NEIL MOXLEY Big Sam greed-fest is tip of football iceberg

Fwolwloww. Tew. eurk: @peoplesport ONE of my first jobs as a football reporter was a cracker.

It was to confront a chairman who plotted to burn down the main stand at the non-league club he owned for the insurance money.

The script hasn’t altered much since then.

Well, the names might have changed along with the sums involved. But this week has proved – beyond doubt – that the quality of the people involved hasn’t.

Along with a good many, yours truly read about the downfall of England boss Sam Allardyce with a depressing sense of deja vu.

In terms of idiocy, Allardyce’s actions are right up there. Naive or plain stupid, take your pick.

But the fact of the matter is that by bringing down England’s boss and Barnsley assistant Tommy Wright you might think the investigators cast their net in a lucky spot.

Kickbacks

Anecdotal evidence from 20- plus years on the frontline of football reporting would suggest otherwise.

During the course of my career I’ve heard of threats, bullying, back-handers, blatant conflicts of interest and kickbacks aplenty.

It isn’t the norm. But let’s put it like this: when the latest whisper hits the rumour mill you are no longer surprised.

And it touches people at all levels. And not corrupted all of them. But the influx of such an obscene amount of money has left almost anything open to abuse.

I mean, where do you draw the line? At an easy £5,000? Or £50,000? Or £500,000?

The game has always acted as a magnet for those who revel in the spotlight and are turned on by the prospect of making a quick buck. But now the lights are dazzling – and so too are the rewards.

It’s been recognised by some. For instance, the Football Association tried to clean up agents and middlemen a few years ago.

That had, and always will have, no chance of succeeding.

As they themselves admitted this week: ‘It’s he says against she says.’

A paper trail that leads to a Swiss bank account that is only accessible if permission is given by its holder.

That’s one green light that will be stuck permanently on red. Any tracks will be covered by an army of expensive solicitors and accountants. Of course, they operate under an omerta that would put the mafia to shame.

Dodgy owners, foreign or otherwise? simply do not possess the resources to pay the legion of forensic number crunchers the situation demands.

And even if they did, football clubs and their most high-profile employees boast enough cash to pay those same professionals to hide their loot – or scare anyone brave enough to call them out.

Grubby