http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2004/oct/17/newsstory.sport7
With Rooney all the parties involved knew they had such a player. The court case heard that at an earlier meeting in November 2002, the former Liverpool and Scotland footballer, Kenny Dalglish, invited Tommy Adams - described in court as a 'notorious gangster' - to a rendezvous at a Heathrow hotel.
It was alleged that Dalglish, a major shareholder in Proactive which represented Rooney and a long-standing friend of Stretford, wanted Adams, head of London's top criminal family who had served seven years for importing cannabis, to provide protection for Stretford at the meeting with Hyland and McIntosh.
Stretford claimed in evidence that he felt intimidated at seeing a 'London villain' present and the meeting became heated when Hyland and the others could not get Stretford to sign a deal on their terms. Dalglish and Adams apparently said little but Dalglish, a former Footballer of the Year, then refused to give police a statement.
In court, Stretford said he felt let down by Dalglish. 'I have a had a great and long relationship with Kenny Dalglish and yes, I felt let down by him.'
Stretford himself was accused of wanting Adams present. 'You knew full well that Kenny Dalglish had engineered for one of his unsavoury friends to come and facilitate this meeting,' Lord Carlile, Hylands' barrister said in court. 'It was you who brought the heavy mob, wasn't it?' Stretford denied this and said it was 'fear and confusion' that prevented him from leaving the meeting.
Dalglish was also accused of influencing Rooney's switch from McIntosh to Stretford, visiting Rooney's home to convince his parents, Wayne snr and Jeanette, that their son should change representatives.
The Rooneys were already in slightly warm water, the court heard. They had sought legal advice from a crooked solicitor, Kevin Dooley, brother-in-law of former Liverpool manager Roy Evans and a friend of Dalglish who was recommended to them by Stretford. Dooley was later struck off for defrauding clients before his death this year. 'We decided Wayne would be better off in their [Proactive's] hands. They seemed more professional,' said Wayne snr.
Rooney's move to United had been precipitated by apparent interest from Newcastle United who, despite the presence at the club already of four top-class strikers, including former England captain, Alan Shearer, tabled a £20 million transfer bid.
In court, Carlile asked Stretford about this, wondering if the bid was genuine or a ruse to inflate Rooney's eventual price and draw Manchester United into an early deal. 'I don't think anyone makes a bid of £20m to another club if they don't mean it,' said Stretford. 'We were very prepared for the Newcastle bid to be accepted and for Wayne to negotiate with Newcastle United.'
Others, again, beg to differ. 'Rooney was never going to sign for Newcastle,' says the agent who spoke to The Observer . 'I think Freddy Shepherd [Newcastle's chairman] was used by Stretford. He won't think he's been used but that is what has happened.'
What, then, can be done to clean up the mess? 'There is no indication that any regulations have been broken in this case,' a spokesman for the Football Association rather mysteriously said in the immediate aftermath of Monday's case collapse.
