Bankrupt agent football agent Peter Harrison speaks out

Dec 4 2011 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

BANKRUPT sports agent Peter Harrison has spoken out after a bitter wrangle with former Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce was finally resolved.

The agent – who was at the centre of Panorama’s controversial “bungs probe” programme – had relied upon a cut of Andy Carroll’s £35m move to Liverpool to help him pay off a long-standing debt to Allardyce and avoid going broke.

Yet after walking away from the mega-money deal without a penny, Mr Harrison decided not to contest a bankruptcy order made at Newcastle’s combined court, despite it now placing all his assets in the hands of the official receiver and banning him from operating as a sports agent.

After the £782,000 bankruptcy order was made last week, Mr Harrison spoke exclusively to the Sunday Sun to reveal how he is now turning his back on sports agency work once and for all.

Mr Harrison also claims he:

:: will shake up the sports world with a warts-and-all autobiography, uncovering the real story of transfer dealings

:: has been shunned by sections of the football world since his appearance on the Panorama programme in 2006

:: will appear in a new TV show which will lift the lid on football’s secrets

The saga first began in 2005 when then-Bolton boss Mr Allardyce loaned Mr Harrison and former Everton and Blackburn Rovers defender Lucas Neill – one of Harrison’s clients – £300,000 to fund a property development.

The plan was to develop Laverick Hall Farm in Gateshead into 14 homes and the agreement was to repay Mr Allardyce £600,000 plus interest – what he expected to be a decent return on his investment. However, the land today still lies derelict.

Allardyce took legal action against Harrison and Neill to recoup his money through the High Court in 2007, claiming some £650,000 plus interest and costs and the pair conceded and agreed to repay it.