It was a silly thing to do: Allardyce

30 Sep, 2016 - 00:09 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Sam Allardyce has admitted he’s paid the consequences for an ‘error of judgement’ after he was sacked as England manager just 67 days after being appointed.

Allardyce was removed from his role as Three Lions boss by the Football Association on Tuesday after it emerged he used his position to explore the possibility of earning extra money on the side while also handing out advice on how to get around Football Association transfer rules.

His sacking makes him the shortest-serving England manager of all time and means the FA are now on the search for what is their third boss this year. Allardyce was caught out by reporters posing as businessman in an undercover sting, but said on Wednesday he believed he was a victim of entrapment.

Wearing jeans and a white polo shirt, Allardyce faced reporters outside his Bolton home the morning after he lost what he’d long seen as his dream job.

‘On reflection it was a silly thing to do, but just to let everybody know I helped out somebody I’ve known for 30 years,’ the 61-year-old told Sky Sports News.

‘Unfortunately it was an error of judgement on my behalf and I’ve paid the consequences. Entrapment has won on this occasion and I have to accept that.

‘The agreement was done very amicably with the FA, I apologise to all those in this unfortunate situation I’ve put myself in.

‘I have a confidentiality agreement and I’ve taken the time to talk on this matter. I can’t answer any more questions now and I’m going to go away and reflect on it.’

Following Allardyce’s sacking, Gareth Southgate has been put in temporary charge as the FA attempt to deal with the latest crisis engulfing the national team.

‘I’m off abroad to chill out and reflect and I’d like to wish all the England lads, Gareth and the staff all the very best,’ Allardyce added.

Asked if the England job could have been his last in football, he said: ‘Who knows? We’ll wait and see.’

After speaking to reporters, Allardyce was whisked away in a car as he headed for a holiday with his family to contemplate his future.

The FA felt they had little choice other than to remove Allardyce from his position after just one game in charge, condemning him for ‘inappropriate’ conduct and a ‘serious error of judgement’ but still sending him away with a pay-off which has made him £1million richer.

The 61-year-old was summoned to Wembley on Tuesday after being the target of an embarrassing Daily Telegraph sting that concluded with the former Sunderland boss and his employers mutually agreeing to part company.

Allardyce was subjected to an intense interrogation by FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn, although Sportsmail understands Glenn and FA technical director Dan Ashworth were reluctant to lose the manager they only appointed in July.

Southgate has been promoted from England Under 21 boss to caretaker manager for the next four international games, with the FA considering another ambitious attempt to lure Arsene Wenger away from Arsenal at the end of the season.

The pressure has now been heaped on Glenn and Ashworth with their judgement under question after they appointed Allardyce just two months ago.

Allardyce maintains he was a victim of ‘entrapment’, but his two-month tenure as England manager is likely to represent the most controversial end to a long and largely successful career in football.

The Daily Telegraph film of Allardyce saw him advise undercover reporters, who were posing as Far East businessmen, how to get around the FA’s third party ownership rules. It was among a number of indiscretions Wembley bosses considered hugely damaging to the reputation of the governing body.

Allardyce was joined at Wembley on Tuesday by his agent Mark Curtis, and tried to argue the undercover reporters were told that any agreement — including the £400,000 ‘keynote speaker’ deal he hoped to secure in addition to his £3m FA salary — had to be approved by his employers.

But the fact that Allardyce had been exposed after only a single game in charge — indeed he was secretly filmed before he had even met his players for his first England training session — was something of which the FA took a particularly dim view.

A statement from the governing body issued on Tuesday night said: ‘The FA can confirm that Sam Allardyce has left his position as England manager.

‘Allardyce’s conduct was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error and has apologised. However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

‘This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA’s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football. The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.

‘Gareth Southgate will take charge of the men’s senior team for the next four matches against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain whilst The FA begins its search for the new England manager. The FA wishes Sam well in the future.’

In a video statement to the FA’s in-house TV channel Glenn said that it had been ‘a very difficult 24 hours’.

He added: ‘In the light of the media allegations that we’ve seen, we’ve concluded — and Sam’s agreed — that his behaviour’s been inappropriate and frankly not what is expected of an England manager, discussing a range of issues from potential contraventions of FA rules through to personal comments that frankly just don’t work when you’re the manager of England.’

Over the coming days the FA will have to meet Allardyce’s recently appointed back-room staff — assistant Sammy Lee, goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson and part-time coach Craig Shakespeare — to determine their own futures at the organisation.

But Clarke, who was not chairman when Allardyce was interviewed and appointed, may now question whether the FA were aware of the manager’s involvement with a limited liability partnership called Proctor House Newcastle.

The deal formed part of Allardyce’s extensive business portfolio, details of which began to emerge on Tuesday night. They included a hotel venture that sees him listed among a group of directors that includes England captain Wayne Rooney and goalkeeper Joe Hart.

In an interview discussing Allardyce’s departure on Tuesday night, Clarke added: ‘I don’t think it is embarrassing, I think it is rather sad. You have a manager who is doing a good job for the national team but makes some unguarded comments which leads to a situation where his job is no longer tenable. That is sad.

‘Sam was recruited in the right way, all the things that came out happened after he joined us so we could not have found them in due diligence.’ — DAILY MAIL SPORT

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