MP calls for an independent probe

ENGLISH football’s principal stakeholders issued a joint statement last night insisting they will investigate ‘any substantive allegations’ of corruption in the game. The Daily Telegraph followed its Sam Allardyce sting with a series of unsubstantiated claims by some dubious figures from the world of football agents about some unnamed Premier League managers taking bungs. That sparked a response at Westminster with minister for sport Tracey Crouch demanding that ‘all the evidence presented to them must be investigated’. Last night a joint statement issued by the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League said: ‘English football takes the governance of the game extremely seriously with integrity being of paramount importance. ‘Any substantive allegations will be investigated with the full force of the rules at our disposal, which are wide-ranging and well developed. ‘Should we find any evidence of criminality, we would inform and seek the support of the appropriate statutory authorities.’ Earlier Crouch had said: ‘The integrity of sport is paramount and we expect the highest standards of governance and transparency from sports governing bodies here in the UK and on the international stage. ‘The recent allegations regarding English football are very concerning and we will be discussing this with the football authorities.’ Conservative MP Damian Collins, a member of the culture, media and sport select committee, called for an ‘independent commission to look into these allegations’. But he added that the FA is ‘such an inherently weak organisation I don’t think it could do what is needed now, even if it wanted to’. ‘It is crippled by vested interests,’ he argued.