[Archived] Newell To Meet Fa

[Radagast]

It seems Mike Newell is ready to name some of the people in football responsible for the handing out and accepting of transfer bungs:

BBC Website

Big up him, I say. Not sure what the consequences could be, however.

Edited January 24, 2006 by Radagast

[Billy Castell]

As long as Blackburn and Hughes have behaved themselves, let's rip.

[Napoleon]

You have to think that there's something serious in this, as otherwise Newell wouldn't stick his neck out so publicly.

[philipl]

Who do you believe and if there is systematic corruption/money leakage, will anything happen?

I don't want to sound cynical but would Rovers fans prefer, say, Sparky being exposed as a bung merchant at Ewood or the whole thing remaining murky?

That is a highly hypothetical question which I only pose because it seems so utterly unlike the man. But there are probably at least ten Premiership clubs seriously wondering if their man is going to be on Mike Newell's list and their fans will be asking that question for real.

Sadly, the rewards for whistle blowing are usually pain and anguish for the blower as well as the blown. Society does not have a good way of handling these things.

[blue phil]

I don't want to sound cynical but would Rovers fans prefer, say, Sparky being exposed as a bung merchant at Ewood or the whole thing remaining murky?

373943[/snapback]

I'd want him exposed , but like yourself I'd be absolutely amazed - he seems far too decent and intelligent . Not sure I could say the same about certain of his predecessors but I wouldn't want to incur your wrath by implying anything about the Rovers' past transfers that would shed unfavourable light not only on any particular manager but on his immediate boss....

Like Newell says , you have to be naiive not to believe that corruption is rife . All boards should have a fans' rep on board IMO .... Good luck to Newell ; let's hear some names , close to home or not .

[Rainmaker]

I don't want to sound cynical but would Rovers fans prefer, say, Sparky being exposed as a bung merchant at Ewood or the whole thing remaining murky?[/url]

373943[/snapback]

I know this is not what you asked, but I don't think (Rovers)/Hughes have much to fear. Hughes have not been involved in many transfers in ihs managerial carreer, and I doubt any bungs have been given, none of the transfers seem like "bung transfers".

I'd be more worried about the reputation of the club being dragged trough the mud due to Souness' agent connections....

Edited January 12, 2006 by Rainmaker

[sausagemandog]

I'd be more worried about the reputation of the club being dragged trough the mud due to Souness' agent connections....

373967[/snapback]

So would i . Didnt a few of the transfers in that era come from the same agent. And I dread to think who acted as agent for Ciccio !

[Dufflite]

...I hope its Bernard Cribbens at the big club. I'd laugh until I needed treatment and clean pants.

[andy82]

Yes, i was about to mention the same thing. Hardly any of Sparky's signings have made anyone raise questions about the price being stupidly high, rather with some of them we've been more worried we are getting players too cheap (Axe, Nelsen and Kuqi).

Some of our previous managers, however, did pay daft money for players we all knew weren't worth it....

[Billy Castell]

For some reason I keep thinking of the name 'Harry Redknapp'. I think Hughes is clean for the reasons stated, but as for Souness and Hodgson...............Of course I should state at this point that it is my idle speculatitive mind at work here, and I have no proof of anything.

I mention Woy, as surely it would explain the £4.5m for Nathan Blake, £5.5m for Christian Dailly, £7.5m for Kevin Davies........................ . Well its the only thing I can think of to explain those signings.

[blue phil]

For some reason I keep thinking of the name 'Harry Redknapp'.

374125[/snapback]

Redknapp was the first prem manager I heard on the radio after Newell's allegations and he stated that he never had any involvement in the financial side of transfers . How far back he's talking about I don't know . I'm strongly of the opinion that if managers have been dodgy dealing then their bosses on the board are also culpable for not keeping them in check .

[Grabbi Graeme]

Newells now asking for any other managers who have been offered bungs to come forward and back him up, be interesting to see if anybody comes forward.

1000th Post

[Tony Diamond Inc]

You've got to admire Newell's balls!

[Nate]

For those that have not heard this:

Newell on Five Live

Need Real Player

[philipl]

The last words of Newell on that interview: "Don't you think its interesting that certain agents do repeat deals with certain Managers?"

On that basis, we need to hunker down at Ewood.

Incidentally, slipping into 'drog mode, perhaps jim would confirm that it would cost less for an agent to buy a journalist than it would to buy a Premiership Manager. That was my reaction when Mike Newell said he could not understand why the press don't investigate and blow the lid on it- as he said "we are only talking football, not investigating the White House."

My guess is that someone somewhere will now dig some dirt on Mike Newell to discredit him.

A positive Blackburn Rovers mention here. Interesting to note that the taxman not only got Al Capone, his British counterpart trapped George Graham.

A background on bungs etc.

Edited January 14, 2006 by philipl

[philipl]

Possibly a rather truthful comment.

[philipl]

After Rob Hulse backed up Newell now the QPR Manager and former Chairman.

In all probability this will die a quiet death but if stories start running with this regularity, surely the League/FA will have to do something.

[philipl]

Premier League bungs enquiry

[tchocky]

Good. I can see a gloomy future for a couple of prem clubs..

[thenodrog]

Premier League bungs enquiry

377482[/snapback]

"It will examine transfers concluded since January 2004 and to look for find details of any irrgular payments."

Lucky for some that the start date was not 2000 onwards!

[ihateburnley]

The FA will find Graeme Souness offered an 'irregular' payment to the agent of a certain Lorenzo Amoruso in order to tempt the Italian ace to join the Rovers. They could even confiscate the player from the club and cancel his contract with immediate effect.

Please God.

[philipl]

The scope of the Stevens enquiry.

This could be tasty- every transfer transaction since January 2004 to be investigated by a team including forensic accountants.

Grabbi and Amo are off the radar as far as we are concerned. In fact, I think only MGP and Stead arrived as a big money Souness signings at Rovers in this period and I get absolutely no hint of smell about Rovers since he departed. The transfer out of Ferguson to Rangers will inevitably open up his transfer in to scrutiny as that deal must have involved unravelling the original one.

The Boumsong transfer to Newcastle (and £40m of other Souness transfers) ARE within scope.

So I guess we will all know definitively whether the unease of some people posting on here about how clean Souness transfer dealings were at Rovers was justified or not.

Plenty of Harry Redknap deals for the Stevens team to look at as well. I would love to be a fake sheikh on the wall when they face SGE with the full NoTW transcript/tape....

[Billy Castell]

Problem is that it is a very short period of time to look at, and that agents are not allowed to be called up. No-one can be sopenad (or made to testify since I cannot spell) either.

[roverich]

Was it Harry Redknapp who sold Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United? I knew the players agent at the time (we both went to the same school) and I don't want to make allegations but there was something not right about that deal!

[Exiled_Rover]

Was it Harry Redknapp who sold Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United? I knew the players agent at the time (we both went to the same school) and I don't want to make allegations but there was something not right about that deal!

388792[/snapback]

He went to Leeds first...