The FA is "facing being summoned by parliament for a grilling about bungs in the game," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. As a second leading coach lost his job following revelations and another faced an ongoing inquiry by his club, the acting chair of the Culture, Media & Sport select committee "confirmed he and his colleagues were considering quizzing the FA next month over a scandal that has rocked English football." Detectives from the City of London Police have "already been in contact with the Telegraph and the FA about the former’s 10-month investigation," with the latter saying, "The FA wants to be in a position to investigate these matters fully at the earliest opportunity and, to this end, the FA will also be meeting with the City of London Police next week." The FA confirmed its plans after Tommy Wright was sacked as assistant head coach of Barnsley for accepting £5,000 ($6,457) in £20 ($26)-note bundles to "help place players at his club." Queens Park Rangers Manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink "remained under investigation by his employers after being secretly filmed" requesting a fee of £55,000 ($71,000) to work for a firm seeking to sell his team footballers. Acting CMS committee Chair Damian Collins said, "We are considering getting the FA in October to discuss the revelations exposed by the Telegraph’s investigation. We would then decide whether to launch a formal inquiry." Collins, a Conservative MP who is one of the leading campaigners against corruption in sport, had already called for the FA to set up an “independent commission” to investigate the scandal. Wright denies any wrongdoing, as does Hasselbaink, who was said to be "deeply upset over footage he believes to be misleading" (TELEGRAPH, 9/29).
POLICE ON THE CASE: REUTERS' Baldwin & Rodricks reported police have asked to see transcripts "relating to an investigation into alleged corruption" in English football before they can be released to the FA. In "another twist to the story," Pino Pagliara, one of the football agents to make allegations of financial wrongdoing by managers in an interview secretly filmed by journalists posing as businessmen, said on Friday that "his claims had been lies." Pagliara said, "They wanted me to tell them that my relationship with managers was such that a manager would take money from me. I felt that if I didn't impress them they would find somebody that would. I allowed them to believe the managers would not drop the money on the floor if I gave it to them." Southampton Assistant Manager Eric Black was the "latest to be named in the newspaper investigation and he has denied making any suggestion to undercover reporters that football officials should be paid during transfer negotiations." The FA said in a statement that "it would be meeting with City of London Police next week" (REUTERS, 9/30).
