Colm's Corner
Columnist: Colm Kavanagh

Strangeways Here We Come?
26 October 2004

If you trot along to FIFA’s website and take a minute to glance over the rules and regulations set in place for licensed players' agents, you might just stumble across the wording of the rule, a regulation, outlining the minimum requirement necessary for an agent to represent the best interests of a player:

“The applicant must have an impeccable reputation otherwise his application will be disregarded.  The national association concerned shall decide whether the applicant fulfils the basic requirements in accordance with the national legislation of the country concerned.”

An impeccable reputation — otherwise his application will be disregarded?  The national association gets the final nod in either granting or denying “the applicant” his or her license?  That last line’s a bit interesting — particularly when reading one of Dave Prentice’s recent articles in the Liverpool Echo.  Seeking a comment from our FA chums down in Soho Square after the recent court case which saw Paul Stretford (such a nice man) emerge as a licensed agent who had acted in a manner totally unrecognisable to the term “impeccable reputation”, what he was offered from our honourable FA spokesman-type suit was both ignorant and appalling:

"The FA does not licence agents.  It's a FIFA issue.  This is just a dispute between two individuals and as far as we can see, no rules have been broken."

Well, I’m sorry, Mr FA spokesman, but your knowledge of the rules set in place by FIFA and administered by all national associations appears somewhat suspect.  I think it’s incredible that the FA can consider passing the buck and dodging the issue here.  It’s all fine and dandy to uphold a red card (and subsequent one-game ban) given when a player celebrates scoring his first goal for a new club by lifting his shirt over his head.  It’s even better when talking the talk and threatening to offer a stern “don’t do that again” to the captain of England — when he admits he deliberately earned himself a yellow card in order to miss the next match and free himself for more important games later on — but ultimately doing nothing by way of disciplinary action. 

Even more laughable was the intrusion of Joao Havelange’s pet, Sepp Blatter, into this affair.  Great.  The head honcho of FIFA feels free to comment on such a trivial matter whilst paying no lip service at all to the reality that sees one of the game’s leading agents in England showing a blatant disregard for not only the laws and regulations that govern the game but also the Law of the land.

I refer back to an article I highlighted some months back, with reference to Mr Stretford (the man who “has a good relationship” with Bill Kenwright and “wishes to see Wayne Rooney remaining at Everton FC”).  I made reference to Article 14c:

”never to approach a player who is under contract with a club with the aim of persuading him to terminate his contract prematurely or to flout the rights and duties stipulated in the contract.”

The breakdown of payments, as declared by Manchester United plc when they purchased Wayne Rooney clearly showed that they, Manchester United, had paid Paul Stretford a fee –

“Agents’ fees payable to Proactive Sports Management Limited in relation to both the acquisition of the player and negotiation of his personal terms totalled £1.5 million.”

So let’s rewind a little here. We had Bill Kenwright denying he ever said (as reported on 20 June 2004),

"David Moyes and I agreed Wayne has to be a £50M player now.  There have been no bids for Wayne, absolutely not.  No approach from Chelsea, nor Manchester United.  I've heard talk of Manchester United having a done deal.  But I've had no contact whatsoever with United.” 

This coming from the same man who also said this:

“as everyone knows, Wayne still has two years left on his current deal; I have what I believe to be a good relationship with Paul Stretford, and I believe Paul when he tells me he too wants to see Wayne stay at Everton.”

I’d love to hear Mr. Kenwright’s definition of “a good relationship” for I believe that Paul Stretford, all along, has acted in no one’s best interest bar his own.  Stretford’s greed knows no bounds: “a manipulative and dishonest man who will stop at nothing to enrich himself.”

Article 14d states that an agent is required –

“To represent only one party when negotiating a transfer.”

Again, as revealed above, Stretford was representing not one but two parties in this deal.  Excuse me Mr FA Spokesman but when is a conflict of interest not a conflict of interest?

Even before Paul Stretford told lies under oath in a Court of Law, we knew he was a shyster who would lie for personal gain.  Forget not that this is a man was quite prepared to set up a rival agent on a false blackmail charge and lie in court in order to see that rival agent sent to jail for something he did not do.  Honest opinion now, do you reckon the FA will act “in the interests of the game as a whole” and act, as they should, against Mr Stretford?  Instead of acting immediately, taking Stretford to task, there’s talk of new regulations being set in place to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.  Talk about fudging the issue.  Bury your skeletons deep…

I refer back to that quote from the FA spokesman who gave Dave Prentice a non-answer –

"The FA does not licence agents.  It's a FIFA issue.  This is just a dispute between two individuals and as far as we can see, no rules have been broken."

Article 15 Sections 1, 2 and 3 state clearly –

“Players' agents who abuse the rights accorded to them or contravene any of the duties stipulated in these regulations are liable to sanctions.

"The following sanctions may be pronounced:

a. a caution, censure, or warning;
b. a fine;
c. suspension of the licence;
d. withdrawal of the licence.

"The sanctions may be imposed jointly.

"The foregoing sanctions may be pronounced only by the national association that issued the licence to the offending players' agent or by FIFA.”

Article 15 Section 5 goes further –

“In addition to the reasons given under par. 4, the licence shall be withdrawn, in particular if the players' agent repeatedly or seriously infringes the statutes and regulations of the national associations, confederations and/or FIFA.”

How many more times must Paul Stretford and his company break the rules before any action / censure is taken by the national association responsible for regulating the game in England?  What exactly does FA stand for?  Football Association or (doing) Fuck All?

Football stinks.

Kenny Dalglish is known as a football legend in most quarters.  Well, maybe I’m just a bitter Blue, but Kenny Dalglish has sullied his own ‘reputation’ within the game via his association with London criminals like Tommy Adams – it opens up a right can of worms.  How could a man who enjoyed better times than most as both player and manager at Liverpool, the man who was there for so many grieving families after the tragedy of Hillsborough, how could he (as Director of Football Operations at ProActive) willingly sanction the serialisation of Wayne Rooney’s life story in the Sun newspaper during the summer, knowing exactly the reaction it would provoke back on Merseyside?

How many directors of football operations in any agency have over two million shares in that same company and therefore act, at all times “in the best interests” of a player that company represents?  The temptation must be great — some might suggest irresistible — to influence matters in order to increase one’s own share value.  Too cynical a thought?  I don’t think so. 

Was it any coincidence in the recent trial of John Hyland, Christopher Bacon and his brother Anthony, that one of the key players in the poaching of Wayne Rooney away from his early mentors was Dalglish’s “friend”, the (now deceased) solicitor Kevin Dooley — a man now remembered for his dishonesty and the shame of being struck off.  Dooley was also the solicitor referred to by Paul Stretford when he was leaning on the Rooney family to switch agents. 

You could argue that they (the Rooney family) knew no better.  They heeded the “advice” given by “the more professional” Stretford and his company.  First big mistake.  How coincidental was it that Wayne Rooney’s father went to the very same solicitor who had represented many Liverpool players over the years (including, funnily enough, one Kenneth Dalglish) for “advice” on his son’s (immediate) future?  As a now immaterial aside — who do you think footed Rooney Snr’s legal bill with Kevin Dooley?

Most Evertonians now look back at the Wayne Rooney saga with scant regard — quite simply, in the end, the kid wanted to go — “He desperately desperately wanted to go”, the words of our Chairman.  End of story.  The kid became another greedy Judas bastard and that’s that.  It’s in plain black and white, no room for grey.  No room for what actually happened to persuade a young boy who has loved Everton all his life and briefly lived the dream we all live, to move away from the Club so soon.

Again, I stand corrected on this but go back a few years — return to the time we were being teased with fleeting glances of the talent that was emerging.  That night down at White Hart Lane, a FA Youth Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur when young Rooney grabbed a brace — two goals of the highest quality: one pure moment of Dalglish-like turning on a sixpence (since returned with interest to Kenneth) and one moment of pure Rooney magic, smashing in a free kick from, I believe, deepest Hertfordshire! 

People began to sit up and the whispers grew.  It was only a matter of time before the cat was out of the bag and Rooney made the headlines.  Alex Ferguson, of course, has since been quoted as saying he’d been monitoring Rooney’s progress since his earliest Everton days after scouts had notified United of the talent located at the other end of the East Lancs Road.  Ferguson’s not known for missing out on his targets now is he?  He’s also noted for playing by his own rules when it suits. 

Mr Ferguson and Mr Stretford have been more than golfing partners for a number of years now.  One would imagine discussions between the pair would often revolve around football matters.  In fact, Mr Ferguson has his own ‘little’ part to play in the success story that has been ProActive Sports Management.  ProActive, in association with Hibernian Insurances offer the following hospitality package:

“Planning & delivery of a conference trip to Manchester for 80 top sales managers as part the company’s 'Building a winning team' initiative.  Management of the three-day programme including hospitality at a Manchester United game, tour of the stadium and arrangement of a motivational speech by Sir Alex Ferguson.”

Would it be bold to even think that such a question like “how can I prize young Rooney away from Everton (considering the lad is a fanatical Blue)?” cropped up from time to time?  You have to admire Ferguson for the manner in which he initially kept a straight poker face when telling the media that he only took decisive action upon Newcastle’s oh so serious bid for the kid.  I’d say he and Gill pissed themselves once Mr Kenwright had disappeared out of sight with “absolutely positively the best deal…”

You also have to ‘admire’ that poker-faced liar, Mr Stretford.  He must have been bricking it big-time as the clock ticked and the transfer window rapidly disappeared before him with no sale yet completed.  All that hard work “in the best interest of Wayne Rooney” over the months still awaiting fruition! 

One comment from the recent trial really hit home with me, the quote from Lord Carlile, when describing Stretford — “there is an issue in this case about Paul Stretford’s many interests in Wayne Rooney and the ruthless way in which he approaches these interests.”  Yes indeed, the many interests Stretford had in Wayne Rooney…

Being paid, by Rooney, to get the best deal for the player was one thing.  To also act on behalf of the buying club is an obvious conflict of interest and disregard for the regulations in place.  However, it is Stretford’s grip on Stoneygate 48 where he stands to benefit most.  Look back, not with bitterness, at Rooneymania over the past two seasons.  Look at the industry it spawned as shelves were filled at the Everton megastore with a wide range of Rooney merchandise.  As revealed in the trial, our friend Stretford secured an eight-year image-right deal with Rooney and his family for the unbelievable price of £2.  Two quid!  Wouldn’t even get you a matchday programme at Goodison Park!  “Milking the cow from both ends” was spot on Lord Carlile…

Paul Stretford was appointed a director of Stoneygate 48 on 16 January 2003.  Again, it was purely coincidental that, on the following evening, the media was gathered at Goodison Park to witness the announcement of Wayne Rooney signing a new contract at Everton which would keep him at Everton until the end of the 2005-06 season.  Seated at the top table, beside the Everton player, his manager and chairman, was none other than Paul Stretford.  Why? 

Wasn’t it strange, even in hindsight that such a fanatical Evertonian who has just become the youngest ever scorer in the Club’s history — and ended champions Arsenal long unbeaten away record with a goal that made him the youngest ever goalscorer in the Premiership — hadn’t managed to extend, or improve, his initial contract with the Club even though his seventeenth birthday had passed the previous October?  Why wasn’t a deal struck then to secure the future of “the brightest English talent”?  Oh hang on….. he was still under contract to another agent who was in the process of being stitched up in a bogus blackmail charge. 

On the night of Rooney’s announcement to the world, via the medium of Sky Sports News cameras, we made the mistake of using one image of Stoneygate 48’s hottest property atop The People’s Forum.  It earned us the instant wrath of Everton FC who were “acting under instructions” and we were forced to remove the image immediately.  Bloody Hell!!!  It didn’t take long for Stretford to flex his muscle within Goodison…

As the case against John Hyland and his associates was collapsing due to Stretford’s false statements (lies) and his attempt to mislead the jury it emerged, it was alleged by John Hyland’s defence team that Mr Stretford had been deploying current Everton players to apply pressure on Rooney to believe that his future lay elsewhere — away from Everton.  Those allegations are pretty serious in anyone’s book. 

But the silence from within Goodison Park to those allegations has been deafening.  It’s as though we’ve a case of “say nowt, it’ll go away eventually...”  If the Club, and those players involved, have nothing to hide, then why not say so?  Add into the mix the recruitment of former Youth Academy recruitment officer, Mick Doherty, to the ProActive ranks, and it would appear that Stretford was leaving little to chance.  It was Doherty in fact who brought Dalglish to initially meet the Rooney family at their home in Croxteth.  For tea and biscuits of course…

Over recent seasons, we’ve seen a plethora of employees at Everton Football Club all possess an interest (financial or otherwise) in ProActive Sports Management — from a chief executive who was actually a founding shareholder, to players who possessed a personal shareholding in the company. 

We have been too close to Stretford’s company and contributed to the continual lining of his pocket.  With his reputation, his credibility now in shreds, is it too much to ask that Everton FC distances itself from any further dealings with this man and his company?  The Criminal Prosecution Service are currently investigating the possibility of charging Stretford with perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.  An announcement is expected soon from the CPS regarding what action may, or may not, be taken.

What will it take for football clubs to stop dealing with such a character?

Mr Stretford — Strangeways Here We Come?

Colm Kavanagh

The above is the personal viewpoint of Colm Kavanagh and is not written on behalf of any group or affiliation