What do Newcastle, Portsmouth and rangers have in common

**Mr JP Fugley** · 07-16-2007, 04:29 PM

Rangers aiding 'corruption' probe

Football club Rangers is working with police carrying out an investigation into alleged corruption in football, the club has confirmed.

Newcastle United and Portsmouth are believed to be the other two clubs visited as part of the City of London Police inquiry.

Detectives said the investigation was separate to Lord Stevens' ongoing Quest inquiry into the Premiership.

A Rangers spokeswoman said the club had given police "every co-operation".

Search warrants were executed on three football club premises and two homes between 0730 and 0900 BST.

'Every co-operation'

A City of London Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that search warrants were served at three football clubs and the homes of two individuals in connection with corruption in football and its impact on owners and shareholders."

A Northumbria Police spokesman said they were aware that "an operation" had been carried out by their London colleagues at St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United.

Strathclyde Police confirmed that it had helped the investigation, but did not say which club had been involved.

It said: "Strathclyde Police assisted the City of London Police to execute a search warrant in Strathclyde."

'Visited by police'

A spokeswoman for Rangers said: "Rangers Football Club was asked to co-operate with a police investigation and have done so, extending every co-operation to police.

"We have been requested by police not to comment further while the investigation is on-going."

Portsmouth FC later confirmed that the club had been visited by police at about 1000 BST.

"We have co-operated fully with their search and will not be commenting further," said the club.

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**Proper Bo** · 07-16-2007, 04:39 PM

Graham Souness, i bet it was him, he was a cawk.

**Mr JP Fugley** · 07-16-2007, 04:40 PM

I hope it was, that would be fan-tastic.

**Sextent** · 07-16-2007, 05:45 PM

This is a story from June, wonder if there's any link.

Brown agent named in Premiership corruption probe

THE agent involved in the controversial transfers of Hibs players Scott Brown and Kevin Thompson has been named in the Stevens inquiry into alleged corruption in the English Premiership.

Football agent Willie McKay, who was accused of unsettling the Hibs duo, and former Rangers and Newcastle United manager Graeme Souness are both mentioned in the report.

The inquiry by former police chief Lord Stevens focused on a number of controversial transfers between clubs, and the possibility that "irregular" payments were being made to agents and players.

While Lord Stevens said there was no evidence of such "bungs", he also felt that there were still issues with five of the transfers investigated.

Four of these were made by Newcastle when Souness was manager, including the transfer of Rangers defender Alain Boumsong in 2004.

McKay was named for his involvement in the transfer of Benjani Mwaruwari and Aliou Cisse to Portsmouth.

The report said it was still awaiting clarification of several documents provided by the Glasgow-based agent.

It also recommended continuing inquiries into Mr McKay's registering of a racehorse in the name of Portsmouth manger Harry Redknapp.

Mr Redknapp has, according to the report, admitted that this could have happened, although he stated that "it was a very unsuccessful horse that resulted in no material gain or reward for him".

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**Sextent** · 07-16-2007, 05:49 PM

Surely it can't be coincidences.

Lord Stevens' long-awaited report into alleged illegal payments clears all Premier League clubs of paying or receiving bungs.

But the report raises separate concerns about two managers and a number of agents.

The former Metropolitan Police commissioner expresses concerns over "a conflict of interest" involving Sam Allardyce and his former agent son Craig while at Bolton.

He also points to "inconsistencies in evidence" provided by former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness.

Deals involving Chelsea, Newcastle, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth have all been highlighted by the former Metropolitan Police commissioner in his final report to the Premier League.

The main focus of the report targets agents though the clubs are set to face a further investigation from the Football Association.

Stevens has also expressed concerned about 15 agents and third parties involved in some 17 transfers.

Stevens says in the report: "The inquiry remains concerned at the conflict of interest that it believes existed between Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce (the then manager at Bolton Wanderers) and the club itself."

He goes on: "There remain inconsistencies in evidence provided by Graeme Souness (a former manager of the club) and [Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd's son] Kenneth Shepherd as to their respective roles in transfer negotiations."

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