Corruption inquiry: Charles Collymore was yesterday charged under the English FA's agents' regulations for offering a contracted player to another club. It had taken the FA eight months to identify sufficient evidence to produce charges after receiving a tip-off from the Luton manager, Mike Newell, that Collymore had "touted" Enoch Showunmi to Millwall while the player was still under contract at Kenilworth Road.
The alleged breach of FA rules would also constitute an infraction under Football League regulations. There is, moreover, a second FA charge, pertaining to Collymore's pursuit of business for Showunmi in the absence of a written representation contract.
Collymore was yesterday given a fortnight to respond to the charges.
It is understood that the FA is also currently investigating an allegation by Newell that one of Collymore's associates had offered the manager a "bung" in the course of transfer negotiations. The two incidents are unconnected.
An FA statement read: "It is alleged Collymore touted the then Luton player Enoch Showunmi to Millwall without the knowledge or consent of Luton. It is also alleged he represented Showunmi without a written contract, or he did not lodge it with the FA."
The FA has also announced disciplinary action against two other licensed agents.
Saif Rubie has had his agent's licence suspended for failing to provide information on his company Up 'n' Up Management Limited, his professional indemnity insurance and the annual declaration form that licensed agents are required to submit. He was also fined £600.
The North-east-based agent Ian Elliott has been warned as to his future conduct after admitting a charge of failing to lodge with the FA his representation contract with the Sunderland player Grant Leadbitter. Two further charges were denied and found not proven.
Collymore was not available for comment yesterday.
The Association of Football Agents, meanwhile, has promised to open its files to help with Lord Stevens' inquiry into football corruption - but it has warned that it cannot make non-members co-operate with the investigation.
Stevens revealed yesterday that only 65 out of 150 agents had responded to his requests for co-operation and said he may use the FA's powers of inquiry to make agents provide access to their bank accounts.
The association only has 80 of the 280 licensed agents among its members and Mel Stein, secretary and legal adviser to the AFA, said it had no power to force the others to co-operate.
Stein, who wants all agents to be obliged to join a body such as the AFA, said: "Our association has already promised to provide details of any transactions requested by Lord Stevens. We had a meeting involving all the major agencies and it was unanimously agreed that no one had anything to hide and would co-operate.
"We feel it is important that this inquiry is as rigorous as possible but there are a number of other agents, many of whom may only have been involved in one or two transfers during the period under investigation, over whom we have no authority."
