Holloway "Clarifies" re his Comments About Bungs

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THE TIMES Luton 2 QPR 0:....Kevin Dunn
MIKE NEWELL last night expressed no regret about raising the issue of payments to agents but preferred to talk instead about a rare victory over Queens Park Rangers. ......
The match, however, was overshadowed by the “bung” affair. But if Newell thought he had a supporter in Ian Holloway, the QPR manager distanced himself from his fellow manager. He said alleged improper payments were “a grain of sand on a beach”, admitting he had spoken to the FA about one incident four years ago involving an agent he described as “old news”.
STAR MAN: Carlos Edwards (Luton)
.... QPR: Royce 6, Bignot 6 (Taylor 83min, 5), Shittu 6, Santos 6, Rose 5, Ainsworth 7 (Moore 79min, 5), Lomas 6, Langley 6, Cook 6, Baidoo 6 (Nygaard h-t, 6), Furlong 5
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2093-2004600,00.html


Telegraph - January 22, 2006 - Simon Hart
Holloway fury at bung-buster label
Luton manager Mike Newell turned up at Kenilworth Road believing he had a new ally in the battle against greedy football agents. Unfortunately for Newell, his Queens Park Rangers counterpart, Ian Holloway, is not best pleased to have been dragged into stories of corruption in the game.
Last week it was reported that Holloway had become the first manager to step forward to back up Newell's claims that too many agents are taking money out of the game. Not so, insists Holloway.
After watching his side slide to a 2-0 defeat, he struggled to contain his anger at the way comments had been attributed to him relating to a four-year-old story that he had not discussed with anyone. The suggestion that he had been offered a £30,000 sweetener by an agent had in fact originated in a book written by the former QPR chairman, Nick Blackburn.
Newell, who has made no secret of his discomfort at being thrust into the spotlight in the past week since he went public with his claims, clearly believed he had found a fellow whistle-blower to share the heat.
Before the game, he made a point of striding out of his dugout and on to the pitch to shake Holloway's outstretched hand.
And, at his post-match press conference, he revealed how he had spoken to the QPR manager before the kick-off to thank him for his support.
"I appreciate that someone else has come and backed me up," said a grateful Newell. "It's been a long time coming. To be fair to Ian, when you look at his comments when it first came out, he said that he loved the game but hated the business, so he was one of the first ones who stood up immediately."
Holloway admitted that he had expressed sympathy for Newell in a Radio Five interview, but made it plain that was as far as it went. As for suggestions that he believed the game was rife with corruption and bungs, that was a total misrepresentation of his views. His own experience related to an agent negotiating a free transfer who suddenly moved the goalposts and demanded a fee. It was, he said, nothing but a "grain of sand in a whole beach".
Following last week's reports, Holloway was contacted by the Football Association on Friday and explained how the story had originated and what had happened. That, he believes, will be the end of his involvement.
Newell also hopes his involvement is over. Last night, before Holloway made his remarks, he said he hoped that he could get back to his day job of managing a football club.
In his programme notes he wrote: "It was never my intention to make headlines. It was a build-up and culmination of three and a half years of frustration dealing with agents.
"Every group is split on the subject apart from one, the supporters. I have had letters and e-mails from all over the country, fans from virtually every club and every division.
I am grateful for every one and it is nice to know what they are thinking and that they share the same concerns.
"Those with nothing to worry about, don't worry. Having met with the FA and dealt with professional people, I don't think it is the lost cause that some people have suggested."
Unfortunately for Newell, Holloway's decision to distance him from the FA's investigation means the Luton manager will be forced to endure more attention in the coming days, though he did at least have the consolation of scoring a victory on the pitch. His side maintained their push for a play-off place with goals from Markus Heikkinen and Steve Howard in a one-sided encounter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=WOQPVNC2ZSVX1QFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/sport/2006/01/22/sfnlut.xml&sSheet=/sport/2006/01/22/ixfooty.html


BBC - QPR boss Ian Holloway:"I like Mike Newell but not today because he beat me. He's an honest man and can only talk about his experiences. "I support Ian Holloway, I work for QPR and support QPR. "I'm bitterly disappointed. We did lots of things right but the ball in the net and that's what gets results." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/4612332.stm


INDEPENDENT - January 22, 2006
Luton Town 2 QPR 0: Heikkinen's head refreshes Luton
By Norman
"....Luton scored the goals; Rangers played the more skilful football, but any talent-spotting agents were keeping their heads down.
".... Ian Holloway had reportedly come over the parapet and offered to name names. Last night, however, Holloway denied that. He said his own experience of being offered money occurred four years ago. "Agents are needed," he said. "Ninety nine per cent do a fantastic job. There may be one grain of bad sand but it's not the whole beach. I'm gobsmacked at what's been written."
Newell said: "It's not a lost cause but most managers have been lukewarm. I'm frustrated and so are the authorities. Money is going out of the game and that's wrong. But not all agents are bad. Some have supported me."
http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article340190.ece


Sporting Life
SPORTING LIFE'BUNG' BOSSES DISCUSS CONTROVERSY

".. Holloway later denied backing up Newell's claims, pointing out that his comments related to a transfer issue four years ago.Asked if he supported Newell's words, the Loftus Road boss said: "I support Ian Holloway, I work for QPR and support QPR."...
Holloway added: "How can I put this, if you are on a beach we are talking about one grain of sand on the whole beach."It's dangerous for people who write stories to create a false impression of what the game is all about."I spoke about this four years ago and as far as I'm concerned it's old news.".... "I haven't come out and said I'm fully backing Mike. Agents are a massive part of the game and 99.9% of them do a fantastic job for their clients."I'm gobsmacked that this is such a big story and if you ask Mike I think he'll say he's gobsmacked too."
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/cc_championship/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/06/01/21/SOCCER_Luton_2nd_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=nationwide1