October 18 – The English Football Association has been accused of “institutional failure” by a group of parliamentarians for failing to conduct proper due diligence into Sam Allardyce, the England manager who lasted only 67 days and one game in charge following a newspaper sting that led to him stepping down but which he described as entrapment.
Allardyce quit last month following revelations in the Daily Telegraph, whose undercover reporters filmed him giving advice on how to circumvent third-party player ownership rules.
The “institutional failure” accusation came when FA chairman Greg Clarke appeared before the UK’s culture, media and sport committee though Clarke defended the payoff given to Allardyce under the terms of his contract and the process that led to his appointment in the first place.
Asked by MPs whether the FA looked into previous allegations of wrongdoing by Allardyce made by a 2006 BBC television investigation, Clarke said no significant issues were found.
“The reason Mr Allardyce parted company with the FA was for things he did after he joined the FA not for things he did before he joined the FA,” said Clarke, who was appointed in August and was not in charge when Allardyce was handed the England job in succession to Roy Hodgson.
Following his departure, Allardyce admitted he “made a significant error of judgement”, but that “entrapment had won”.
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