IF I HAD A GUN

Aston Villa last night handed over club files to an FA investigation into former manager John Gregory's transfer dealings.

Villa have complied with requests made by the FA unit at Soho Square and the files are understood to relate to Gregory's foreign deals which amounted to around £20million.

The signings of Alpay Ozalan, Juan Pablo Angel and Bosko Balaban are all being scrutinised by FA compliance officer Graham Bean.

Gregory has been under investigation along with several other unnamed top managers since last year. It is part of the FA's determination to clean up the game, instigated by former chief executive Adam Crozier.

This from the Guardian on the leagues anti corruption campaign.

The Premier League yesterday angrily denied reports that it is attempting to
circumscribe the Football Association's powers to investigate corruption.

Under its former chief executive Adam Crozier the FA had sought to increase
the size of its anti-corruption operation, the Financial Advisory Unit, and
grant it new authority to investigate 20% of transfers, establish a code of
conduct for managers and monitor the activity of agents.

The League Managers' Association has been actively seeking the approval of
its members for a voluntary code of conduct whereby managers would declare
any interests they have in transfers.

The LMA chief executive John Barnwell met last week with members of the FAU,
and it was suggested that the meeting was the first step in a review of the
unit's powers, prompted by the opposition of Premier League chairmen.

That was flatly denied yesterday. A Premier League spokesman said: "We have
no intention of scuppering any plans the FA has to introduce a compliance
unit and have not had any discussions to that effect. We completely back a
code of conduct for managers, but any plans for a compliance unit are a
matter for the FA.

"We are working on the integration of new Uefa rules governing the financial
activities of clubs, which will introduce a range of new measures regulating
the game in England."

An FA source said that many FA operations were under review following
Crozier's resignation. The Premier League was criticised for its role in
Crozier's departure, which centred around the formation of a Professional
Game Board to give the Premier League a greater say in the FA's commercial
operations. The PGB is expected to be ratified at a full FA council meeting
on Thursday.