England manager controversies

Sam Allardyce is certainly not the first England manager to find himself in the midst of controversy.

Sky sources understand Allardyce is “deeply embarrassed” after he was secretly filmed discussing the possibility of circumventing Football Association rules on third-party ownership and mocking predecessor Roy Hodgson.

A report in The Daily Telegraph claims Allardyce told undercover reporters posing as businessmen it was possible to “get around” the FA rule, which was introduced in 2008, plus other revelations. 

But how does Monday’s story compare to these previous England manager controversies?

Revie resigns

In 1977, former Leeds boss Don Revie sold a story to the Daily Mail for £20,000, including revelations that he was quitting the job for a £340,000-a-year contract in the UAE, and became the first England manager to resign. 

Revie’s resignation letter did not appear at the FA until after the article was published, sparking ill-feeling within the body. 

Revie, who won 14 of his 29 games in charge, also revealed the job created “too much heartache for those nearest me”, while it was later reported Revie missed England’s 0-0 friendly draw against Brazil in Rio to discuss a deal in the Middle East, despite telling the FA he was on a scouting mission.

The FA then suspended Revie from English football for 10 years on a charge of bringing the game into disrepute, though that suspension was overturned by a court. 

El Tel probed

Terry Venables, the England boss who masterminded a run to the Euro 96 semi-finals, found himself embroiled in legal battles in the mid 1990s, following spells as manager and chief executive at Tottenham.

He issued a libel writ against the BBC after a Panorama documentary broadcast in September 1993 which made allegations about his business dealings. Venables proposed to give money to charity …

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