Anybody Got A Fiver?
Lord John Stevens is to head up an inquiry by the Premier League into alledged bungs and various other wrongdoings that are supposed to have taken place in 400 transfers since January 2004. A career policeman and a former Metropolitan Police Commissioner to boot, Stevens has in recent years been involved in highly publicised inquiries, e.g. Stephen Lawrence, and will bring considerable credibility with him, as well as some much needed Public Relations experience. Whether this gravitas will help make the Football Community spill their guts is another matter and more to the point, will he get the support of the upper echelons of the Premiership Board?
Previous investigations have brought the sum total of one person to book, George Graham. Others were charged, Ronnie Fenton, then Arsenal Scout Steve Burtenshaw and Brian Clough but it was Graham who took the fall. The FA had also established an internal department, headed by Graham Bean, to investigate similar types of allegations that Stevens will be reviewing. Both of these failed to put right the ills that besmirch the game through a lack of investment in both monetary, moral and political support. Which begs the question as to whether or not supporters should have any faith in this inquiry getting to the bottom of this problem or even making a minor dent.
For whilst the Board may want to clean up the game, the resounding silence from the football community that accompanied the recent allegations from Mike Newell and Ian Holloway was deafening. Not one of the mangerial brothers backed them up for to do so would have brought unwanted media upon themselves, forcing them into denials which may ultimately have to be retracted. Let's not kid ourselves, everyone believes bungs go on having done so in the past and no doubt they will continue to do so in the future. The holier-than-thou protestations from a group of Agents around the time of Newell's comments are dismissed as one denial too far. There have to be Agents who deal scrupulously with their clients affairs and provide what the players consider to be value for money services. David Dein at Arsenal famously said once that he had a book of Agents he would deal with and a much larger book containing the names of Agents he would not talk to, which goes some way to explaining Arsenal's lack of regular big name signings.
Estimates of how much money has been passed "under the table" over the years are staggering, the lowest I have seen quoted was £50m and that was from an Agent. All this proves is the obscene amount of cash that football generates. Even more astounding is that the majority of this money is borrowed from Financial Institutions which just goes to show how good a risk that football clubs are considered to be.
A more telling indication of football's reluctance to reveal anything to do with Agents is the absence of data regarding monies paid in respect of transfers and contractual renewals. The Football League may publish global figures but individual club details remain hidden. Of the Premiership, only Manchester United publish these figures and that was as a result of being a PLC and the pressure put on the club by major shareholders. With the Glazer family taking the club back into private ownership, there is now doubt fuelled by David Gill as to whether or not this information will ever be available again. Arsenal do not mention payments to Agents generally although tucked away on Page 18 of their Interim Accounts is a footnote that HM Customs has charged them £0.7m for incorrectly reclaimed VAT. This is subject to appeal but means that the club has paid at least £4m to Agents in the recent past. Looking at the transfers that the club has been involved in up to 30th November 2005, this is staggering and indicates payments were made to Agents for the sale of Patrick Vieira to Juventus. Which begs the question of how that sale arose - did Juve contact Arsenal or was Patrick hawked around the marketplace until someone bit? Either way, why were Agents paid by Arsenal Football Club for the sale? Surely as a G14 member, someone in the club has the phone numbers of Juventus, Real Madrid et al? And if this money doesn't refer to Vieira, which players were involved? Alexander Hleb? Surely an Agent was not paid what was effectively 25% of the transfer fee? It is time for Clubs to come clean and list by transfer, the amounts paid to Agents. And if they do not voluntarily do this, then FIFA should force them to do so.
Back to Lord Stevens, his inquiry is expected to take six months and I wish him luck on two fronts - (1) to clean the game up and (2) it gives me more to waffle on about.
Have I mentioned that The Charlatans have got a new album out on 17th April? No? Are you sure? Well, they have and any freebies will be gratefully received.
Todays Tunes are from a case of the old and new, XTC live in Boston in 1980 and The Kaiser Chiefs from the V Festival in 2005. Neither needs any introduction so I won't make one.
XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
Previous investigations have brought the sum total of one person to book, George Graham. Others were charged, Ronnie Fenton, then Arsenal Scout Steve Burtenshaw and Brian Clough but it was Graham who took the fall. The FA had also established an internal department, headed by Graham Bean, to investigate similar types of allegations that Stevens will be reviewing. Both of these failed to put right the ills that besmirch the game through a lack of investment in both monetary, moral and political support. Which begs the question as to whether or not supporters should have any faith in this inquiry getting to the bottom of this problem or even making a minor dent.
For whilst the Board may want to clean up the game, the resounding silence from the football community that accompanied the recent allegations from Mike Newell and Ian Holloway was deafening. Not one of the mangerial brothers backed them up for to do so would have brought unwanted media upon themselves, forcing them into denials which may ultimately have to be retracted. Let's not kid ourselves, everyone believes bungs go on having done so in the past and no doubt they will continue to do so in the future. The holier-than-thou protestations from a group of Agents around the time of Newell's comments are dismissed as one denial too far. There have to be Agents who deal scrupulously with their clients affairs and provide what the players consider to be value for money services. David Dein at Arsenal famously said once that he had a book of Agents he would deal with and a much larger book containing the names of Agents he would not talk to, which goes some way to explaining Arsenal's lack of regular big name signings.
Estimates of how much money has been passed "under the table" over the years are staggering, the lowest I have seen quoted was £50m and that was from an Agent. All this proves is the obscene amount of cash that football generates. Even more astounding is that the majority of this money is borrowed from Financial Institutions which just goes to show how good a risk that football clubs are considered to be.
A more telling indication of football's reluctance to reveal anything to do with Agents is the absence of data regarding monies paid in respect of transfers and contractual renewals. The Football League may publish global figures but individual club details remain hidden. Of the Premiership, only Manchester United publish these figures and that was as a result of being a PLC and the pressure put on the club by major shareholders. With the Glazer family taking the club back into private ownership, there is now doubt fuelled by David Gill as to whether or not this information will ever be available again. Arsenal do not mention payments to Agents generally although tucked away on Page 18 of their Interim Accounts is a footnote that HM Customs has charged them £0.7m for incorrectly reclaimed VAT. This is subject to appeal but means that the club has paid at least £4m to Agents in the recent past. Looking at the transfers that the club has been involved in up to 30th November 2005, this is staggering and indicates payments were made to Agents for the sale of Patrick Vieira to Juventus. Which begs the question of how that sale arose - did Juve contact Arsenal or was Patrick hawked around the marketplace until someone bit? Either way, why were Agents paid by Arsenal Football Club for the sale? Surely as a G14 member, someone in the club has the phone numbers of Juventus, Real Madrid et al? And if this money doesn't refer to Vieira, which players were involved? Alexander Hleb? Surely an Agent was not paid what was effectively 25% of the transfer fee? It is time for Clubs to come clean and list by transfer, the amounts paid to Agents. And if they do not voluntarily do this, then FIFA should force them to do so.
Back to Lord Stevens, his inquiry is expected to take six months and I wish him luck on two fronts - (1) to clean the game up and (2) it gives me more to waffle on about.
Have I mentioned that The Charlatans have got a new album out on 17th April? No? Are you sure? Well, they have and any freebies will be gratefully received.
Todays Tunes are from a case of the old and new, XTC live in Boston in 1980 and The Kaiser Chiefs from the V Festival in 2005. Neither needs any introduction so I won't make one.
XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
posted by Yogi's Warrior at 4:41 pm
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