Dear Old Pals

At a time when most people’s attention is drawn to the transfer window that is about to close, the back door is inclined to be neglected. Nevertheless, reports indicate that the Football Association and the Premier League are joining forces to launch an investigation into claims by Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates that his former club Chelsea made illegal approaches to three of the Yorkshire club’s academy players – allegations which, needless to say, have been strenuously denied by the Premiership Champions, who were fined £300,000 in June 2005 and given a suspended 3 point penalty following an inquiry into the ‘tapping up’ of Ashley Cole which also left both the player and the Special One out of pocket to the tune of £75,000.

Meanwhile, the F.A. has announced that it is also examining Chelsea’s claim that comments which Bates made about their directors and management were “rude, insulting and inappropriate” and as such brought the game into disrepute.