It is widely speculated that Sam Allardyce has been sacked as the manager of England after an undercover sting appeared to show him advising businessmen on how to bend FA rules on player transfers. We are awaiting confirmation from The FA.

Those rules centre around third-party ownership of players. Allardyce had verbally agreed a £400,000-a-year deal to meet investors in a firm that did not exist.

The 61-year-old met with FA Chairman, Greg Clarke and chief executive, Martin Glenn at Wembley Stadium to hear his side of the story. It is understood the FA felt they had no alternative but to relieve Allardyce of his duties just two months into his tenure.

Sam Allardyce Sacked as England Manager

A practice that allows a third party, that is not affiliated with either club in the transfer of a player, third-party ownership has been banned in English football since 2008. It was also banned by FIFA last year. But Allardyce, formerly of Newcastle and Bolton, was filmed by undercover reporters from The Telegraph posing as business men operating in the Far East explaining how to get round the FA’s transfer rules.

He was recorded saying: “You get a percentage of the player’s agent’s fee that the agent pays to you, the company, because he’s done that new deal at the club again or they sell him on, and you’re not getting a part of the transfer fee anymore, because you can’t do that.

“But, you get – because of the size of the contracts now, the contract will be worth £30, £40 million, at 10 per cent and you’ve done a deal with the agent where you’re getting five per cent of the agent’s fee, which is massive for doing about two hours’ work.”

Allardyce was also filmed assessing his predecessor, Roy Hodgson’s’ performance as England manager and referred to him as ‘Woy’, referencing Hodgson’s speech impediment. He also criticised Gary Neville, the FA’s decision to rebuild Wembley and Prince William.

Allardyce joins Pearce and Taylor in exclusive club

Appointed in July, Allardyce signed a two-year contract with the FA worth £6 million. He signed after helping Sunderland avoid relegation last year.

Allardyce joins Stuart Pearce and Peter Taylor as England managers who only oversaw one match. In that game he managed England to a late 1-0 win away to Slovakia in a 2018 World Cup Qualifier. Midfielder Adam Lallana scored a 94th minute goal to get Allardyce’s England tenure up and running.

He was due to name his second England squad this Sunday for next month’s games against Malta and Slovenia. But his departure means responsibility will fall to Gareth Southgate, who has been deployed as caretaker manager.

Main image credit: