FA lacks power to investigate misconduct, says chairman

THE FA lacks the powers to properly investigate many allegations of wrongdoing, its chairman has warned, as calls grew last night for a full inquiry into the Telegraph’s disclosures about football managers and agents.

Greg Clarke told this newspaper that a typical claim of serious misconduct in the sport involved “one witness” and an accused official or agent who “denies everything” – leaving the FA with insufficient evidence to take the matter further.

His intervention came as Damian Collins, acting chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, called for the FA to order an independent inquiry into Sam Allardyce’s involvement with a fictitious Far East company, as well as the subsequent, separate disclosures by this newspaper that eight current and former Premier League managers are accused of receiving bungs for player transfers.

Allardyce, who lost his job as England manager on Tuesday after being revealed to have advised two “businessmen” on how they could circumvent Football Association rules on transfers, told the undercover reporters that he would have to clear any deal with the FA. But Mr Collins said the dis- closures also showed that senior figures in football should declare all of their commercial dealings in a public “register of interests” akin to the log kept for MPs’ interests and published on Parliament’s website, to allow better scrutiny of possible conflicts of interests. Gary Lineker, the Match of the Day presenter, said that there should be a “proper police investigation” into the Telegraph’s report about bungs allegedly being paid to a string of managers. “The game is rife with corruption and needs cleaning up,” he said.

The FA has pledged to hold its own inquiry into the Telegraph’s disclosures. Yesterday Tracey Crouch, the sports minister, warned that the evidence should be “investigated fully” by the body.

Mr Clarke said that he had raised concerns about the FA’s disciplinary powers shortly after taking up his role last month. As an example, he cited the FA’s attempt to investigate allegations made in a 2006 documentary that managers had received “bungs” in relation to particular transfers. A subsequent probe by Lord Stevens found no conclusive evidence of irregular payments.

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