Agent Denies Sam Rumours

By Mark Heys
July 12 2006

Football agent Mark Curtis has denied that Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce is on his way to Championship side Sunderland...

Curtis was speaking in light of recent reports which came to the forefront earlier on this week when stories in the North East claimed that the former Sunderland captain Allardyce was the hot favourite to replace Mick McCarthy as the Black Cats next manager.

"Sam won't be going to Sunderland." said Curtis when questioned by reporters on Wearside

The surprise link all came about due to some very strange behaviour on a couple of betting websites, one of which was beleived to be Betfair. People immediately made more of this and began to kick the rumour mill into action.

Allardyce still has four years left to run on a ten year contract and is said to be reluctant to move down a division despite the fact that ex-Ireland striker Niall Quinn heads an ambitious consortium aiming to make Sunderland a Premiership force again.

Even if the Bolton boss did want to leave the Reebok, there would be a hefty compensation package which would need to be ironed out between the two clubs so this link, as expected, is without substance.