Wright out after alleged corruption

English Championship club Barnsley have sacked assistant head coach Tommy Wright after launching an investigation into allegations of corruption.

Dunfermline-born Wright, 50, was suspended by the club on Wednesday night after newspaper claims he had taken a £5,000 payment made by its undercover reporters, allegedly to help place players at Barnsley.

Wright’s sacking follows revelations that led to the departure of England manager Sam Allardyce, and a separate report alleging that eight managers with Premier League experience and two from the Championship had taken so-called bungs in transfer deals. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reckons his club would be in the top six in the Premier League but believes fear of the Hoops’ potential means a move south will not happen.

The English Football League recently ruled out the prospect of clubs outwith its borders joining an extended competition as they seek eightnewclubs to form four divisions of 20.

Following the 3-3 Champions League draw against Premier League leaders Manchester City at Parkhead on Wednesday night, the Northern Irishman, pictured, claimed the Glasgow club would be: “A major threat to nearly every club playing in England.”

Rodgers, who managed Watford, Reading, Swansea and Liverpool before his move to Glasgow in the summer, said: “Make no bones about it. If Celtic were in England, Celtic would be one of the leading four to six clubs there.

“Can you imagine then the resources playing at that level, what that would produce for Celtic? The club could go as far as it wanted then.

“For Celtic to be in the English pyramid system is very tough because of the size of the club.

“We have the history, huge club, supporter b a s e , team, stadium, it would be a frightening prospect and an exciting prospect if it ever happened, but for others it would be very difficult to accept.

“If you are another club playing in the Premier League or the Championship or League One, would you like that type of threat coming in to possibly stop you?

“I don’t think clubs would want it and that is the reality.

“I think it is always going to be difficult to get that across.” Rodgers also believes what he called: “A truly great Celtic night” against City demonstrated the folly of Uefa restructuring the Champions League to the benefit of the leading leagues in Europe. Newchanges to the competition mean the leading four clubs from the four highest- ranked associations – currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy – automatically enter the group stage from 2018. T h e champions’ route, which Celtic used this season, will be reduced from five to four teams. Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster warned of the risk of an inexorable slide towards an NFL-style closed-shop system.

After losing 7- 0 to Barcelona in their Group C opener, Rodgers’ side more than deserved their point against a City side who had won their first 10 games in allcompetitions under new manager Pep Guardiola.

Ahead of the trip to Dundee in the Premiership tomorrow, Rodgers said: “Probably af t e r the Barcelona game there were critics, which is natural when we lose so heavily.

“But there has to be an opportunity for clubs such as Celtic, one of the great clubs in world football, to play in this competition. The competition is better for a club such as Celtic in it.

“Of course we have to earn the right to be in it, we have to qualify, but it

“If Celtic were in England, Celtic would be one of the leading four to six clubs”