Lord Stevens names and shames five Premiership clubs
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Lord Stevens has named five Premiership clubs in his final report into alleged illegal payments in football, as well as identifying two managers who require particular attention.
The former Metropolitan Police Commissioner has been conducting a 15-month probe into football's finances, and has now trained his focus on 15 agents and 17 deals that require further scrutiny.
Chelsea, Newcastle, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth have all been named after deals involving them were flagged by Lord Stevens, and some of the clubs could now face further investigation by the Football Association.
Stevens has further gone on to name Sam Allardyce and Graeme Souness as two managers who have attracted concern.
Newcastle's signings of Emre, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Amdy Faye and Albert Luque, Bolton's purchases of Ali Al-Habsi, Tal Ben Haim, Blessing Kaku and Julio Cesar, Portsmouth's transfers for Collins Mbesuma, Benjani Mwaruwari and Aliou Cisse and Middlesbrough's deals for Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Fabio Rochemback have all been identified.
Premiership runners-up Chelsea have also been named, with the signings of Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Essien causing Stevens some concern.
One transfer has not been disclosed, but Stevens has also picked out agents that have either refused to co-operate or been involved in the suspect deals.
These include Israeli 'super-agent' Pini Zahavi, Barry Silkman, former agent and son of Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, Craig Allardyce, Francis Martin and Willie McKay.
A statement from Lord Stevens read: "Many lessons have been learned and strict adherence to and enforcement of the recommendations should ensure that the game and the transfer market can proceed in an untainted and transparent manner."
In December, The Premier League asked Lord Stevens to undertake further investigations into 17 transfers falling under the mandate of his inquiry into football's finances.
In his report to The Premier League at the end of 2006, following a nine-month probe into illegal payments, Stevens had concluded that under five per cent of the 362 transfers covering the period from 1st January, 2004 to 31st January, 2006 required further scrutiny.
The Premier League will pass the final findings to the relevant governing bodies, with an FA spokesman stating: "The Premier League will now send the findings to the FA and Fifa.
"Following the final report of the Premier League's Quest Inquiry, the FA will give full consideration to its contents and the documentation that is due to be passed on by the Premier League and Quest.
"The FA has provided full co-operation and support to the Premier League and Quest and will now go through their information as part of our governance and regulation process. This will determine what action is required."
source: skysports -
deduct points
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Stevens's findings will now be sent to the FA and to Fifa.
Of the 17 transfers, four relate to Newcastle signings (Emre Belozoglu, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Amady Faye and Albert Luque), four to Bolton (Ali Al-Habsi, Tal Ben Haim, Blessing Kaku and Julio Correia), three to Chelsea (Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Essien), three to Portsmouth (Collins Mbesuma, Benjani Mwaruwari and Aliou Cisse) and two to Middlesbrough (Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Fabio Rochemback) while one transfer has not been disclosed.
The Premier League will now send the findings to the FA and Fifa. A FA spokesman said. "This will determine what action is required." -
I fear for his life...
two referees have retired.. -
Random checks for future transfers
Future transfers in the Premier League will be subject to random spot-checks by investigators.
The move follows the final report by former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Stevens into alleged illegal payments.
His findings cleared all Premier League clubs of paying or receiving bungs but raised separate concerns about two managers and a number of agents.
The Premier League said they and the FA have agreed to carry out random spot-checks on future transfers using Quest investigators.
The league said in their report to clubs: "With regards to the future, the Premier League and the FA have agreed to carry out a random audit of selected transfers from each window in order to further ensure compliance.
"The Premier League will be asking Quest to assist them in this and it may transpire that this becomes a joint initiative subject to agreement with the FA." -
Strip the titles .
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bore, bolton and prompy? seem unlikely
essien, cech and drogba. 3 of the most important buys for chelsea have to go under scrutiny. if any of these player are going to get benned, it might really affect chelsea's performance on the pitch.
newcastle signings are always overpriced and undervalue. so i dunno how they get in the picture -
Send the players back to their former club? That would be great, i would like to imagine life for Chelsea without Cech, Drogba and Essien
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liddat back to the same old arsenal manu story. must have more competition then it would more exciting to watchOriginally posted by glacer:Send the players back to their former club? That would be great, i would like to imagine life for Chelsea without Cech, Drogba and Essien -
haha, doubt that will ever happen.Originally posted by glacer:Send the players back to their former club? That would be great, i would like to imagine life for Chelsea without Cech, Drogba and Essien
Most probably they'll fine the clubs or worst to worst deduct points for the upcoming season.
hmm, or dont be surprise the FA totally ignores this case.
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I see a past and present NUFC manager named in the inquiry.