Sarries weren’t only ones over the salary cap.. everyone was at it for years
FORMER SALE CHIEF SAYS OVER-SPENDING WAS RIFE
THE salary cap scandal that brought down Saracens was the tip of an evasion iceberg in the Premiership, title-winning owner Brian Kennedy has claimed.
The Cheshire-based businessman and philanthropist spent 15 years running Sale and experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of the professional game.
He says that what he witnessed behind closed doors has left him with mixed feelings about the enforced relegation of Saracens and, as he extended a helping hand to struggling families by launching a food charity yesterday, he expressed his sympathy towards the champions’ multimillionaire benefactor Nigel Wray.
“My heart goes out to a man who must have put £40million or £50m into that club. For it to end in the way it has done must be extremely disappointing and upsetting. It was sad,” said Kennedy.
“Let nobody kid you. Saracens were not the only ones who were over the salary cap and manoeuvering things to hide it.
“Everyone was at it for years and years – all of them. They were all manipulating the salary cap but nobody really had the drive or desire to do something about it until a year ago. Then, of course, Saracens came crashing down.
“We were over it at Sale. There were teams vastly more over the salary cap than we were but we ended up being fined at one point.
“Everyone knew it was going on. It all became a bit of a nod and a wink and we all just accepted it, which was a bit foolish really.”
Wray’s reputation has been tarnished, while Kennedy estimates it cost him £24m before he sold up four years ago. But chasing the rainbow is addictive and when you catch it – as Sale’s harmonious alliance of northern soul and imported Gallic muscle did in 2006 under Philippe SaintAndre – it is a rare joy.
The personification of that title-winning side was Sebastien Chabal, nicknamed ‘The Caveman’. “We got to know him from a European Shield match against Bourgoin at Edgeley Park when he chipped through and scored in the corner,” said Kennedy.
“He beat Jason Robinson to the ball. I said to Philippe after the game, ‘Can we get him?’ He was on a pittance at the time like the other French lads.”
For the first time since then, Sale were emerging as genuine Premiership contenders again this season, sitting pretty in second when the virus struck.
“They’ve done what we did in 2006 and invested heavily in the pack,” said Kennedy. “We always had good backs coming through the academy but we struggled a bit for forwards in the North-west.
“If we do get to a position where we can stage the playoffs I think they have a very good chance of lifting the Premiership trophy again.”
In the meantime, Kennedy has more important business, sending out food packages around the North-west.
The first 1,000 boxes will be ready for dispatch to applicants at www.neubriaboosterbox.co.uk today.
“Food banks do an admirable job but people can be embarrassed to use them,” he said. “This is an initiative which supplies direct to their home in a dignified, discreet way.”