Rochdale solicitor scores against Premier Football

Paul Dixon, Molesworths Bright Clegg Solicitors

Paul Dixon of Rochdale solicitors Molesworths Bright Clegg scored in the High Court in London yesterday (16 August) - the Court held that prosecutions brought by Media Protection Services (MPS), on behalf of Premier League Football, against Andrew and Christine Crawford for using an Albanian satellite television system at the Railway Inn in Cheshire, were conducted illegally.

This decision was upheld by the High Court, who dismissed the proceedings on the grounds that MPS and its director Raymond Hoskin had acted as solicitors, when they were not.

In dismissing the appeal by MPS, Lord Justice Stanley Burnton said that “their prosecution is incompetent… the proceedings were… void and should be dismissed”

Solicitor Paul Dixon said after the hearing: “I am delighted for Andrew and Christine. They are honest, decent and hard-working licensees and they can now focus on what they do best - serving the local community.

“This decision of the High Court will have implications for all prosecutions brought by MPS between 2005 and 2011.”

The Crawfords’ case follows that of Karen Murphy last year:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news/61601/rochdale-solicitors-represent-pub-landlady-in-landmark-case

Karen was also represented by Paul Dixon after being unlawfully fined thousands of pounds by the Premier League for airing football matches via a foreign television decoder.

Mrs Murphy’s case was also won after the European Court of Justice ruled she had not committed any illegalities.