A recent interview with former Chelsea and Leeds defender Michael Duberry may have made for uncomfortable listening at the FA.
The 45-year-old recounted the scandal that enveloped the Yorkshire club following the infamous fracas outside a Leeds nightclub in 2000 which left an Asian student seriously injured — and spoke openly about the role interim FA chairman Peter McCormick played in the thoroughly murky affair.
Duberry, later charged with perverting the course of justice, told the Undr The Cosh podcast he had explained to his solicitor the version of events he gave to police included lies offered up to protect team-mate Jonathan Woodgate.
Former Leeds United defender Michael Duberry has opened up on the infamous Leeds nightclub scandal in 2000 which left an Asian student seriously injured
‘The police have left my statement with me and told me to have a think about whether I want to change it. I’ve looked at my solicitor saying, “I can’t sign that, it’s lies”,’ said Duberry, who would later come clean and tell the court McCormick advised him to stick to the statement. McCormick denied at the trial he had told Duberry to lie.
Following a retrial, Woodgate was found guilty of affray and given a 200-hour community order, while former midfielder Lee Bowyer was cleared. Duberry was found not guilty at the original trial.
McCormick was later accused of malpractice. He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors after the National Civil Rights Movement claimed he had acted with a conflict of interest by representing some players in the early stages of proceedings while being a director of Leeds.
Duberry spoke openly about the role interim FA chairman Peter McCormick played in the affair
Premier League prepare for neutral venues
The Premier League have sent their clubs draft contracts to be used in the unlikely event that neutral venues come into play later this season. A document entitled ‘Hosting agreement’ states that clubs whose grounds are used will receive £80,000 plus VAT from the competition.
City flying at all levels
While Saturday’s 5-0 cruise past Burnley was welcome at Manchester City, a result earlier in the day was viewed as significant within the corridors of power at the Etihad. City’s Under 23s won 7-2 at rivals Liverpool in Premier League 2 — although the Merseysiders remain at the top of the table.
Monye moves upstairs for key BT role
Highly-rated rugby analyst Ugo Monye is taking an executive role with BT Sport.
The former England and Harlequins wing will take a talent representation post and assist with the network’s big decisions.
Given Monye’s playing background in a fractured and politically volatile sport, he may prove an instant hit because BT Sport, alongside Sky Sports, continue to be slammed by Premier League teams in Europe, who are angry at this season’s television scheduling.
Many of BT’s production staff ensure Amazon are able to get their coverage of the Premier League on air and are frustrated that the US-based giant is not subject to the same criticism.
Highly-rated rugby analyst Ugo Monye is taking an executive role with BT Sport
BEEB show hits another low
Abysmal Radio 5 Live programme The Squad, which fills a Sunday-morning hour with ‘banter’ as part of the BBC’s ludicrous obsession with attracting a younger audience, asked listeners on Sunday, ‘Which footballer would be what musical instrument and why,’ before focusing on the death of Diego Maradona.
Host Nick Bright introduced the topic by noting that ‘some of the biggest names in sport, not just football, paid tribute from Pele, Johan Cruyff, Usain Bolt…’ As many of the BBC’s former journalists, purged to make way for such guff, could have pointed out, Cruyff died in 2016.
Indeed, the error was not lost on Dino Sofos, editor at BBC News Podcasts, who tweeted, ‘Sports journalists on the radio talking about Johan Cruyff’s tribute to Maradona’, above a picture of pundit Chris Kamara and his punchline, ‘Unbelievable Jeff!’
On Friday night, former Australian cyclist Rochelle Gilmore, who describes herself as BBC presenter and commentator, sparked fury when she tweeted that ‘our #indigenous friends’ had taken a golf club to her brother’s car window. Ex-Team GB gold medallist Callum Skinner was among those to take offence, tweeting his outrage at the former Commonwealth Games champion’s words.
The BBC were forced to remove a tweet claiming they had live commentary of the second T20 international between South Africa and England on 5 Live Sports Extra when, in fact, talkSPORT 2 had the rights.
McClaren’s Derby return becomes a family affair
Steve McClaren’s return to Derby County for a fifth time last week, to provide support for interim manager Wayne Rooney in the role of technical director, promises to be a family affair.
Joe McClaren, son of the former England manager, is the club’s head of recruitment, although his responsibility only extends to signing players rather than bringing in technical staff. The younger McClaren previously worked for his dad as a scout at FC Twente.
Steve McClaren’s return to Derby County for a fifth time last week promises to be a family affair
Hammers get in the festive spirit
West Ham could never be accused of failing to squeeze every penny out of their long-suffering support.
The big-hearted Hammers are operating a sale, just in time for Christmas, at their online club shop. Among the items up for grabs is a half-price action shot of Patrice Evra — yours for £2.50.
To be fair, it could be described as a collector’s item, given the Frenchman started just three games for the club, each of which ended in a 4-1 pasting.
British Olympic Association balance the books
While Olympic agency UK Sport sweats on Government decisions over funding, they can take solace from the fact the British Olympic Association is in a healthy financial state despite the pandemic delaying the Games by a year.
Related Post
The BOA’s accounts for 2019 — set to be published this week — show a net profit of £2.2m. Remarkably, a further profit is expected in 2020 before a loss of more than £3m in 2021, due to the cost of taking the team to Tokyo.
Chief executive Andy Anson said he was ‘99.9 per cent sure the Games would happen’ and this would avoid the worst-case scenario for the BOA — the event being cancelled at the 11th hour.
UK Sport, whose funding runs until March, are expected to learn this week what happens over the next four-year cycle.
The BOA is in a healthy financial state despite the pandemic delaying the Games by a year
Sky bring big rugby league kick-off forward
Sky Sports’ huge influence over rugby league can be seen in the start date for the 2021 Super League season, confirmed last week as March 11.
Super League clubs had wanted to begin two weeks later to give players more time to recover from the marathon 2020 season, which only finished on Friday with the Grand Final, but Sky persuaded the board to bring the big kick-off forward.
The broadcaster was eager to have access to Super League games before football’s first international break of the year, which runs from March 22 to 30.
Sky’s Super League contract expires at the end of next season but, as Sportsmail revealed last week, they are close to agreeing another three-year deal.
Contributors: Matt Hughes and Dominic King
