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Stewart Downing

Perhaps, this is the reason, he's been off form.

A Tyneside football agent has admitted mishandling the financial affairs of Liverpool and England footballer Stewart Downing.

Ian Elliott, 54, from Newcastle, admitted false accounting, when he was secretary of the former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa midfielder's company.

He was given a six months suspended prison term at Doncaster Crown Court.

Mr Downing said he had been "let down badly" by Elliott, who was also banned from running a company for 10 years.

Elliott, who represented the 27-year-old when multi million-pound contracts changed hands, was accused of displaying "woeful ineptitude".

Kitchen fitter

He admitted creating false invoices and failing to provide proper information for tax returns for work he had done for Middlesbrough-born Mr Downing, the court heard.

The charges, which relate to 2007 and 2008 when Mr Downing was playing for Middlesbrough, came to light after Elliott's companies were investigated by HM Revenue and Customs.

Elliott admitted false accounting
Elliott was acting as secretary of Stewart Downing Promotions Ltd - a firm set up to manage his celebrity endorsements and other matters which he went on to direct.

He also ran his own firms - a promotions company and a kitchen supplier - which Mr Downing used.

Elliott was handling "large sums of money" but his records were described by an accountant as "one of the worst accounts I have seen in my working life", the court was told.

Simon Pentol, defending, said Elliott was now working as a commission-based salesman and kitchen fitter and living in rented accommodation.

Handing Elliott a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years, Judge Martin Bethel QC said: "Stewart Downing is and has been for a number of years a very successful, high-earning footballer.

"You befriended him and his family when he was very young and you took them into your confidence. They trusted you."

Speaking outside court, Mr Downing, said: "I'm obviously very sad. I put a lot of trust into him. I think me and my family were let down very badly.

"It's obviously been a hard time for me, trying to play football with this on my mind. But you learn from your mistakes. I have to move on now and look back on this in a few years knowing I've moved on."

Elliott was initially charged with fraud against Mr Downing and the case was heard in York and Hull.

He admitted a new charge of false accounting when the case came to Doncaster on Monday and the Crown decided not to proceed with any of the other charges

Comments

  • Nah probably cos his just rubbish :)
  • No. it's because he is shit.
  • edited July 2012
    No, he is just a useless overpaid.
  • I wonder if Downing will assist the police with their inquiry?
  • Nothing to do with it. He's awful
  • I know everyone wheels out the old "0 goal 0 assists" last season but I heard somewhere he had on of the highest crossing accuracies in the league, so you would say that the 0 assists is more down to the failure of Liverpool's strikers.
  • Perhaps he got Elliott in to put up a cupboard for his trophies?
  • Just watching MOTD highlights of liverpool games last year, if they'd taken even half of the gilt edge chances they created they would have finished top 6, they hit the woodwork a shockingly high number of times and missed some real sitters.
  • Just watching MOTD highlights of liverpool games last year, if they'd taken even half of the gilt edge chances they created they would have finished top 6, they hit the woodwork a shockingly high number of times and missed some real sitters.
    What a strange thing to do - must be pre season !
  • I don't mean I was just watching them (as in "just now"), I mean "just watching MOTD highlights" as opposed to watching all of their games in their entirety. I imagine a Liverpool season ticket holder would have seen far more glaring misses than MOTD had time to show.
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  • I know everyone wheels out the old "0 goal 0 assists" last season but I heard somewhere he had on of the highest crossing accuracies in the league, so you would say that the 0 assists is more down to the failure of Liverpool's strikers.
    Statistics can be bent in any way possible to defend/argue against a player's ability. I find it hard to believe that a team like Liverpool couldn't finish one single opportunity of his if his crossing was that good.

    Not to mention the fact that an attacking player like him does also have a duty to score goals, which he isn't very good at either of late.
  • well if his accountant is up for false accounting then Downing must be up for fraud.
  • I know everyone wheels out the old "0 goal 0 assists" last season but I heard somewhere he had on of the highest crossing accuracies in the league, so you would say that the 0 assists is more down to the failure of Liverpool's strikers.
    Statistics can be bent in any way possible to defend/argue against a player's ability. I find it hard to believe that a team like Liverpool couldn't finish one single opportunity of his if his crossing was that good.

    Not to mention the fact that an attacking player like him does also have a duty to score goals, which he isn't very good at either of late.
    But most people's opinions have been made with those stats I mention earlier in order to justify calling him rubbish. Don't get me wrong I don't think he is a brilliant player, he's always been a decent Prem players nothing more than that really but everyone is going over the top with their criticism.

    Also with your comment about Liverpool's ability, we all know the season Andy Carroll had but Luis Suarez is probably their main threat in front of goal. He had one of the lowest chance conversion rates out of any striker in the league. Like I say, not all Downing's fault he didn't get an assist which as a winger is what he should be judged on
  • edited July 2012
    No its because he's shit.
  • Yep he is just really shit.
  • Stewart Downing will come good.
  • Stewart Downing will come good.
    THAT will never happen.
  • 'a firm set up to manage his celebrity endorsements'

    Christ, that must be an easy job
  • I don't mean I was just watching them (as in "just now"), I mean "just watching MOTD highlights" as opposed to watching all of their games in their entirety. I imagine a Liverpool season ticket holder would have seen far more glaring misses than MOTD had time to show.
    Ah, gotcha. Thought the pre-season had taken a huge toll on you and now you were just going through the highlights of each of the 92 clubs on YouTube !
  • How many of those who say he's shit have actually seen him play regularly? And I don't mean on football management computer games...
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  • How many of those who say he's shit have actually seen him play regularly? And I don't mean on football management computer games...
    A work collegue who is a season ticket holder at anfield tells me he has been a complete liability .
  • So none of you would take him if offered to us on loan

    I would he had a shit season that's all
  • I think it was Colin Tat - who seems to really know his football - who summed Downing up.

    He was a very, very good winger at Boro but that knee injury robbed him of that bit of pace that used to take him past people and now he is much less effective than he used to be.
  • So none of you would take him if offered to us on loan

    I would he had a shit season that's all
    Agreed

    Shit for a top premier club is still far too good for us
  • So none of you would take him if offered to us on loan

    I would he had a shit season that's all
    Agreed

    Shit for a top premier club is still far too good for us
    Good job he's not at a top premier club then
  • So none of you would take him if offered to us on loan

    I would he had a shit season that's all
    Agreed

    Shit for a top premier club is still far too good for us
    Exactly.
    players too shit for millwall and barnsley improved us last year.
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