Willie McKay
Encyclopedia
Willie McKay is a Scottish
football agent based in Monaco
. He is the agent of many top-level footballers, mainly based in England
and France
- specifically the Premier League. His clients include James McFadden
, Joey Barton
, Henri Camara
, Scott McDonald
, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé
, Charles N'Zogbia
, Tyrone Mears
, Amdy Faye, Ross McCormack
, and Pascal Chimbonda
.
. The Daily Express
claimed in December 2006 that the £8.5m transfer of Jean-Alain Boumsong
from Rangers F.C.
to Newcastle United was one of the deals being examined by Quest. However Quest said of Graeme Souness, who was manager of Newcastle at the time of the Boumsong transfer, "We wish to make it clear that inconsistencies did not exist within the evidence given by Graeme Souness to Quest concerning his role in transfers covered by the Inquiry during his time as manager of Newcastle United FC and neither the Premier League nor do Quest have any concerns in this regard". In the final report of the Stevens inquiry he was criticised for his failure to co-operate with the inquiry. However, Quest later issued the following statement: "Further to the key findings from the final Quest report published on 15 June 2007 by the Premier League, Quest would like to emphasise that, in that report, it was clear that no evidence of irregular payments was found in the transfers in the inquiry period which involved the agent Willie McKay. Quest would also like to thank Mr McKay for his cooperation with the inquiry". On 1 February 2008 McKay won substantial libel damages against the Daily Express over false claims about his transfer dealings.
that McKay - together with Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and Managing Director Peter Storrie
, former Portsmouth and now Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric
, and former Portsmouth footballer Amdy Faye, on loan at Rangers - had been arrested by City of London Police
in relation to the ongoing inquiries into allegations of corruption in football.
. The player moved from Auxerre to Portsmouth in January 2006, when McKay acted on behalf of Auxerre, and then the agent acted for Portsmouth when the Zimbabwe striker moved to Manchester City in January 2008. The punishment also stated that any further breaches of the FA's agent regulations will result in McKay being suspended from all deals involving English clubs during one transfer window. Portsmouth FC were also fined £15,000 in the report, despite both them and McKay claiming that the club knew nothing of the agents previous involvement in transfers relating to the particular player.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football agent based in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. He is the agent of many top-level footballers, mainly based in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- specifically the Premier League. His clients include James McFadden
James McFadden
James McFadden is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Everton.McFadden started his career with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell. He came to prominence in the 2002–03 season by scoring 19 goals and winning the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year award....
, Joey Barton
Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Barton is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League side Queens Park Rangers as either a central midfielder or a winger....
, Henri Camara
Henri Camara
Henri Camara is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Superleague side Panetolikos.-Early career:Camara was born in Dakar to a Guinean father and a Senegalese mother...
, Scott McDonald
Scott McDonald
Scott Douglas McDonald is an Australian football player who currently plays as a striker for English Championship side Middlesbrough and the Australian national team. Scott McDonald is of Scottish heritage.-Early career:...
, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé
Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé
Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who currently playing for Ligue 1 club Toulouse.-Early career:...
, Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N'Zogbia
Charles N'Zogbia is a French footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League. N'Zogbia was capped for the France under-21 team on thirteen occasions, and made his debut for the senior side in 2010....
, Tyrone Mears
Tyrone Mears
Tyrone Mears is an English professional footballer of Sierra Leonean descent who currently plays as a right-back for Bolton Wanderers. His previous clubs include Preston North End, West Ham United, Derby County, Olympique de Marseille and Burnley...
, Amdy Faye, Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for English football club Leeds United and the Scotland national team. His main position is as a Striker but he can also play as a Winger....
, and Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda is a French footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers, having been released early from a short term deal by Queens Park Rangers...
.
Controversy
McKay was one of the agents investigated by the Quest team, led by Lord Stevens, which looked into allegations of "bungs" and fraud in transfers2006 allegations of corruption in English football
In 2006, several allegations were made of corruption in English football by sources inside and outside of the game.-January - Managers:In January 2006, then Luton Town manager, Mike Newell and then-manager of Queens Park Rangers, Ian Holloway alleged that backhanders were rife in the sport.The...
. The Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
claimed in December 2006 that the £8.5m transfer of Jean-Alain Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong is a professional football defender who currently plays for the Greek team Panathinaikos and the French national team.-Early career:...
from Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
to Newcastle United was one of the deals being examined by Quest. However Quest said of Graeme Souness, who was manager of Newcastle at the time of the Boumsong transfer, "We wish to make it clear that inconsistencies did not exist within the evidence given by Graeme Souness to Quest concerning his role in transfers covered by the Inquiry during his time as manager of Newcastle United FC and neither the Premier League nor do Quest have any concerns in this regard". In the final report of the Stevens inquiry he was criticised for his failure to co-operate with the inquiry. However, Quest later issued the following statement: "Further to the key findings from the final Quest report published on 15 June 2007 by the Premier League, Quest would like to emphasise that, in that report, it was clear that no evidence of irregular payments was found in the transfers in the inquiry period which involved the agent Willie McKay. Quest would also like to thank Mr McKay for his cooperation with the inquiry". On 1 February 2008 McKay won substantial libel damages against the Daily Express over false claims about his transfer dealings.
November 2007 arrests
On 28 November 2007 it was reported by BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
that McKay - together with Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and Managing Director Peter Storrie
Peter Storrie
Peter Storrie was a Director and the Chief Executive Officer of English Premier League team Portsmouth. He had formerly worked for West Ham United, Southend United and Notts County.-West Ham United:...
, former Portsmouth and now Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
, and former Portsmouth footballer Amdy Faye, on loan at Rangers - had been arrested by City of London Police
City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle and Inner Temple. The service responsible for law enforcement within the rest of Greater London is the Metropolitan Police Service, a separate...
in relation to the ongoing inquiries into allegations of corruption in football.
Punishment for Benjani dealings
On December 15, 2008, McKay was given a suspended ban by an independent regulatory commission after being found guilty of breaching FA rules. The issue arose over McKay acting as an agent for two consecutive transfers of the same player, Benjani MwaruwariBenjani Mwaruwari
Benjamin Mwaruwari , known as Benjani, is a Zimbabwean footballer who currently plays for Portsmouth in the Football League Championship, where he plays as a striker....
. The player moved from Auxerre to Portsmouth in January 2006, when McKay acted on behalf of Auxerre, and then the agent acted for Portsmouth when the Zimbabwe striker moved to Manchester City in January 2008. The punishment also stated that any further breaches of the FA's agent regulations will result in McKay being suspended from all deals involving English clubs during one transfer window. Portsmouth FC were also fined £15,000 in the report, despite both them and McKay claiming that the club knew nothing of the agents previous involvement in transfers relating to the particular player.