Spineless ! - 14 Jan 2006
The Mike Newell football bung saga continues...

After last weeks developments in the football bungs saga that has erupted since the comments of Luton boss Mike Newell, It has to be said that the lack of support from others within the game is predictable.

Not surprisingly, no one in the game has come out in support of him. There have been lots of comments along the lines of it might have happened, but not to me, I've never taken a bung, nor have I been offered one... Plenty of managers, chairmen, players e.t.c must be sweating a bit.

It also seems that some people in the game admit to knowing what's been going on, but don't want to speak about it.

Now is the time for those in the game that have had experience of dealing with these crooked agents to speak up. Ex players, managers, journalists, whoever it takes, show some balls and speak up. Football bungs must be stopped.

I read with great interest a piece in the Daily Telegraph this morning by Graham Taylor about the subject of bungs & agents. It is well worth a look.

Taylor says "Agents are a necessary evil these days, but football has always been ambivalent towards them, and, as in all professions, there are good ones and bad ones. Because of this ambivalence the bad ones run amok, taking literally millions of pounds out of the game".

He goes on to say... "of course, there are the others who, over the years, bit by bit, take out more than they ever put in. Unsurprisingly you find these people in the lower divisions. Away from the public glare they manipulate themselves into positions of power. The authorities in the main know who both sets of people are but turn a blind eye. Too many skeletons would come tumbling out if these doors were opened".

So Graham, are you saying that yes, you do know this is happening there are "bad eggs" operating, football bungs have been given and you know about it. Is it common knowledge to those in the game?

Perhaps more revelingly Taylor also said... "For instance what did happen to the Inland Revenue Special Office that was set up in the early Nineties operating from Solihull in the West Midlands with the brief to look into football club transfer activities, with particular emphasis on those from abroad. Managers, players, agents and directors were all interviewed.

Believe me they got some information, but just when they were getting it all in shape they were closed down. To my knowledge no one has publicly gone on record to say why. So we are left with all the gossip and innuendoes. Some three years later I met one of the inspectors who had by then left his employment with the revenue. What a conversation we had! Of course I cannot repeat it. I do not have any of the facts available to me. What I was very clearly led to believe, though, was that there were some extremely fortunate football people walking free and that the decision to close the department had come from on high. Even the inspector did not know why it had been taken".

So, it seems that a lot of people know a lot more than they are letting on. I really hope Newell Does name names in his meeting with the FA, but until then you're on your own Mike. Perhaps someone could offer you a bung not to turn up?

We'll be back with more on this soon, the football bungs saga has only just started.....