Eight clubs still under bung investigation
Monday, 02 Oct 2006 17:23
Lord Stevens to announce report into alleged football transfer corruption
Thirty-nine transfers involving eight Premiership clubs remain under investigation as part of the Lord Stevens report into irregular payments and the alleged bung culture in football, it has been revealed today.
Lord Stevens, a former Metropolitan police commissioner, also announced that he and his security firm Quest are to extend their comprehensive six-month probe by an additional two months in order to complete their research into these remaining deals.
The report has so far studied the financial details of all 362 transfers involving Premiership clubs between January 1st 2004 and January 31st 2006 and Lord Stevens has signed off the majority - 323 - of these transactions as having been conducted correctly.
He emphasised that the interim report, which has led to an "unprecedented database", is still "a work in progress" but that he and Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive who set up the inquiry, are confident results into the final 39 transfers will be reached before the end of the year.
Lord Stevens did not, as was expected, publicly name and shame any clubs or individuals, unlike the BBC's much-criticised Panorama investigation recently, but he did reveal that Watford, Sheffield United, Reading and Leeds United have been let off the investigation.
The Premiership clubs, who all cooperated unreservedly with the investigation, he added, unanimously decided not to waiver anonymity in order to avoid unprecedented public and media attention on the eight clubs still under investigation.
Lord Stevens said: "This enquiry will thorough, detailed and robust. All the clubs wish for it to take place. We ask all are patient in terms of our recommendations and results.
"There is an absolute willingness to get this sorted out in the interests of the game and the genuine fans. It is essential for the game we prevent the sort of things alleged. This is not an easy inquiry but we will do everything in our powers to make sure it is a successful one."
Lord Stevens also revealed that cooperation from half of agents approached had been less than forthcoming at this stage and that a number of recommendations as to how to improve the transfer system will be offered to the Premier League and the FA in due course.
"The work conducted led me to make a number of observations regarding administration and monitoring of the transfer market," he said. "These were made to the chairman and chief executive of the Premier League. Once the enquiry is complete we will report these as recommendations for consideration by the league."
Over the course of the next two months, Lord Stevens will be further reviewing club responses to questionnaires and meetings, again speaking with overseas selling clubs, liaising with the BBC about its evidence used in the Panorama programme and investigating independent agents' back accounts.