Holloway hits out over bung bid

Queens Park Rangers boss Ian Holloway has backed claims made by Luton counterpart Mike Newell that a ’bung’ culture still exists in the game.

Newell has been quizzed by Football Association officials after revealing he had been offered cash by agents and club officials as an incentive to buy and sell players.

And now Holloway and former Rangers chairman Nick Blackburn have added fuel to the fire by claiming money was offered to the manager to push through the free transfer of Argentinian full-back Gino Padula from Jerez.

Holloway said: “I thought I was getting a certain player on a free transfer. His agent then came back to me and said ‘my fee is this amount and you will get that from it’.

“I went back to the board and said ‘You must be joking’. I earn my money through my contract, not any other way. I’ve got nothing to hide.

“There are agents out there with whacking great wheelbarrows who say, ’Fill that up with money’.”

Holloway’s claims have been supported by Blackburn, who was in control at the time of the alleged incident.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “Ian called me and said the agent of the player we were interested in wanted £50,000 (€72,700) – and Olly [Holloway] was going to get £30,000 (€43,600) of it.

“We didn’t think the player in question was worth £50,000, never mind that amount for his agent. In the end we settled on a £4,000 (€5,800) handling fee.

“I heard stories all the time when I was chairman. I’m very disappointed that the game has to endure this.”

Blackburn claimed he was “sickened” by the incident but is pleased Newell has brought the issue back to the fore.

He added in the Daily Mirror: “Ian told me because he is an honest guy, but how many more of these deals happen behind the scenes when people are not so honest? It is an appalling state of affairs and it leaves me sickened.

“I applaud Mike Newell for coming forward – and yet what happened to him? People turned on him.

“We need to try to clear up the game because I can say with absolute certainty that there is not £50,000 to spare at clubs like QPR and, more than that, no amount of illegal dealing should go on at any level.”