Hatters face FA charges

More than 50 disciplinary charges are to be brought against Luton, former and current club officials and six agents alleging breach of regulations regarding payments to agents, the Football Association announced tonight.

The club have been charged with allegedly making payments to agents through another company rather than the club, as required by FA rules.

The club have also been charged with providing misleading information to the FA.

Former chairman Bill Tomlins has been charged with 15 rule breaches, former finance director Derek Peter with nine, and current directors John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot with failing to report the breaches when they became aware of them, the FA said in statement.

Six agents – Sky Andrew, Mike Berry, Mark Curtis, Stephen Denos, David Manasseh and Andrew Mills – have each been charged with failing to ensure that payments to them were made and disclosed through the proper channels, said the statement.

The charges follow an FA investigation after former Luton manager Mike Newell claimed in early 2006 that illegal payments in the game were rife.