The Guardian is today reporting that they can smell the rancid reek of “something fishy” going on at the Reebok Stadium. It turns out that Bolton appointed football agent Mark Curtis as a Boba Fett style “headhunter” to catch them a prime managerial body. Unfortunately all Curtis could come up with was some bloke called Gary Megson – less of a manager and more of a relegation specialist, something that Gartside and company must have new was on the cards, considering that Curtis used to be Gary Megson’s bloody agent!!
Curtis launched a staunch denial yesterday:
“I am not Gary Megson’s agent. I know that Gary took another agent into Bolton with him [to negotiate his contract] this morning. I think he used Mickey Walsh, who he has known for 10 years.”
Bolton Chairman Phil Gartside also denied that there was anything fishy going out, instead claiming that the fishy smell was more to do with Megson’s grooming habits, or lack thereof. Gartside said on Bolton’s that Curtis didn’t act as the agent of “anyone on our target list”.
However, more details are oozing out on Graeme Souness, and why he had talks with Bolton on Tuesday, only to withdraw his interest shortly after. It turns out that Mr Souness smelt something rotten, and the proud Scot said:
“I didn’t realise the other guy was Mark Curtis, who I later found out was also Megson’s agent. I felt uneasy about the whole thing after that and that is why I pulled out,” said Souness. “I think my interview was nothing but window dressing and it was already a done deal.”
Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric muddied the waters still further saying :
“When Gary Megson first came here Mark Curtis was with him and negotiated his contract with us. Mark Curtis did the things an agent would normally do and discussed clauses in the contract but he said he was just a friend of Gary Megson.”
Curtis, who according to the Guardian was speaking from abroad (the Cayman Islands anyone?), said:
“I came in at Leicester to help Gary as a friend with the contract negotiations after they had approached Gary and offered him the job.”
Hmmmm…very very very fishy indeed. And it seems that Bolton have got the raw end of the deal, with Souness’ brilliant managerial track record they would have been odds on for a Champions League spot!