Club set for legal fight with league rivals Blues

BORO’S legal action against Birmingham City and four of former manager Garry Monk’s backroom staff is likely to open in the High Court between June 22 and July 5. Monk, who was sacked by Boro in December, became Birmingham manager in early March. When he was appointed at St Andrews, the Blues also recruited Monk’s backroom staff James Beattie, Darryl Flahavan, Sean Rush and Ryan Needs. All of them were with Monk at Boro.

But Boro have gone to the High Court because they claim there is a contract clause which prevented them from working together again as a unit until December 28.

Beattie, the former England striker, has worked with Monk in all of his managerial roles, while goalkeeping coach Flahavan worked with Monk at Leeds and Boro.

Rush was Boro’s head of physical performance and Needs was head of physical performance analysis.

Boro fear that the quartet’s insider knowledge may give Birmingham a competitive advantage over them.

Their knowledge of “confidential information” includes transfer targets, player wages and weaknesses, say the club’s lawyers.

Boro’s barrister Ian Mill QC said the restrictions were included in contracts to protect the club.

He said: “There is a real risk that Middlesbrough will lose players to Birmingham City if it continues to employ each member of the backroom team at the same time as each other and/or Mr Monk.”

The QC added that the quartet had knowledge of the weaknesses of Boro players which could make it hard to sell certain players.

He said they also knew about the players Boro intend to sign and the types of players likely to be targeted.

Mr Mill added: “Birmingham City’s employment of the back room team is therefore likely to give it an ongoing competitive advantage over Middlesbrough.”