Finance guru: ‘Leaked’ document ‘adds fuel to the fire’ as new Newcastle controversy emerges
There could be a conflict of interest within the Premier League as new “leaked” documents relating to the Newcastle United takeover emerge.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about interim Premier League chair Peter McCormick.
Per The Times last Monday (11 April), a law firm run by McCormick was involved in background checks on the Newcastle takeover last October.
The claims stem from information gleaned from official minutes of a Premier League meeting.
The 63-year-old former vice chairman of the FA was named as chairman of the Premier League on a temporary basis in January.
The Times updated last Friday (15 April) that Premier League clubs had been kept in the dark about the perceived unacceptable conflict of interest.
It is not hard to see why Newcastle’s top-flight rivals are “wound up” by the details of McCormick’s vested interests, claims Plumley.
“You can see why there is that perception of conflict of interest,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“We can’t see a huge amount of information as this was only leaked out in some minutes from a meeting.
“But when you find out about these things, people get rightly wound up and you can certainly see the narrative here.
“It adds fuel to the fire to keep the debate going around independent regulation.”
It is understood that McCormick’s law firm is also in line to conduct background checks on the imminent Chelsea takeover.
Three consortiums remain in the running to buy the London club.
In other news, Newcastle United in hotel talks over signing Rangers sensation Alex Lowry