Oh dear, Its another scandal that is sure to rock the foundation of the English game. Close on the heels of the famous fake Sheikh scandal that cost Erikkson his job and the calciopoli mess in Italy, a new sting conducted by the BBC’s flagship show Panaroma has exposed the corruption in the English game . Using a licensed agent to conduct the sting, the documentary showed several hidden camera videos of conversations between agents and coaches discussing payoffs for transfers. The man at the centre of this new expose is Fat Sam Allardyce. His complicity in the scandal was known well before the show aired after he made several equivocal comments in a bid to preempt the findings of the show. It did little to clear his name and the coach whose reputation had skyrocketed after his sensational work with Bolton wanderers is now on the move to vindicate himself. Fat Chance!

Fat Sam was also pivotal in sculpting the art of Long throw-ins. The same kind of football that made you switch channels and watch The Forresters in The Bold and the Beautiful but what he lacked in style he made up in efficiency. He has done wonders with the squad he had inherited but this comes as a hammer blow to his aspirations of becoming England Boss oneday. But on the other hand , as the letter of the law states he is innocent until proven otherwise.

However Sam does have company as several others have been implicated in the scandal. The others that found mention in Panaroma:-

The programme, which used an undercover reporter posing as an agent, also alleged that:

• Three agents named in the programme admitted giving bungs.

• Newcastle first-team coach Kevin Bond admitted he would consider discussing receiving payments from agents.

• Frank Arnesen, Chelsea’s director of youth football, offered Middlesbrough’s 15-year-old England youth star Nathan Porritt £150,000 over three years to move clubs.

• Liverpool also tried to tempt Porritt from Middlesbrough.

• Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp was involved in ‘tapping up’ a player.

For their part, those implicated have issued denials( Surprise, Surprise!).

Watch this space for updates.

V