Louis Tomlinson was reportedly targeted by pension fraudsters as part of a failed takeover bid for the One Direction star’s childhood football club.
In 2014, the singer, 33, was set to become a part-owner of his beloved football club Doncaster Rovers with ex-Rovers Chairman John Ryan, while he also announced the launch of a crowdfunding campaign.
The Tomlinson Ryan Trust asked fans and football supporters alike to join forces and help raise millions in the hopes of securing the club’s future.
Speaking at a press conference at the time, Tomlinson said: ‘For me, this is all about the football, the community and restoring the excitement and desire to make Doncaster Rovers the most exciting club to play for in Yorkshire.
‘I want to see the Doncaster Rovers supporters get the club the success it deserves.
‘This is a big step which I believe will open up opportunities to provide a very, very exciting future for the club and its supporters.’
However, it has now been reported that the primary investors, who pledged a whopping £500,000 to the cause, were criminals.
The details of the failed takeover bid emerged after Kevin Phelan, Daniel Giles and Adrian Bashforth were convicted of siphoning cash from people’s retirement funds last month, The Mirror reported.
Leeds Crown Court heard how the group had hoped to use the Doncaster Rovers deal to cover their criminal activity and explain where the money had gone.
Irish businessman Phelan first approached former Doncaster Rovers chairman John Ryan with an offer to buy the club in 2013.
While he is said to have implied he had an investor prepared to sink millions into the club, Phelan, 62, was in reality bankrupt and made two failed attempts to buy the club.
The court was told that Tomlinson became involved in the Doncaster Rovers search for a buyer the following year, when he was still touring the globe with One Direction.
With Tomlinson and Ryan as public faces of the crowdfunding push, a new deal was struck.
The deal would reportedly hand over 70 per cent of Doncaster to Belize-based Sequentia Capital SA if the takeover was successful.
However, the trial heard that the firm was sourcing its funds from ‘stolen pension money’. It is understood that some pensioners lost their life savings in the scam.
There is no suggestion that Tomlinson knew about the pension fraud.
Prosecutor Tim Hannam told the Leeds Crown Court: ‘(Phelan) was no doubt delighted to be part of a scheme which basically provided him with free money from people’s life savings funding his lifestyle, his wife’s debts and his mortgage for his big, lovely house with its long drive.’
According to The Mirror, Phelan went to Tomlinson’s Cheshire home in January 2014 and his co-defendant Giles texted that day, writing: ‘I’ve been interrogated for the last few hours over 1D boy. Kids want to come to the next meeting mate.
‘I’m thinking 16 million brainwashed followers. Very very interesting. Let’s crack on now together and build a nice fighting fund.’
The deal ultimately fell through as the crowdfunder raised just £600,000 and Phelan’s investment promises were empty.
Tomlinson said at the time that he was ‘misled’ over his efforts to help with the Doncaster Rovers takeover bid.
In a series of posts online, he wrote: ‘I’m absolutely gutted the Doncaster Rovers deal is not going ahead. I am desperate for the club to be given the recognition it deserves.
‘I was explicitly told that the deal to buy the club was not dependent on the money raised by crowdfunding. Unfortunately I was misled.
‘My passion for Doncaster Rovers remains as strong as ever, and I hope that I can still be involved with the club moving forward.
‘And to all the Doncaster Rovers fans, I will do all in my power to help the club succeed. I really do love the club.’
Tomlinson added: ‘For the record, I insisted contractually I would never earn a penny from DRFC. I simply wanted to help club and community. Still hoping I can.’
The criminal gang are due to be sentenced in January.
Metro contacted Louis Tomlinson’s representatives for comment.
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