Throwing logs on the ornamental fireplace while Rome burns
Wigan Athletic FC Chairman Dave Whelan has become the latest football industry rentaquote to pontificate on the Sven Eriksson 'fake sheikh' affair. Despite the fact that the weight of public opinion is that the England football coach did absolutely nothing wrong other than be a little gullible, and that the News of the World has been both grossly unfair and irresponsible in publishing this piece of nonsense, plenty of people in the mainstream media and the football world seem to be going out of their way to make a mountain out of a molehill. Yesterday, for instance, Aston Villa manager David O'Leary was laying into Eriksson, saying, "It is not acceptable for the national coach to speak publicly about replacing another manager." Quite right, except that Eriksson was SPEAKING PRIVATELY. A point which also seemed to be lost on Terry Butcher.
Eriksson, with his cat-like ability to get out of danger, will probably ride out this storm in a teacup. Mike Newell, however, looks like being left to face the whirlwind by himself. The Luton manager is now looking at the prospect of a lawsuit from the Football Agents' Association for his assertion that he has been offered bribes to sell players and that this practice is widespread, a so-called 'bung culture'.
Where are the £100,000 tabloid sting operations to test whether or not such allegations hold water? Well, we ain't seen nothing yet! As Brian Reade astutely observes, too many people in and around the football business are doing very nicely thank you very much to want to upset this applecart. If Newell's allegations prove unfounded (or more likely cannot be proven), it will be interesting to see whether the agents' association does sue for defamation. Since, as Reade points out, agents are considered 'a necessary evil' by at least one Premiership manager, they may be hard pressed to win any defamation action: Mark Hughes's comment implies both that they have no reputation to defend and that they would not suffer any financial loss as a result of Newell's remarks.
Eriksson, with his cat-like ability to get out of danger, will probably ride out this storm in a teacup. Mike Newell, however, looks like being left to face the whirlwind by himself. The Luton manager is now looking at the prospect of a lawsuit from the Football Agents' Association for his assertion that he has been offered bribes to sell players and that this practice is widespread, a so-called 'bung culture'.
Where are the £100,000 tabloid sting operations to test whether or not such allegations hold water? Well, we ain't seen nothing yet! As Brian Reade astutely observes, too many people in and around the football business are doing very nicely thank you very much to want to upset this applecart. If Newell's allegations prove unfounded (or more likely cannot be proven), it will be interesting to see whether the agents' association does sue for defamation. Since, as Reade points out, agents are considered 'a necessary evil' by at least one Premiership manager, they may be hard pressed to win any defamation action: Mark Hughes's comment implies both that they have no reputation to defend and that they would not suffer any financial loss as a result of Newell's remarks.
posted by Justin Toland at 12:55 am
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