Three Zoom meetings are scheduled for Thursday, 28th August, at 1pm, 4pm, and 6pm, for those affected by the BBC Documentary airing on Tuesday, 2nd September at 9pm on BBC2. 

Please raise awareness of the documentary and these meetings among relevant individuals, including:

• V11 campaign group members fighting for justice from HMRC
• Professional athletes impacted by pension or investment fraud
• Other victims of pension or investment fraud
• Parliamentarians supporting scam victims and the campaign for reform
• Key stakeholders, such as experts and victims’ representatives

These are private meetings—please only share this important invitation with relevant contacts.

About the BBC Documentary

Title: Football’s Financial Shame: The Story of the V11
Air Date: Tuesday, 2nd September, 9pm, BBC2

Here’s the BBC’s description of the programme:

Unveiling a hidden scandal from inside the Premier League, the world’s biggest and richest football league.

The V11 are a group of former Premier League footballers who say they have lost tens of millions of pounds due to their financial advisors. Now, they are being chased for millions more in tax accrued on the investments they were advised to enter into.

The V11 includes Premier League champions, Champions League winners and England internationals – players representing some of the most famous clubs in world football, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Leeds United, Everton, Celtic, Rangers and Manchester City. Brian Deane scored the first goal in Premier League history. Other members include Craig Short, Rod Wallace, Michael Thomas, Sean Davis and Tommy Johnson. Each reveals a story of financial loss and personal struggle.

This is not the cliched tale of footballers being reckless with their money. The financial boom brought on by the establishment of the Premier League triggered a subculture of financial advisers who promised to safeguard their futures – but some of their clients ended up losing everything.

The documentary delves into the painful personal consequences of this financial devastation. Homes lost, marriages destroyed and lives that spiralled out of control.

But the V11 are not just victims; they are fighters. Coming together as a team has helped them to survive and given them the conviction to go public with their story. Led by Carly Barnes-Short, a lawyer and the wife of Craig Short, the V11 now have pro bono support from financial experts, barristers and private detectives who are backing their fight for justice. The film tells the story of their harrowing but inspiring journey, from building dream careers to losing everything, rebuilding their lives and fighting for justice. It is not just a documentary about financial loss; it is a story of resilience, camaraderie and the unyielding human spirit.

But, and it is important we stress this, it isn’t just the pro footballers who have had their lives turned upside down by malpractice, malfeasance, misconduct, mis-selling and outright fraud; so too have nurses, firemen, soldiers, teachers, bus drivers, NHS workers and countless other types of ordinary people who, like the footballers, were conned into what turned out to be dodgy investments. 

And it’s important that we stress this because whilst the programme may focus on the devastating, life-changing losses and egregious treatment by HMRCsuffered by the footballers, the harsh reality is that tens of thousands of others have been harmed in the same way. 

So for everybody impacted, the BBC documentary is highly relevant. 

It is also both a threat and an opportunity.

What’s the Threat?

Unfortunately we know ‘this space’ very well, and we know how triggering it can be for victims to find themselves re-living dark experiences from when they were defrauded and the emotional and financial carnage it caused; the aftermath can be truly devastating. And there is no doubt that the BBC documentary has the potential to be triggering. We want to do all we can to help people prepare themselves for that possibility. 

Furthermore, we know how unfair and harmful it can be if people feel their own story is not portrayed accurately and fairly; for example if it is suggested they were foolish to go into an investment that they should have realised was ‘too good to be true’ when in fact the individual was simply doing as advised by their qualified, regulated financial adviser who was supposed to take care of their interests. 

So a main reason for you attending one or more of the briefings we have organised for Thursday 28th August (1pm, 4pm, 6pm) is to help victims brace for and defend themselves against the potential downsides that the documentary may cause.

What’s the Opportunity

This could be the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

For the first time, a very high profile group of victims — former premier league players together with supportive experts— have come forward to share their personal stories. They’ve spoken out publicly, courageously, and at great personal cost.

For too long, the devastation caused by investment fraud and financial abuse has been minimised, misunderstood, or ignored — it’s been seen as victimless, or the fault of those who were targeted. But the truth is far from that.

Based on the BBC’s description of the programme, we understand that “The V11- Football’s Financial Shame” will focus on the tragic lived experience of a group of victims, led by lawyer Carly Barnes-Short who is the wife of one of the victims and has been helping victims on a pro bono basis; victims from all walks of life, across many different victim groups for many years. Carly has been pivotal in garnering support from MPs such as Sarah Bool MP (An Officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Services), helping organise the Enough is Enough March, plus summits and inquiries in Parliament – not to mention encouraging various important people to get behind the campaign for justice, including KCs, senior ex police officials, Lords and parliamentarians. 

Carly and the V11 victims have shown extraordinary bravery by telling their stories as part of the upcoming BBC documentary. They’ve laid bare the financial and emotional trauma inflicted by their advisers and how the system failed to protect them or respond supportively. Now we must step up. The victims – all the victims, not just the high-profile footballers – need our support, and need to engage. 

We need to come together to make this the national reckoning it must be. The people that have participated in the programme have done so not just for themselves, but for every victim across the UK. This is their attempt to change the national narrative — to shift public perception, to demand accountability, and to bring about the systemic reform that followed the high profile Bernie Madoff case in the US which led to sweeping reforms and a national change in attitude towards fraud and financial advisor exploitation.

This is a pivotal opportunity — our Post Office / Madoff moment.

The documentary has the potential to be a tipping point, and these private Zoom briefings on Thursday 28th August are a crucial step in making sure we all capitalise on the opportunity as best as we can. 

These sessions will:

• Introduce the documentary and those behind it – including Carly and one of the player victims – who will speak directly about the abuse they endured and what they hope this moment can achieve.
• Unite MPs, campaigners, and victims around a coordinated national strategy to push for reform.
• Highlight the widespread nature of the issue – across professions, backgrounds, and regions – and create space for other victim groups to step forward. 
• Lay the groundwork for parliamentary and media engagement following the documentary’s release – so we can keep the pressure on, and ensure victims’ voices lead the national conversation and our MPs rise to the occasion.

Our aim is to seize the opportunity to create a powerful platform for all victims and groups to speak out. This really could be a “Me Too” moment for all UK victims of financial abuse and fraud — if we get this right.

Whether you’ve marched with us, campaigned behind the scenes, or are newly involved – this is your moment to step up and stand alongside those brave enough to speak out.

We are, we hope, at a critical turning point. Those who have risked everything to go public must not stand alone. They have been brave enough to speak out for all affected — now it’s vital we all stand alongside, in support and make it count.

Please engage with us and help shape what happens next.

Attend one of the three sessions on Thursday 28th August – each meeting will cover the same material to allow flexibility in attendance, and you are welcome to attend more than one of the meetings if you wish.

The BBC documentary creates a focal point for our collective campaigning, our relentless pursuit for justice and quest for meaningful reforms, particularly as they relate to the widespread, systemic failures by the regulators and HMRC – they have failed to properly protect and care for the victims’ interests. 

Exactly as explained by the Victims Commissioner in her letter to HMRC, the treatment of victims by HMRC has been appalling. Baroness Newlove’s letter concludes with:

“In conclusion, I am extremely concerned about the treatment of this group of victims by HMRC and I am asking you to review how these cases are handled and the support on offer. These victims have suffered hugely as a result of the crimes committed against them and it would seem the state is compounding this injustice by pursuing them for unpaid tax on monies that have been stolen. I fear for their wellbeing and urge you to act quickly.”

So the BBC documentary creates an opportunity to once again galvanise support for our campaigning, and to engage with victims ahead of the broadcast to discuss our strategy and tactics to ‘go on the attack’ once the programme has been broadcast.  

Immediate Call to Action, Please!

Click the button below to book yourself onto one or more of the three special TTF Zoom meetings we have hastily organised, taking place at 1pm, 4pm and 6pm on Tuesday 28th August