Bond booted out

Barely three months after leaving Portsmouth to join Newcastle as assistant manager, Kevin Bond has been sacked.

The decision follows the recent 'Panorama' investigation into illegal payments and corruption in Premiership football. Bond was caught on tape suggesting that he and 'Appy 'Arry would be prepared to accept favours of a financial variety.

While Bond is naturally aggrieved, commenting in a statement "Rather than waiting for this and the outcome of any FA investigation, NUFC have made their decision solely on the basis of a few sentences carefully selected and edited by 'Panorama'", the writing was on the wall when he was put on gardening leave. Bond has implied he was leading the undercover reporter on and that his comments on the programme have been taken out of context and grossly misrepresented - but that doesn't wash particularly well with me. There's rarely smoke without fire, and the evidence must be fairly compelling against those individuals and clubs the BBC did feel legally secure in outing - after all, they did bleep out the names of numerous others.

As harsh as it might be on Bond, I'm glad we've taken steps to avoid tainting ourselves by association. Of course, that isn't to suggest that those who remain at the club are whiter than white - far from it. Fat Fred should take a good hard look at himself, and at the company he keeps. For the club to clean up its act the broom needs to start sweeping at the very top.