Let's talk about BUNGS!

I am looking forward to this programme.

not to defend some of the obviously seedy types caught on camera, but the whole thing felt a little underwhelming. i thought, maybe, we'd see something glaringly dodgy from 'arry or whoever, but it was mostly unsubstantiated gossip - we've heard gossip about managers liking bungs for years, surely the point of an explosive documentary is to catch them with their pants 100% down?

That mafia reference is telling though; how do you find out what really goes on when there's an omerta that pervades the sport? How can you get close to get the smoking gun you need? They're all paranoid, in a way reminiscent of Pauli Vario in Goodfellas not ever using a phone.

The trouble here really is that we tolerate it. Whilst people accept ticket price rises, whilst they laud players who agitate for moves to get signing-on fees etc, why should it change? The authorities are creatures of the regulated, and those regulated will always fight hard against any change. Government won't get involved - the high-water mark has passed, and even if they did, Uncle Sepp will always stamp on any governmental intervention to reform schlerotic structures that fail to protect the wider interests of the game ahead of the narrow interest of the actors within it.

Tonight's revelations will turn some more people off, like some were turned off by revelations of player misdemeanors, or leagues becoming uncompetitive, or contemptuousness from club officials. Football will eventually reap the rewards of this creeping distaste and disgust which will ultimately become indifference when the consumer credit boom comes to an end and people simply won't be able to afford those tickets.

Fucking depressing though; it may or may not be a beautiful game, but it's a dirty, disgusting and ugly sport.

Newell hopes bungs will be exposed

'Arry can probably get away with saying "Look, all I said was 'if you want to take me to the World Cup, I won't say no'".

The FA must act against Chelsea — they tapped up Frank Arnesen and now they have him tapping up players for them. He was caught on camera making an illegal approach. Simple as that. How long was Chelsea's three-point deduction suspended for? Middlesbrough fans will no doubt demand that it is invoked, especially as they're still a bit sensitive about three-point penalties up there.

I also wonder if Big Sam was behind the coup in Thailand in order to relegate the bung story from the top of News at Ten. I guess it could have been Allerdyce Jnr.

True, but they had four agents specifically saying that they get managers to take bungs, which should at least merit a proper investigation by the FA and maybe even the police.

Couple it with Jimmy Calderwood, Mike Newell and Svenis saying they have either been offered bungs or seen them being offered and there's clearly something rotten going on.

If nothing else, last night's programme showed that there is waaay too much money kicking around at the top level of the game and agents have waaaay too much influence.

oh god no i don't. i know what they mean but i don't know what a BUNG is.

I think.

A translation of Dante's Inferno to English from the original Italian uses the term "bung" when describing the grotesque appearance of a particular sinner who has been split from head to crotch, with his bowels (a "shriveled sac") trailing behind him. This punishment is seen in the area of Hell where the Sowers of Discord, a mangled, mutilated mess of souls, are corralled, indicating its roots date all the way to the 13th century.[citation needed]
* The word is the root of the insult "bunghole", which is commonly used by Beavis of the animated television show Beavis and Butt-head, which appeared on MTV during the 1990s. Beavis would pull his t-shirt over his head, put his arms out and up at ninety-degree angles and utter, "I need T-P for my bunghole." See also, Cornholio.
* In British slang, a bung is slang term for a bribe and is frequently used as a slang term for a cat. This reference to a cat is based on the slang "bunghole" and describes a mangy breed. The actual term is "the bung."
* In Australian slang, bung is used instead of "place". For example, if you had a lot of rubbish to throw away and your bin was full, a neighbour might see your predicament and say, "You can bung that in my bin." During a video night, someone might emplore you to "Bung in the next movie..." and so on. The use of the term, however, is in decline.
* The term bung may also be used in a slang reference to the anus.
* In the game of darts, the center bullseye is often referred to as the 'bung' or 'bunghole'.

you don't want to be a journalist... yet write for teh newspaper?

i like writing!

So it basically involves the manager ripping off his own employer.

That's it.

eventually the club gets relegated, and income lessens, but they are still committed to paying the players wages, which they can no longer afford. eventually the club is forced to go bankrupt, and many jobs are lost, and there is a knock on effect, on the local economy.

the manager, meanwhile, buys a new villa on the cote d'azur

If a player's agent pays the manager directly to influence his decision, the money has not gone through the chairman, and the most important link in the chain has been bypassed. Hence corruption.

Tommy has put it better than me, anyway.

the manager is tempted to take a player purely to get cash for himself, rather than to get a player that will do well for the club. this is secret from the club, because it benefits the manager personally, and not the club, who are then stuck with paying wages of a player they don't want or need. the manager eventually leaves the club, having pocketed a wedge of cash numerous times, while the club is stuck with players on long contracts on high wages, that aren't good enough for the club.

eventually the club gets relegated, and income lessens, but they are still committed to paying the players wages, which they can no longer afford. eventually the club is forced to go bankrupt, and many jobs are lost, and there is a knock on effect, on the local economy.

the manager, meanwhile, buys a new villa on the cote d'azur

To which I added the aspect of the club being forced to generate more revenue directly from fans, leading to increased ticket prices, leading to fans being priced out etc

That's not nice at all. It might be similar to other sports, but on a personal and psychological level, it hurts.

"As a result of their greed, my good name has been tarnished by deceit and innuendo."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5363942.stm

I wonder if part of it is a generation of older players still in the game, who were brought through the game when the rewards compared to today were comparatively low against today, and they've decided that it's justified to wet your beak in a deal. Older generations who might feel similarly aggreived are unable to do anything save be rueful about being a player at the wrong time, but this lot are able to skim a bit here and there.

So that's his son, then?

Kevin Bond : Gone'd.

In advance anticipation of those responsible doing not much of anything about saving the integrity of this tawdry mess of a sport, I have made my choice. I'm done with football. It started being important to me in around 1969 (Man City v Leicester cup final) and I settled on a team in 1970(the team formerly known as Chelsea). I've laughed, cried and ranted at/with Cloughie, Gazza, Peter Osgood, Keegan, Ron Harris, Charlie George, Spain 82, Italia 90 and on and on. Last Saturday, after the bung fuss, the embarassment of the World Cup, the Ashley Cole saga, yet more Mourinho nonsense, continual referee-bashing, Ben Thatcher et al....I realised that I really don't give a shit about football any more.

Goodbye, the once beautiful game. It used to be fun.

Kent? Where's that?

No, I'm helping to coach an U-14 Rugby team on Sat mornings and have idiotically come out of retirement for a few games myself (for 'veterans' not U-14).

PLAYING football has always been more fun anyway.

xpost!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/luton_town/7097084.stm

Mike Newell's club?

yep

Now it all makes sense

His name isn't mentioned anywhere.
Full article is up now

The Football Association has issued more than 50 charges in connection with alleged breaches of rules at Luton Town, after an extensive investigation.

The charges relate to player transfers and contract renegotiations between July 2004 and February 2007.

The club, former chairman Bill Tomlins, ex-finance director Derek Peter and current directors John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot have been charged.

Six licensed players' agents have also been charged.

The investigation, which began in March this year, found that payments made to the six agents, totalling around £160,000, by the club's holding company Jayten (also known as J10) Stadium Limited were not disclosed to the FA on the required forms.

The six agents have been charged with knowingly accepting payments from Jayten for their services to the club in securing the services of players.

In addition, it has been alleged that services for the benefit of a Luton player, totalling approximately £7,000, were paid for directly by Jayten but were not disclosed on the player's contract.

The full charges are as follows:

*
Luton Town have 17 charges, relating to payments to agents for nine specific player negotiations which were allegedly made through Jayten, rather than through the club as required by FA rules.

*
The Hatters have also been charged with provision of misleading information to the FA, not holding representation contracts with the relevant agents for the above negotiations, and dealing with two unlicensed agents (both through Jayten and directly).

*
Former chairman Bill Tomlins has been handed 15 charges. It is alleged that he was directly involved in 19 of the rule breaches listed above (except negotiations with two unlicensed agents which were not conducted through Jayten).

*
Former finance director Derek Peter is alleged to have approved payments made by Jayten in relation to the nine player negotiations.

*
Current directors John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot are charged with failing to report the alleged rule breaches to the FA when they became aware of them.

*
Licensed players' agents Sky Andrew, Mike Berry, Mark Curtis, Stephen Denos, David Manasseh and Andrew Mills are each charged with failing to ensure that payments to them were made and disclosed through the proper channels, and failing to enter into representation contracts with the club for specific services rendered in relation to to above negotiations.

All parties have until 30 November to respond to the charges.

Luton have said that no-one was available to comment.

There is no indication yet as to what punishments might be enforced if the charges were proved.

Harry Redknapp arrested over alleged corruption

They've updated the report now with

Rangers player and Senegalese international Amdy Faye was also arrested in Glasgow.

The arrests are part of City of London Police's ongoing inquiry into alleged corruption, a spokeswoman said.

The BBC understands that Scottish football agent Willie McKay is one of the other men arrested.

Mr McKay oversaw Mr Faye's 2005 transfer from Portsmouth to Newcastle United for £2m.

Arry Bom Ba Ye

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7339447.stm

I laffed.

Strange things going on at Birmingham City

She's almost certainly a horrible human being, but am I allowed to find Karren Brady hot?

I think you are obliged to. Although she's no Peter Kenyon.