FA and DCMS select committee probe claims of corruption in Wembley sale

By Sky Sports News

Image: The FA is looking into claims of corruption into the proposed sale of Wembley

The Football Association is investigating a series of claims, including one of "systemic corruption" related to the proposed sale of Wembley, made by Fulham's former assistant director of football Craig Kline.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee chairman Damian Collins MP has also confirmed to Sky Sports News he is aware of the allegations and that they have also been reported to the police.

Fulham owner Shahid Khan's £600m offer to buy Wembley stadium has been referred to the FA Council for voting on October 24, after it was passed by the FA board almost a fortnight ago.

Image: Khan, owner of Fulham and the Jacksonville Jaguars, has put in a substantial offer for Wembley

Kline was sacked by Fulham last year after a breakdown in his relationship with Khan and several other members of staff, including the manager Slavisa Jokanovic.

The American made a series of allegations about his Fulham colleagues on the day of his dismissal and posted several of them, including claims of bullying and racism, on Twitter, but the police dismissed them and the tweets were subsequently deleted.

Advertisement

Kline has now re-emerged on social media and stated on Tuesday that he had "key evidence of systemic corruption relevant to the Wembley vote which I'd like to submit".

In a statement, an FA spokesperson said: "We have recently been contacted by Craig Kline who has made a series of allegations about Fulham FC. We are currently in the process of reviewing these allegations."

Also See:

In an interview with Sky Sports, Khan reveals his offer to buy Wembley is worth £1bn, and adds that England will be able to continue playing at the national stadium.

Mr Collins MP told Sky Sports News: "I have received some correspondence from Mr Kline, but as of yet the committee has not had the chance to review it. We also note that Mr Kline has reported these matters to the police."

Kline was installed as Fulham co-director of football operations and was often at odds with Jokanovic over transfer targets as he implemented the club's 'two boxes ticked' method of recruitment.

That method, which requires statistic algorithms on players to align with scouting recommendations, still exists at Craven Cottage and is headed by head of football operations Tony Khan, who is the son of the owner Shahid and a friend of Kline's.

Play Super 6

Predict 6 correct scores for your chance to win £250K.

Outbrain