Ref linked to second company with debt

Aug 10 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

THE finance director of a building firm has told how she took a company linked to red-carded referee Mark Clattenburg to court over an unpaid debt.

The Premier League referee, of Gosforth, Newcastle, was last week suspended from match duties pending clarification of his business affairs.

Companies House records show that Mr Clattenburg, 33, was appointed as a director of MC Electrical Retail NE Ltd on June 23 this year.

Four days later the firm was wound up under the Insolvency Act at Newcastle County Court over an alleged unpaid debt of £59,000 to former friend and fellow electrician John Hepworth.

It has now emerged that a second company connected to the Consett-born official — MC Electrical Services NE Ltd — failed to pay a disputed bill to Gateshead firm NCS Construction and Retail Services Ltd when they hired labourers from them.

The company asked them to supply workers for the second business, but disputed the bill claiming some of the staff had not been fully-qualified workers fully approved by the Joint Industry Board.

The business was wound up on January 23 this year and Companies House records show the company folded owing £57,454 to trade creditors, HSBC Bank and HM Revenue and Customs.

Penny Thompson, finance director for NCS Construction, said: “We have around 10,000 electricians, labourers, joiners and bricklayers on our books and we started to supply the company with workers in July 2006.

“It stopped paying in February 2007 so we stopped dealing with them.

“I issued the company with a demand for £27,000 but they disputed about £18,000 so we issued a demand for the balance, around £8000.

“They said one of the guys was not JIB approved. . . but if they weren’t pleased with his work, why keep him on? When the company didn’t pay we applied to the county court in Northampton, and they awarded in our favour. The company has gone bust now so we won’t see a penny of that money from it, but we had credit insurance so we managed to recoup the money.

“Had this happened now, in the middle of the credit crunch, it could have really damaged us.”

Companies House, which registers companies, shows that Mr Clattenburg has one remaining active business, Maintenance Services NE Ltd, which he registered on June 3 this year, naming himself as the appointed director.

Last week The Football Association and the referee’s body — Professional Game Match Officials Ltd — announced Mr Clattenburg will not officiate in any games until his issues have been resolved.

He had been due to take charge of today’s FA Charity Shield clash between Manchester United and Portsmouth.

When we contacted Mr Clattenburg, he declined to comment on the record.