British police probe Australian soccer transfers
Posted: Saturday November 21, 1998 12:42 PM
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Aloisi (top) is one of the four Australian players under the allegations of Venables' "bad business practice" Gary M. Prior/Allsport |
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British police said on Saturday
they were investigating the transfer of a number of Australian
soccer players to Portsmouth football club while it was being
run by former England manager Terry Venables.
Fraud squad detectives in the southern English county of
Hampshire are examining allegations of "bad business practice"
involving the purchase of players last year.
They declined to give details, but media reports said five
players are believed to be involved. They include Robert Enes
from Sydney United, Hamilton Thorpe from Western Adelaide, Craig
Foster from Fairfield Marconi and Australian John Aloisi, who
joined from the Italian club Cremonesi. All four joined
Portsmouth in 1997.
Venables, who bought Portsmouth in 1996, has declined to
comment. His spokesman said "He is not aware of any situation
requiring any investigation in any event."
News of the Portsmouth inquiry follows the decision taken on
Tuesday by English first division club Crystal Palace, where
Venables is now coach, to ask the Football Association to
investigate a shortfall in the payment for the transfer of two
Chinese internationals.
Palace paid 1.35 million pounds (US$2.27 million) in August
for Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai. But the Chinese football
association is reported to have received only 900,000 pounds
(US$1.51 million).
Venables has said he played no part in the Chinese transfers.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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