Stevens' inquiry looks into more transfers

Lord Stevens will look further into bungs than the 39 transfers involving eight other clubs, which he has another two months to investigate.

In addition, The Daily Telegraph revealed that he and his team are not happy with a further 12 transfers involving seven clubs. At his briefing to clubs on Monday, Stevens divided the 362 transfers he had looked at into three categories.

The first was the 292 transfers he had cleared. The second was the 16 transfers where there were only minor issues. The third was divided into two sections. In the first there were the 39 transfers from eight clubs. This was the number subsequently disclosed and the impression created was that these were the only transfers still under scrutiny.

However, the Stevens team, in their secret briefing to the clubs, also spoke of another 12 transfers. Nothing was said publicly about these but that may be because these deals involved foreign registered agents and issues which were not under the jurisdiction of either the Football Association or the Premier League.

They appear to fall in special category and it is unlikely that the Stevens team will be able to go much further with their investigation. One Premier League insider said he did mention 12 other transfers in addition to the 39, but involve foreign jurisdiction.

When the Stevens inquiry was first set up by Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier League, David Gill, the chief executive of Manchester United, said he had been dragged away from a meeting to take a phone call about the setting up of the inquiry.

Yet, the Football Association, who have been caught by surprise by the inquiry, are now aware that Stevens should produce the strongest possible report.

One high ranking FA insider said that when the word bungs was first introduced it was considered rather funny, a sort of Del Boy situation, but now bungs are no laughing matter. He went on to say that they were sinister.

The FA is also pondering whether, as part of their effort to be seen as a the tough regulator, they could introduce more transparency. They have details of all transfers, including payments made to agents, and these may be made public after the close of every transfer window. It would go much beyond the disclosures made by the Football League.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.