CLARKE: ALLARDYCE WAS PAID OFF

Chairman of the English Football Association Greg Clarke has said that the former Three Lions boss Sam Allardyce was paid off after his contract was “mutually terminated,” reports say.

The job of the former Sunderland boss lasted only 67 days as investigations by the Daily Telegraph reporters revealed Allardyce making indiscreet remarks.

The MPs challenged the FA for their lack of due diligence on Allardyce before he was appointed in July. The FA director of strategy Robert Sullivan joined Clarke to face the House of Commons’ Culture, Media and Sport committee.
“I wasn’t there because I have only been in this post for five weeks but I am assured by board members that they did do due diligence on Mr Allardyce,” said Clarke. He added that significant queries were made before announcing the appointment of Allardyce.

“Significant inquiries were made, we spoke to his former clubs and the League Managers Association – no issues were raised,” Clarke explained in the two-hour session. The FA boss consistently reminded the House that his time in the FA overlapped with Allardyce’s appointment by two weeks.

Both persons couldn’t confirm if the corruption claims against Allardyce and his son, Craig – who is an agent – by the BBC’s Panorama as far back as 2006 were investigated prior his appointment. They couldn’t confirm as well if the transfer deals Allardyce was involved in that were flagged suspicious by Lord Stevens’ 2007 report into overseas players deals were investigated before picking him as the Three Lions boss. Because of this sorry episode, Bet365 made it odds on that Allardyce would be fired.

Clarke tried keeping calm as the House drilled for information, seeming to want the FA to accept blame. Clarke promised to send a detailed written response. He added that he would return to the House at the end of the season with a full debrief of his time in charge as boss.