Middlesex CCC has confirmed that it has recovered £ 100,000 that was incorrectly paid to the former CEO of the Richard Goatley club before its resignation in 2021, but has not offered any comments to the news that Goatley will not face criminal charges after the Metropolitan Police considered there It was insufficient evidence of irregularities.
The dispute between the club and Goatley has been ugly and prolonged, and reached a point of view in May 2024 when Middlesex informed the police, claiming that around £ 70,000 had been paid in unauthorized expenses in their personal bank account.
In return, Goatley went to the Superior Court to file a claim for personal injury, accusing Middlesex of pursuing a campaign of harassment against him. In April 2021, he suffered a stroke during a committee meeting in Lord’s, and subsequently was forced to resign due to poor health. The club denies any irregularity.
Middlesex continued to register a loss of £ 952,000 in 2021, with their net assets each time they reduced approximately 2 million to £ 179,000, thanks in part to the contributions of the club’s pensions that were mistakenly paid for 12 months, what caused an additional deficit of £ 350,000 in his books. In 2023, the ECB placed the club in “special measures” by the ECB, after having been fined with £ 50,000 for financial irregularities and delivered a deduction of suspended points.
In a statement, a MET Police spokesman recognized that Middlesex had made accusations of fraud against Goatley, adding that the “nature of alleged crimes was complex and required a careful” consideration “.
“After an exhaustive and detailed evaluation, the officers decided on Wednesday, January 29 that criminal crimes could not identify,” the spokesman continued. “The case will be reopened if there are more available research opportunities.”
In a statement, Goatley said he had always maintained his innocence, adding that police findings were “welcome” and was not “not surprised.” He confirmed that he will continue his civil claim against Middlesex.
In response to the developments, Middlesex said it was happy to confirm the recovery of the missing funds after a “long and challenging process”, adding that they understood £ 57,000 of unauthorized checks paid in the Goatley bank account and others £ 43,000 of INEIGIBLE PAYMENTS. in your pension fund.
“We thank the bank and the insurance company involved in ensuring that these payments were reimbursed to the club,” the statement continued. “We do not have a comment to make about the decision that the Metropolitan Police has achieved and its reasoning to do so.”
