Source: Daily_Mail
CHARLES SALE: Given fights agent over £6m Manchester City fee from Newcastle
Manchester City's Shay Given, outstanding in both Carling Cup semi-finals against United, is being sued by a well-known Irish agent claiming unpaid commission on the goalkeeper's £6million transfer from Newcastle a year ago.[LNB]Papers have been lodged with the High Court by agency Platinum One alleging that their FIFA-licensed founder, Fintan Drury, is owed £250,000 for his part in setting up the deal with City.[LNB]Drury alleges he made an oral arrangement with Given at a meeting at the Republic ofIreland international team's hotel base in Portmarnock in November 2008 that he would be paid a commission if he located a suitable new club from the player's short list.[LNB] Up for the fight: Given will deny claims by Fintan Drury that he owes him £250k[LNB]And Drury, a former director of Anglo Irish Bank who helped take the Ryder Cup to Ireland in 2006, claims he made the initial introduction with City and outlined the requirement of an £80,000-a-week, five-and-a-half-year contract for Given. He was then kept out of the concluding transfer discussions by the goalkeeper and his lawyer Michael Kennedy.[LNB]Kennedy, who has represented Given for a decade, said: 'The claim will be vigorously defended.' Football agency regulations state that contracts with players must be in writing.[LNB]Bobby Grant, the 19-year-old forward who impressed in Accrington Stanley's FA Cup defeat against Fulham, is being watched by a number of clubs. [LNB]Grant is a friend of Liverpool and England's Steven Gerrard and was given a punishment of community service after pleading guilty to affray in the December 2008 brawl in a Southport bar involving Gerrard, who was later acquitted in court.[LNB]Ron Atkinson[LNB]Ron Atkinson, one of football's most high-profile managers during his time in charge at West Brom, Manchester United and Aston Villa, was the forgotten man when his union compiled their 1,000 club.[LNB]The League Managers' Association feted the 15 living club bosses who have reached the four-figure landmark of competitive matches in England at a recent gala dinner. [LNB]The list includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Harry Redknapp, Dario Gradi, Graham Taylor, Steve Coppell, Neil Warnock and Joe Royle.[LNB]But Big Ron, who was also a leading TV pundit before being sacked by ITV for making a racist remark about Chelsea's Marcel Desailly when he believed he was off air, should also have been honoured. Research by friends discovered he had been a manager for 1,000 English games even without his time in Spain. An LMA spokesperson said: 'It was an omission on our part, which we intend to rectify.'[LNB]Mike Ashley's astonishing reign at Newcastle United certainly has more than enough material for a Panorama documentary especially when you consider Terry Venables' battles with Alan Sugar at Tottenham were deemed worthy of two Panorama specials. And it's claimed that Beeb investigators have been asking Newcastle watchers about all aspects of the Ashley regime and whether they're prepared to be interviewed. But a Panorama spokesman said yesterday there are no plans for a programme on Ashley.[LNB]Price right for Rio banRio Ferdinand's four-game ban for violent conduct received from the FA yesterday after an unsuccessful appeal which had allowed him to play in Manchester United's Carling Cup semi-final victory was also the 4-7 odds-on favourite in the Rio suspension market being offered by William Hill on Tuesday. All the other options on the length of his suspension were around 6-1. Hills say it was good odds-making as opposed to yet another leak from inside the FA's Wembley colander.[LNB]There is plenty of grumbling among the well-heeled membership of the Chelsea Club at Stamford Bridge, where the fitness centre monthly fees have shot up from £120 to £175. Even the occasional sighting of owner Roman Abramovich working out or the players with their WAGS after matches is not deemed worth the near 50 per cent increase.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: Alpine retreat is Fabio Capello's first resort27/01/10 Charles Sale: Sir Alex Ferguson bans Sky after their query over Garry Cook27/01/10 Charles Sale: Sir Trevor Brooking echoes FA coaching rebel25/01/10 Charles Sale: Gary Neville's life story a matter of opinion24/01/10 Charles Sale: Tennis chiefs hire Stavros Flatley comic duo22/01/10 Charles Sale: Chelsea face Pitch battle to oust Richard King21/01/10 Charles Sale: Eggert Magnusson will have the write of reply!20/01/10 Charles Sale: Manchester United save face by silencing the twits19/01/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE[LNB] [LNB]
