Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Black denies corruption
THE Football Association is awaiting “full and unfettered disclosure of all available material from the Daily Telegraph” as the corruption allegations engulfing football saw Southampton assistant manager Eric Black implicated and Tommy Wright lose his job.
Barnsley assistant head coach Wright was sacked after claims made against him and the newspaper’s latest claims surround Black, who allegedly offered advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs. He was filmed apparently saying staff at other clubs could possibly be persuaded to give information about a player to a management company for money. He has denied the allegations.
On what is now a fourth day of allegations, the FA said it had yet to receive the requested material.
“The FA treats allegations of this nature seriously and is committed to investigating thoroughly, in conjunction with any other appropriate body” the statement read, before adding the information is “yet to be provided”.
According to the Telegraph, Black — a distinguished player with Aberdeen during his career — attended a meeting arranged by Scott McGarvey, the football agent who also teed-up the Allardyce meeting. At the meeting, the Telegraph claims the pair explain to an undercover reporter they believe to be a potential investor how club officials could be persuaded to pass on information to a management company.
A spokesman for Black said: “Mr Black does not recall Mr McGarvey making suggestions that football officials should be paid during transfer negotiations — this was not the purpose of the meeting so far as our client understood it. Any suggestion that he was complicit in such discussions is false.”
McGarvey also denies the allegations.