League Championship Side Bolton Chair Phil Gartside Acquitted Of Perjury, Fraud

League Championship side Bolton Chair Phil Gartside has been acquitted of five counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation, according to Simon Jones of the London DAILY MAIL. Football agent Tony McGill had claimed he was cut out of a £1M deal when Gavin McCann signed for Bolton Wanderers from Aston Villa in '07. However, all 11 defendants, including Bolton and sports agency SEM, "saw the prosecution against them collapse." Gartside, EPL club Southampton assistant coach Sammy Lee, League Championship side Burnley Sporting Dir Frank McParland and McCann were among those cleared at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday morning. No evidence was offered by the prosecution so the judge "formally entered not guilty verdicts on the entire indictment." At the hearing, Judge Tim Gittins told the defendants, "That brings the matter to an end." The issue of costs for all sides has yet to be decided (DAILY MAIL, 9/21).