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""Southampton obtained confidential contract details about Russell Martin to secure a cut-price £1.25 million deal to recruit him last summer, court documents allege.
A High Court claim lodged by Swansea City, Martin’s former club, reveals the Premier League were asked to launch a “tapping up” investigation into the circumstances of the move last summer. “To the best of Swansea City’s knowledge”, the league’s “regulatory team is presently investigating the matter”, the papers filed last month say. Telegraph Sport understands, however, that England’s top tier is not pursuing the case.
Nevertheless, Swansea are pressing ahead with suing Martin, alleging he or representatives helped Southampton avoid paying a full £2 million release clause. In addition to speaking to Southampton without Swansea’s “written consent”, the Welsh club claim he passed on confidential terms which helped keep costs down.
The south coast club paid £1.25 million, the compensation fee applicable for a Championship club, rather than the £2 million fee they would have owed as a Premier League team.
Swansea allege that Southampton would have approached and effectively secured a deal with Martin prior to their relegation to the Championship last year. Detailing breach of contract allegations, the claim says “Mr Martin, and/or his agent acting on his behalf communicated with another football club that made an approach for his services whether directly or indirectly, without receiving permission in writing by the CEO” and “revealed to a third party confidential information namely the Release Sums and/or details of the Resigning Employees.”
The Premier League had first been alerted to complaints in June last year, according to the claim filed just weeks before Southampton secured their return to the top tier via the Championship play-offs.
Martin “did not act, whether through his own actions and/or those of an agent acting on his behalf, in the best interests of Swansea City”, the claim adds.
Southampton announced Martin as head coach a week after the Premier League’s AGM was held and the team’s top tier shares were transferred to Burnley, one of the newly promoted sides
“By reason of the factual foregoing, it is to be reasonably inferred that.... Without Swansea City’s knowledge or permission, Southampton FC approached Mr. Martin or persons acting on his behalf, such as his intermediary or agent, in order to induce him to leave his employment with Swansea City,” the claim says.
It first emerged last month that Swansea were set to file a High Court case suing Martin for “breach of contract” following his defection to then Championship rivals Southampton last summer.
Swansea warned last summer that they would pursue “full compensation” for Russell, who they said had more than a year remaining on his contract.
“Martin had a little over 12 months remaining on the three-year deal he signed upon arriving at the Swansea.com Stadium in August 2021,” the club said last summer.
“The club also stands firm in our belief that we are owed full compensation for Russell, and we will continue working diligently and strategically to protect the best interests of the club.”
Former Scotland defender Martin, 38, replaced Rubén Sellés as Southampton manager on a three-year contract.
Henrik Kraft, the Southampton chairman, said Martin had been the “stand-out candidate”, while the new manager added: “It’s a privilege to accept this opportunity at Southampton, a club with such a long and rich history”.
Swansea appointed Barnsley’s Michael Duff to replace Martin but he was sacked in December.
Both clubs and Martin’s representatives have been contacted for comment."
"Brighton & Hove Albion are accelerating their search for a new manager following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi, and Steve Cooper has emerged as the leading candidate."
"Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services has agreed terms for a £3.57billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group."
Kretinsky said he had the 'utmost respect' for the history and tradition of the service, which employs around 150,000 people, as he made a series of commitments to secure Royal Mail's future. "
The offer includes commitments to retain Royal Mail's name, brand, UK headquarters and UK tax residency, as well as protections for employee benefits and pensions.
"Over the past 12 months or so we’ve been working on renovating the former players entrance at the old Vetch Field and have been providing regular updates on our website HERE"
"On Sunday 26th May an informal re-opening ceremony took place where former players and representatives of the FPA committee, the Swans Trust and Swansea City were invited along."
"So too all of those who kindly gave up their time and/or donated materials to help ensure we completed the project."
"Simon Davies from BBC Wales also kindly attended and compiled a piece for us on their BBC Wales Sport website HERE"
"The Swans Trust would like to express our thanks and gratitude to all the local companies and volunteers associated with putting this project together as below:"
"Our gratitude also goes out to Dawn Mitchell and her Vetch Veg Community Garden volunteers for their patience and co-operation over the past few months and for laying on tea and cakes for everyone that attended the re-opening ceremony."
"British Olympic swimming champion David Wilkie has died at the age of 70."
"His family announced that Scottish great Wilkie, who won 200m breaststroke gold for Great Britain in Montreal in 1976, died peacefully on Wednesday morning following his battle with cancer."
Jeremy Vine is suing Joey Barton after the loudmouth ex-footballer called him a 'big bike nonce' in a social media outburst."
"Mr Vine, 58, says after he was called the term on X, millions of people have read the post which accused him of having a 'sexual interest in children'."
"Lawyers for the journalist told the High Court their client is bringing defamation and harassment claims against the former Bristol Rovers manager."
"The death of former England spinner Derek Underwood was announced by his former county club Kent on Monday; Underwood made over 900 appearances for Kent across three decades from 1963 to 1987, taking over 2,500 wickets, and won 86 Test caps for England during his career as well."
O.J. Simpson, the former football great who was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the brutal 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, has died, according to his family. He was 76. "On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He… pic.twitter.com/hi7DMJ27Ut
"The benefit fraud gang made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using either real people or hijacked identities and backed them up with an array of forged documents, including counterfeit payslips and fake GP letters in the largest prosecution of its type in English legal history."
"As part of the investigation, police identified three "benefit factories" in London where repeated false claims for benefits originated from."
"Swansea City Under-21s recorded a second emphatic win in succession and extended their unbeaten home run to 18 league games against Fleetwood Town in the Professional Development League."
"An own goal from Harry Wright-Ocana and a goal from Joel Cotterill gave the home side a 2-0 lead at the interval."
"Wales Under-21 international Cotterill went on to add his second after the break, before Maliq Cadogan – fresh from a hat-trick against Watford last week – rounded off the scoring."
Report OS
Swansea City Under-21s recorded a second emphatic win in succession and extended their unbeaten home run to 18 league games against Fleetwood Town in the Professional Development League.
An own goal from Harry Wright-Ocana and a goal from Joel Cotterill gave the home side a 2-0 lead at the interval.
Wales Under-21 international Cotterill went on to add his second after the break, before Maliq Cadogan – fresh from a hat-trick against Watford last week – rounded off the scoring.
Coach Anthony Wright had retained the same starting XI from the win at Vicarage Road, while forward Kyrell Wilson among the substitutes after three months out.
The first chance of the contest fell to the Swans, with Cadogan seeing an effort and a follow-up strike blocked by Fleetwood keeper Pat Boyes.
The hosts assumed control of the game, and good link play between Cadogan, Glory Nzingo and Ben Lloyd ended with the latter firing in a cross that Boyes managed to gather in.
Lloyd would be involved in the opener a few minutes later, his cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Wright-Ocana under pressure from Charlie Veevers.
More chances followed, Cameron Congreve beat his man and delivered a chipped cross to Lloyd, who struck a volley over the bar.
The Swans added a second soon after as Cotterill struck a fantastic free-kick from just outside the box which flew past Boyes to double the lead.
Veevers nearly added a third when he unleashed a powerful shot from distance which flew just over the bar.
The Cod Army’s first opportunity of the game arrived shortly before half-time when Pharrell Brown cut in from the left hand-side, but his tame effort was easily held by Evan Watts.
The second half started slowly, with no clear-cut chances for either side.
Captain Filip Lissah had the first big opportunity on the hour mark when a great delivery from a Coterill corner fell to him, but he was unable to make a clean connection with the ball and his effort drifted wide.
Congreve had the next effort at goal when he was played in behind by Lissah, only to slice his shot wide.
But Swansea would add to their tally when Wilson and Cadogan combined to tee up Cotterill, who unleashed a thunderous strike into the net from distance.
Cadogan fired an effort straight at Boyes, but did get his goal when he reacted first to a ball into the box to beat the keeper.
Swansea City Under-21s: Evan Watts, Kian Jenkins, Sebastian Dabrowski (Iestyn Jones 58), Joel Cotterill, Filip Lissah (Thomas Woodward 75), Mitchell Bates, Cameron Congreve, Charlie Veevers, Maliq Cadogan, Ben Lloyd, Glory Nzingo (Kyrell Wilson 65).
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