Allardyce in the FA dock

– Sam Allardyce (above) was set for crisis talks with his Football Association employers yesterday as the England manager fights to save his job after being caught in a newspaper sting.

Allardyce gave advice on how to get around transfer rules, criticised the FA’s decision to rebuild Wembley and mocked his predecessor Roy Hodgson while being secretly filmed by Daily Telegraph reporters posing as Far East businessmen.

Allardyce, 61, appointed England boss in July on a £3 million-ayear contract, also agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador for their fictitious firm for a fee of £400 000.

Senior FA figures were said to be stunned by the revelations and the former Sunderland and West Ham manager was seen driving away from his home in Bolton, northwest England, early yesterday morning amid reports he had been summoned to the governing body’s Wembley headquarters to defend himself.

The FA probe leaves Allardyce in danger of being sacked just one game into his reign.

“I got a call related to the issue and I want the facts in the morning and I will look into it – it is not appropriate to pre-judge the issue,” FA chairman Greg Clarke told The Times.

“With things like this you have to take a deep breath and have all the facts and hear everything from everyone.

“Then you can make a judgment about what to do and that’s what we will do. Natural justice requires us to get to the bottom of these issues before we make any decision.”

FA CEO Martin Glenn is said to have spoken to Allardyce on Monday, soon after the revelations came out. – AFP