The English Football Association announced it will be investigating allegations that several Premier League managers have taken bribes during player transfers. At the center of the controversy is Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, who was accused by agents of accepting bribes in an undercover film by BBC Panorama that aired on Tuesday. While Allardyce denies accepting any bungs, secret payments that function as incentive for a smooth transfer, the FA has asked the Panorama program to turn over all its evidence. "We have watched the program with great interest and have asked the BBC if they will share the findings from their investigation with us," an FA spokesman said according to BBC. "If we have evidence of possible breaches of rules and regulations we will of course investigate that." The FA is not the only football body looking into wrong doing, both the Premier League and British Sports Minister Richard Caborn have called for investigations.
Redknapp "The Premier League takes all allegations of this nature seriously, which is why we launched an inquiry into alleged irregular payments in transfers back in January of this year," the league said in a statement on its official website. "As we have made clear, any evidence from any source is welcomed. Indeed when the BBC initially approached us regarding Panorama's findings we requested they be submitted to Lord Stevens for investigation." During the film two agents claim to have bribed Allardyce in the past, and Panorama also asserts that the manager's son, Craig, accepted secret payments from agents during three free transfer deals. Also implicated was Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp. Redknapp was secretly filmed discussing the purchase of the Blackburn captain Andy Todd. The conversation was akin to "tapping up," which is illegal under FA rules. During the recorded meeting, Redknapp told agent Peter Harrison "I like Toddy, don't I? No I'd take him. I would take him. I would take him without a doubt." Panorama's investigation has led them to name 18 past and present Premiership managers as having received illegal payments.
