Gartside is Innocent! - OFFICIAL

Senior football figures including Southampton assistant manager Sammy Lee have been cleared of all charges after they were accused of a string of offences surrounding a £1million Premier League transfer deal.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offered no evidence against Bolton Wanderers, its chairman Phil Gartside and others from the club, as well as top agent Jerome Anderson and others from his SEM firm, and the retired midfielder Gavin McCann.

Agent Tony McGill started a private prosecution against the parties, following a legal battle over his claims he was cut out of McCann's transfer from Aston Villa to Bolton in 2007.

The CPS took over the case and at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the prosecution formally offered no evidence.

As a technicality, all the charges were read out to the parties from Bolton Wanderers, SEM and Mr McCann, and "not guilty" pleas were entered to all.

After hearing the CPS were not offering any evidence, Judge Tim Gittins told the defendants: "That brings the matter to an end."

The issue of costs for all sides has yet to be decided

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the Teflon Chairman 

Never doubted him for a second.

I'm amazed this was still going on. Didn't that agent try to screw some money out of us a couple of years ago?

Barb Dwyer wrote:Never doubted him for a second.

Me neither. This was obviously all just a big misunderstanding. 

Phil is as honest as the day is long, and quite frankly, you all should be ashamed for thinking otherwise. We are blessed to have him as our chairman and I would thank you to write only positive things about him from here on in.

wanderlust wrote:I'm amazed this was still going on. Didn't that agent try to screw some money out of us a couple of years ago?

Yes but it got thrown out of court because he couldn't provide any concrete evidence.

So he then brought (this) private prosecution which has suffered the same fate.

Two rats fighting in a barrel if you ask me.

Load of old bollocks anyway.

And still no one has been prosecuted for signing Gavin McCann!

The key witness ...the Badger.....has never been seen since Phil had new concrete put around his swimming pool at the house. Might just be a coincidence though.

My heart bleeds for the poor little lamb reading this:

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It must have been awful for him and his wife having to sit on their own at the Golf Club because none of their "friends" would talk to them.....

Boo hoo.......

Breadman wrote:My heart bleeds for the poor little lamb reading this:

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It must have been awful for him and his wife having to sit on their own at the Golf Club because none of their "friends" would talk to them.....

Boo hoo.......

More serious question is 

Do the Panorama allegations (Sam / Craig taking backhanders) and the Gavin McCann Case (  judge not impressed with PG or SM's answers etc) put potential investors of from buying the club?

Even though PG is INNOCENT would it be better if PG now steps down so as to help find someone to buy the club.

The above allegations have happened under PG's reign, plus others and these will be things 'looked' into by potential investors. 

ED needs to think carefully if he really wants to sell the club. I understand why ED has backed PG for now - probably decided that it would look as though he was cutting his mate adrift. However the club's future may be being hampered if you take the view that the allegations are hampering the sale and now maybe a good time for PG to step down.

For what it is worth, it would not surprise me in the least if Gartside has invested into the club for quite sometime and is part of the investment consortium behind Davies Moonshift Company.

I also wonder that now there is no longer a legal case hanging over the club that a change of ownership is more likely as now the new owners would be sure that they were not inheriting sanctions (monetary and / or points deduction) incurred under Davies / Gartside stewardship.