Scandal Simmering?

The phenomena of 'The Bung' has reared its ugly head again. Mike Newell claims transfer bungs are rife in football - and he is threatening to name those who he knows are guilty.

Speaking Radio 5 live Newell said

'a lot of people involved with the agents and doing the deals are taking back-handers'. and went on to call the problem an epidemic.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore urged Newell to name those involved, and Newell repsonded

'I will do that, absolutely no problem. I have no fear.'

When asked if he had ever been approached personally he said

'Of course I have.'

'If I was open to it, it would be a regular occurrence. All I would have to say is, 'What is in it for me?'.'

'If George Graham is the only one guilty of taking a bung in the last 10 years, I would be absolutely amazed.

'If the governing bodies don't eradicate some of the things that are happening, it will kill the game.

'Hopefully the Football League and the Premier League will come to their senses and bring in stricter laws.'

Last year, 7 million was spent on agents fees in the Football League alone, something Newell is very aware of

.'I've seen the money agents make at Championship level and I can only imagine what they make at the top level.'

'So many players have come and gone who have been absolutely no good to the game or the clubs who bought them.'

'But the agents will have made money once again and the game in this country will have suffered.'

'Millions of pounds have gone out of the game that will not be seen again.'

With the sums generated by football, its an inevetability that some level of corruption would creep in, which makes the Football League's failiure to eradicate it even more shocking.

Mike Newell has opened a can of worms and the lid won't go back on without squishing some of the contents. If Newell does name names, some fairly high profile people might find themselves facing some intense scrutiny that could go back years.

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