From the Telegraph
The Government will play an active role in trying to rid football of its 'bung culture' when Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister next week.
Lord Stevens' final report into alleged football corruption, which was released on Friday, recommended that FIFA launch an inquiry into the conduct of Pini Zahavi, the Premiership's 'super-agent', regarding five transfers, and asked the English footballing authorities to continue to investigate another 14 agents and 12 other transfers of the 362 that they investigated that they were not prepared to sign off after their 15-month inquiry. Chelsea, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Bolton were mentioned, as were managers Sam Allardyce, Harry Redknapp and Graeme Souness, but the report made it clear that neither the clubs nor the managers were implicated in any wrongdoing.
But while Stevens has described his report as "final", a Government source has suggested that Brown's aides think it is anything but. The source said the investigation had been widely discussed by Brown's inner circle, who believed Government intervention was necessary to clean up the game.
FIFA reacted swiftly to Friday's report, saying that new restrictions would be in place by next year which would limit agents to taking only a three per cent cut on deals and that the organisation could even prosecute the 15 agents mentioned in the Stevens report. The Premier League said they had agreed with the Football Association to spot checks on randomly selected transfers from next season and that they would be asking Quest, Stevens' team, to help.
However the Government remain unconvinced that such self-regulation can work and are considering setting up their own body to monitor transfers in this country.