Any fan of football, whether it be armchair or ticket holder, will be disturbed by the news that five major premiership teams are being investigated for dubious transfer dealings. With Chelsea, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Bolton and Newcastle all in the frame, the next few months will be a test for the games governing authorities. With the West Ham/Sheffield United affair still plodding on, the Premiership’s response will be well and truly under the microscope.
For the northeast, it’s worrying to have two teams in the frame, but should we be surprised? Both Middlesbrough and Newcastle have spent millions of pounds on players, a sure attraction for the unscrupulous. For Newcastle however, the problem is two fold; with the Souness era and Allardyce’s tenure at Bolton up for further investigation the club can hardly fail to escape punishment.
Should we really be surprised with all these shady goings on? Not really, football is merely reflecting the problems of society in general. Cash for honours, fraud investigations in the horse racing world, contract bribes at BAE and the ridiculous corporate freebie that is the Olympics are all an indication that where big money is present, moral out look and fair play all go out the window. Why should we expect the sporting world to behave when our political leaders have their snouts well and truly in the trough?
Lord Stevens has conducted a lengthy investigation into this sorry affair, but even he is looking a little tarnished. A company called “Quest” has acted as the evidence gathering agent for the investigation and no doubt made in pretty penny for itself along the way. Guess who is the Chairman of said company? You’ve guessed it, Lord Steven’s. In footballing terms, even the referee has left himself open for criticism!
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