It was quite the wacky Wednesday this week as football mades headlines both on the back and front pages thanks to the likes of David Moyes and Joey Barton.
Along with Newcastle United and West Ham United, they all contributed to covering the sport with everything but glory as they all made the headlines for the wrong reasons.
As noted by The Telegraph, both Newcastle and the Hammers were raided as part of an HMRC transfer probe, with Magpies managing director Lee Charnley arrested.
It’s in relation to income tax and national insurance fraud, and the situation promises to rumble on as HMRC examine the deals and fees paid to players and agents following transfers in an investigation that is said to have started in France.
Further, it’s suggested that the probe could also implicate other clubs and so it remains to be seen how deep the problems go moving forward as it’s far from the news that Newcastle United would have wanted to hear just days after securing promotion to the Premier League.
Elsewhere, as confirmed by BBC Sport, Moyes has been charged by the FA after telling reporter Vicki Sparks she might “get a slap” after he wasn’t happy with line of questioning.
The Sunderland boss has since publicly apologised and insisted that he “deeply regrets” his comments, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll lodge an appeal against the charge.
Meanwhile, Barton has been banned from football for 18 months and fined £30,000 for charges put against him in relation to breaking betting rules.
The Burnley midfielder has since released an official statement on the matter, and argued his case against the seriousness of the penalty, and so it remains to be seen whether or not the FA consider any possible appeal and reduce his ban as he has admitted that as it stands, it could force him to retire.