Scott McGarvey, a football agent implicated in The Daily Telegraph's explosive 'Football for Sales' series of investigations, claims that Southampton assistant managerEric Black is innocent.
Black was filmed giving undercover Telegraph reports advice on how to bribe football officials at other clubs. However, unlike Sam Allardyce, who lost his England manager job after being filmed offering advice on how to circumventthe FA's third-party ownership rules, Black remains in his position at Southampton.
McGarvey, who is also implicated as part of the Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink part of the investigation, said Black and himself had been entrapped. Black's representatives made clear he denies any wrongdoing. The Telegraph's investigations have been handed over to the police.
I cost Sam Allardyce his England job, says 'devastated' agent Scott McGarvey: https://t.co/YjL4WSEWwE pic.twitter.com/CnmTFW8oSW
"Capital E. Absolutely. One hundred per cent," he said. "This is not Monday to Friday. This is 13 weeks of dozens of emails, hundreds of texts, hundreds of calls and bringing more than seven or eight innocent people into this story."
McGarvey also said he felt at least partly responsible for Allardyce losing his job.
Very surprised. I'm devastated for him. I can't think of anything worse that could have happened," he told Sky Sports.
He's got to feel I'm responsible because I'm the one who's brought him to the meeting but he's only come for me.He's never once spoken about money. He's never once said anything about money. It was only: ˜Are you OK, lad? I'll help you.'
Do I think he holds me responsible? I think he's known me for a long, long time. He knows that I'd never do that to him or to anybody in football.I can understand if he doesn't speak to me again. I need to respect that, but I hope not because we go back a long way.
It might take a bit of time because I know how hurt he is at losing the Englandjob.It doesn't matter if you're the manager of Crewe and you lose your job but if you're the manager of England and you lose your job after one game, it's a joke.�