Corrections and clarifications

On September 26 2016, an article inaccurately reported that in conversation with undercover reporters posing as a sports management company, Sam Allardyce, the then England manager, had set out a model by which a third party could benefit financially from “sell-on fees”. While Mr Allardyce had suggested a way that a third party could share in the financial rewards of a transfer, he had made clear that a third party could not take a portion of the transfer fee. On September 27 2016, an article inaccurately asserted that Sam Allardyce, the then England manager, had “entered negotiations” with a firm to provide guidance on how it could get around rules on third party ownership of players. Although Mr Allardyce had discussed an alternative model to which third party ownership rules would not apply, he had not entered into negotiations to be paid to give advice on third party ownership. In a further article, published on September 28 2016, an inaccurate claim was made that Mr Allardyce had briefed on “breaking the rules”. In fact, the proposal set out by Mr Allardyce would not have resulted in the rules being broken. On these three points alone, the articles were inaccurate. This correction has been published following a complaint upheld in part by the Independent Press Standards Organisation.