EXCLUSIVE: BBC Bung storm

 

Beeb bung names revealed

 

By Rob Beasley

 

THE News of the World can reveal the football clubs, managers and staff targeted in the TV bung row tearing soccer apart.

 

High-profile staff at Bolton, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough have had letters from the BBC's Panorama programme telling them they have been suckered into an elaborate sting aimed at exposing the bung culture in English football.

 

Among the BBC's targets are Pompey manager Harry Redknapp, ex-player Kevin Bond, now at Newcastle, and Craig Allardyce, son of Bolton boss Sam.

 

Others involved are soccer agent Peter Harrison, Sven Goran Eriksson's manager Athole Still and England star Stewart Downing's agent Ian Elliott.

 

Undercover

 

They were among a long list of soccer personalities introduced to a German businessman called Knut Aufdemberge.

 

He claimed to represent a mega-rich American tycoon, Paul Silverman, who wanted to launch a new, money-rich sports agency in the UK called Dynamic Soccer.

 

What the football men did not know was that the two "businessmen" were really undercover BBC investigators.

 

The pair secretly recorded meetings and conversations over a six-month period.

 

They tried to persuade some of their targets to offer huge sums of money to Premiership managers illegally in a bid to involve them financially in the new agency.

 

All the BBC targets vigorously deny any wrong-doing.

 

They insist they refused to offer or accept bribes.

 

Harrison even sent an e-mail to Aufdemberge last April threatening to report him.

 

He then wrote to the FA two weeks ago, warning them that two mysterious businessmen were attempting to bribe Premiership managers.

 

But before that, Harrison helped set up a meeting between Redknapp, Bond and Aufdemberge at Portsmouth's training complex.

 

We contacted both Harrison and Redknapp last night and both refused to comment. The Portsmouth manager has made it known that he has contacted his lawyers to defend his reputation.

 

One man who did go on the record was Ian Elliott, who insisted he had done nothing wrong.

 

Buy

 

He explained: "I agreed to a meeting because I was told these people wanted to buy my company, Elliott Sports Management, for ??1.2million. It all seemed too good to be true.

 

"The meeting did not last long, about 20 minutes I think.

 

"Afterwards I told my accountant and my lawyer that things just didn't add up.

 

"And I must stress that the subject of paying managers or players was never raised by me or by them."

 

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is privately furious that BBC bosses tried to take advantage of his son.

 

Craig Allardyce quit being a sports agent last month amid concerns he could be compromising his father's position in the game.

 

The BBC sting began last November when Aufdemberge first contacted Harrison.

 

The pair had a number of meetings and dinners to discuss the project. Aufdemberge claimed Silverman wanted to form a "super" agency in England.

 

His plan was to unite a number of top English agents who would work together to take on the game's biggest names.

 

Dynamic Soccer claimed they would pay managers cash bungs of around ??200,000 to get involved in their company.

 

But the News of the World understands that all the BBC's targets refused, insisting the plot would breach FA rules.

 

Harrison claims he was told he alone could earn a staggering ??1.8m if he could help to launch the agency successfully.

 

The agent was so keen to cash in he even wrote a detailed business plan for Silverman to put into operation and also recommended a number of agents who might be interested.

 

Corruption

 

He suggested Ian Elliott, Craig Allardyce and Athole Still.

 

A BBC insider said: "All the agents fell for the story.

 

"They had no idea the company was not for real or that the two individuals were in fact reporters.

 

"The tactics were to persuade them to offer Premiership managers large sums of money to get involved in the company. It was hoped it would uncover widespread corruption.

 

"Now there is a big legal row over what Panorama can or cannot screen."

 

FA chiefs have vowed to investigate, providing the BBC shows them its evidence.

 

The programme is due to be screened later this month ??? providing it gets the green light from lawyers.

Did they get Sam on camera accepting a bung? Did they f??ckerslike. 8 months of investigation and they get 2 or 3 lines which MIGHT make Sam look bent.

 

If they can get to so many folk then I am convinced they had Sam as well, and he gave them NOTHING, in fact he gave them something which would have ruined the whole show.

 

Mike Newell said that 2 of the 18 managers mentioned by the BBC to him were bent.

If is was Sam and Harry, the BBC would have said so. But they didnt. Wonder why? A great bit of selective editing.

 

The BBC have made a good attempt at throwing a lot of shit knowing some will stick, but there is f??ck all concrete to confirm that Sam has taken money.

 

Harrison has used Craig to get his players noticed by Sam, Craig has gone Billy Big Time and made a pickle of it all.

 

And if I was Gartside I would have tried to do a deal for JJ as well knowing the seed of doubt was alredy there and could get 5M euros for a player in the last year of his contract.

 

 

 

Absolutely spot on mate.

 

??3.5m for Okocha a few months before we release him. Great business.

 

This might end up in court for sam to clear his name. But unless the BBC have more evidence than they showed, which I doubt, then Sam will come through this OK.

Three independent agents(remembering they're all supposed to be independent) all name Sam as the man to do "good" business with..........oh dear. I think some people need to stop being so perochial, touching though it is. I can't say too much because it would just get edited/deleted, but I think it raises more questions than it answers. At least the whole "why did we sign Borgetti" mystery has been solved??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

Three independent agents(remembering they're all supposed to be independent) all name Sam as the man to do "good" business with..........oh dear. I think some people need to stop being so perochial, touching though it is. I can't say too much because it would just get edited/deleted, but I think it raises more questions than it answers. At least the whole "why did we sign Borgetti" mystery has been solved??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

 

You are more likely to get things edited/deleted for talking shit.

my raggin license fee paid for that programme, f*cking outrageous that we get taxed into paying for shite like that.

 

it was jus mudthrowing and name calling, with Craig Allardyce playing billy big Balls for a foreign millionaire -- who the f*ck wouldnt!??!

Three independent agents(remembering they're all supposed to be independent) all name Sam as the man to do "good" business with..........oh dear. I think some people need to stop being so perochial, touching though it is. I can't say too much because it would just get edited/deleted, but I think it raises more questions than it answers. At least the whole "why did we sign Borgetti" mystery has been solved??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

 

Agents that are honest and would never lie for financial gain? like the perceived gain from saying they could "in" with certain Managers?

all name Sam as the man to do "good" business with

 

Which neither suggests he's guilty or not guilty of bungs!

 

FFS my local corner shop does 'good buisness' too.

 

The programme was aired to make BSA look as bad as it possibly could which it did a good job.

 

Spose tomorrows papers will manipulate and twist a bit more of the programme to make sensational headlines!

 

FCK um BSA, hold your head up high man!!!!!!!!!!

This is a good day to bury bad news.

 

brixton told me thtat he likes to dress up in his wifes underwear.

 

I know its a shock but there you go.

The real criminals here are the fecking BBC who paid for that heap of wank journalism with our TV licence money.

Absolutely spot on mate.

 

??3.5m for Okocha a few months before we release him. Great business.

 

This might end up in court for sam to clear his name. But unless the BBC have more evidence than they showed, which I doubt, then Sam will come through this OK.

 

If the BBC had more,they would have shown it. Gartside wanted to sell Okocha - so what, made good business sense to me.

In the cold light of day when this programme is poured over and analysed by everyone and sundry, it'll emerge that the BBC had fcuk all factual discriminating evidence against Sam.

Edited September 19, 200619 yr by Burndens Bogs

The real criminals here are the fecking BBC who paid for that heap of wank journalism with our TV licence money.

 

Too bloody true!

This is a good day to bury bad news.

 

brixton told me thtat he likes to dress up in his wifes underwear.

 

I know its a shock but there you go.

 

I'd like to confess to wearing trousers and riggers on a regular basis.

(posted elsewhere)

When they were due to meet that manager in that hotel, with all the money laid on the bed. No names where mentioned, but they kept showing the silhouette of a stadium at night. I think that stadium belonged to the manager they were talking about - but I couldn't work out who's stadium it was. DEFINITELY NOT the Reebok. Anyone else notice this?

 

A manager who was worried about what, as he said was, a frame although he said a French word for it.

not seen the program, but been listening to 909 on way back from walsall.

 

general opinion from supporters was that the program was pathetic and brought up nothing of interest.

 

ive heard a few quotes and most of it is just pub talk if you ask me.

 

best thing mentioned was harry redknapp admitting he'd like to sign andy todd if he was available......HOW THE fcuk IS THAT TAPPING UP????

 

take em to the cleaners sam!

FCK um BSA, hold your head up high man!!!!!!!!!!

 

OH yes Big Sammy Boy, you can always feel proud that you fathered this fecking loon.

 

The investigation wasn't that thorough. At the beginning the agent, Teni mentioned Bolton but then two other clubs whose names were starred out. Why were these clubs names not mentioned? At the end it mentioned that 18 current and Premiership managers were implicated. As I mentioned elsewhere they need a proper paper trail. But then again if they've been paying Craig to pay Sam as the programme implied they would have to prove that.

look the only thing bsa has done is dealings with his son over transfers that the real crime you have to be whiter than white when you deal so close to home

Edited September 19, 200619 yr by allwhiteone

not seen the program, but been listening to 909 on way back from walsall.

 

general opinion from supporters was that the program was pathetic and brought up nothing of interest.

 

ive heard a few quotes and most of it is just pub talk if you ask me.

 

best thing mentioned was harry redknapp admitting he'd like to sign andy todd if he was available......HOW THE fcuk IS THAT TAPPING UP????

 

take em to the cleaners sam!

 

Er,Harry did say he fancied Toddy, but forgot to mention "Is he available?"

 

Seriously,if you missed the programme - it was a load of crap,with no hard evidence against anyone.

Three independent agents(remembering they're all supposed to be independent) all name Sam as the man to do "good" business with..........oh dear. I think some people need to stop being so perochial, touching though it is. I can't say too much because it would just get edited/deleted, but I think it raises more questions than it answers. At least the whole "why did we sign Borgetti" mystery has been solved??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

I think the question, "why did we not play Borgetti" is a more interesting question and it has nothing to do with money!

Are you Natasha in disguise?

I think the question, "why did we not play Borgetti" is a more interesting question and it has nothing to do with money!

 

Please don't make me have to spell it out to you.

 

Are you Natasha in disguise?

 

Are you trying to chat me up?

looks like allardyce son is the one at fault but bsa will have to take the fall

OH yes Big Sammy Boy, you can always feel proud that you fathered this fecking loon.

 

 

Why do I doubt you'd make that accusation to either of their faces.

 

Misguided maybe, naive bullshitter deffo, I don't see where loon comes into it.

 

Please don't make me have to spell it out to you.

 

Go on, spell it out for us... Sam was in Japan with the team when the Borgetti deal was done.

IMHO even though |I know nowt, it's just a big bag of shit.

 

Who gives a fcuk anyway? If Sam brings the players we want here, do we give a fcuk about how he does it? He makes a bob, the club does too via increased revenue (NOT necessarily through ticket sales before you start), chairman likes what he ses and is also rewarded handsomely.

 

What gets me is if the beeb (for it is they) reckon bungs are rife in Wanderers, how can that be with the amount of free transfers, geriatric and unfit players, waifs, strays, wannabees and neverweres we seem to get?

 

It's all SHIT.

 

Trust me,

 

I'm not a gynaecologist, well, not qualified, but I'LL HAVE A GO.....

 

Just before midnight, I'd better give it one last AAAAARRRRRRRRRR, Avast me harties, prepare to board.

 

We'll keel haul him or hang him from the rafters just to see if he can dance.....

 

Hoist the jolly roger, it's your money that we want, and your money we shall have!!!

 

(So goes the saying in the kiosks at half time at the reebok.....)

Craig Allardyce - no longer a football agent. That says it all.

At the end of the day the BBC did not capture anyone taking a 'bung'. Many words where said about clubs their managers and agents, but to satisfy the public they need hard evidence not just a few words that were quiet clearly edited to make good viewing.

 

Question - on many occasions??? the narrator lead the question then it jumped to the actual 'film'. This can lead to misinterpretation of the facts and the way a person would answer a question.

 

The programme was cleverly edited.

 

4 agents are doomed and the only people to make money out of this will be the solicitors.

At least the whole "why did we sign Borgetti" mystery has been solved??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????

 

so it wasnt because he was Mexicos all time record scorer who wanted to spend time in Europe before the World Cup then?