Source: Daily_Mail
Bryan Robson Manchester United in TV sting
Manchester United will review Bryan Robson's role as their global ambassador after the former England captain was caught in a TV sting.[LNB]And Sir Alex Ferguson's lawyers issued a statement to distance the Old Trafford manager from any wrongdoing.[LNB]Robson, who is in America on United's pre-season tour, was secretly filmed by Channel 4's Dispatches programme suggesting ways of getting round football's strict rules on owning more than one club.[LNB] Caught on camera: Former Manchester United and England midfielder Bryan Robson[LNB]Most damning of all, the man remembered as Captain Marvel for club and country claimed: 'I disagree with people when they say football is a sport.[LNB]'Football lost its sporting thing when the money started coming in and Sky TV and all that. Football's a business.' [LNB]As the programme aired, an avalanche of angry fans on Twitter called for him to lose his job as the United's ambassador.[LNB]Robson, 54, was filmed in Bangkok's Manchester United theme bar in March while he was Thailand's manager. He has since left the job.[LNB]A United spokesman said: 'We have not had a chance to review the programme as we are on tour in the US.'[LNB] Legend: Robson (left) spent 13 years at Old Trafford as a player[LNB]Robson was also acting as an advisor to London Nominees Football Fund a group 'investing in football clubs, players, franchises, merchandising and sponsorship in this outstanding growth industry'.[LNB]London Nominees were offering to broker the purchase of a club in exchange for a 20 per cent stake and a five per cent management fee.[LNB]Robson, who won 90 England caps between 1980 and 1991, met the undercover team alongside his boss at that time, Joe Sim, chief advisor to the Thai FA and also involved with London Nominees.[LNB]Sim boasted of his friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson, showed mobile phone pictures of the two together and claimed he could get the Scot to loan players once a club had been bought.[LNB] Money talks: Robson made his claims at meetings in Thailand[LNB]At one time Sim spoke to the reporter while having dinner with Sir Alex and passed the phone to the United manager to discuss that day's game.[LNB]He even claimed Ferguson is planning to retire in three years and that he had received betting advice from the United manager, saying: 'He tells me which football team to bet. Not all the time it's accurate, sometimes. He never says anything about Man United, only other teams. It's not serious, just for fun.'[LNB]Sir Alex's lawyers said in a statement: 'It would be fair to say he (Sir Alex) does not see their relationship in the same close way that Mr Sim appears to have represented it.[LNB]'He has never discussed the possibility of loaning any Manchester United players. He may have on occasions given an opinion on the likely outcome of matches but only in the course of normal social discussion.'[LNB] Tip off: Robson claimed he received betting advice from Sir Alex Ferguson (right)[LNB]It is Robson, however, who was most damaged by the programme. The former midfielder, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups in a glittering United career, advised the reporters, who were pretending to be representing Indian and Chinese businessmen, to buy Sheffield Wednesday, telling them they could make up to ?300million profit by getting them promoted to the Barclays Premier League.[LNB]He was secretly filmed along with London Nominees chief executive Andrew Leppard and lawyer Steve Burkill. Nine clubs were suggested as potential takeover targets both the Sheffield sides, Leeds, Leicester, Cardiff, Oxford, Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Derby.[LNB]Robson said he could use his relationships with former team-mates and managers to help with transfers, adding: 'It is how you name it, because you're only allowed to own one club.'[LNB]The former Middlesbrough boss added: 'If you want big money, Sheffield Wednesday is the one to do it with. Itcould be a really big club. Loan deals are the key. If you can get really good players from the Premier League to come down, then that's your best route.'[LNB] Captain Marvel: Robson during his England days at the 1990 World Cup[LNB]Asked which managers apart from Ferguson he could contact for help, Robson named Harry Redknapp, Steve Bruce and Kenny Dalglish while Sim added Roy Keane and Mark Hughes.[LNB]Robson has since left Thailand after needing surgery and treatment on a cancerous tumour in his throat, returning to take up his ambassador post at Old Trafford virtually full time. [LNB]His lawyers were watching the programme to consider their response.[LNB]Former FA chairman Lord Triesman said: 'This is a very worrying thing to watch.'[LNB]A spokesman for London Nominees said: 'Any suggestion Bryan Robson would participate in any breach of League rules is strongly denied.'[LNB] CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMEManchester United and England legend Robson 'caught up in dodgy deals sting'Fergie on... 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