Burtenshaw likely to appeal on 'bungs' fine.

Former Arsenal chief scout Steve Burtenshaw is set to appeal after being ordered to pay pounds 10,000 by the Football Association after the so-called `bungs inquiry'.

Burtenshaw, 62, is now chief scout at Queen's Park Rangers and the club said last night it was considering its position. He admitted misconduct last week before an FA hearing, in connection with the 1992 transfer of John Jensen from Brondby to Arsenal.

He apologised for having accepted pounds 35,000 from agent Rune Hauge, two months after Jensen arrived at Highbury in the transfer deal which led to former Arsenal boss George Graham's one-year ban from the game. Yet his legal team described the fine of pounds 7,500 and order to pay pounds 2,500 costs, announced yesterday, as "unduly severe" and believe he has been made a scapegoat.

An FA spokesman said that, while Arsenal had not known about the unsolicited "back-hander", "The payment was a clear conflict of interest."

Burtenshaw's solicitors say the fine does not reflect agreed facts that Burtenshaw did not expect payment, that the deal did not depend on a fee and that he had not benefited from the money.

As former Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough has been excused a misconduct charge on the grounds of ilealth, the only outstanding charges are faced by his former assistant, Ronnie Fenton, and Forest as a club.

The inquiry has concluded that Fenton benefited from the transfers of Anthony Loughlan and Neil Lyne from Leicester United and was given pounds 45,000 by Hauge after Alf Inge Haaland's move from Norwegian club Byrne.

Fenton, who has since retired, failed to appear last week to answer a charge of receiving an illegal payment and the FA could impose a ban or fine in his absence. His case has been adjourned to be heard alongside the one facing Forest, but this is not ex pected for several months.

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Publication:	The Birmingham Post (England)
Date:	Sep 25, 1998
Words:	318
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