lazy crap journalism when you make up something that relates to another papers item. The story becomes a no comment about a quoted denial of a non payment that never happened.
Obviously the Doom Post want to keep this simmering. The sooner the IRD court case is over and the sooner Terry sorts this out or is sorted out by the IRD the better. Then we can get back to reading football stories about football.
You can see why Rickie would not comment.....why would you? He said no to the NZ herald...so end of story. Why does he have to rehash this with every journo.
"Phoenix till they lose"
).