May 30 2006

Iain Dowie

AJ goes to Everton, Dowie goes to Charlton, Jordan goes to court. Jamesey scratches his head.

Just when you thought it had all gone quiet, the Palace theatre of the absurd starts all over again.

It's been a silly season in general for our beloved game recently.

The FA makes a total balls-up of appointing a new England manager and we end up with the tedious McLaren.

Sven picks two crocks, a freak and a kid as his first-choice World Cup strike force.

Now at a Press conference announcing that Iain Dowie is the new Charlton manager, he is served a writ by his very recent employer, Simon Jordan.

Last week, when the departure of Mr Dowie was revealed, I for one assumed he had been sacked and that the display of amicable behaviour at the press conference was an expression of

adult behaviour.

From what I can gather today (May 30) in statements from various parties involved, I was wrong, and that ID had wanted his contract terminated on the grounds that he needed to move back up north to be with his family.

Simon Jordan, seeing himself as an "empathetic employer", agreed and waived the £1m compensation clause in ID's contract.

I believe that SJ wanted to get shot of Dowie anyway and would have gone along with any scheme to achieve that.

But then, blow me, Dowie pops up at Charlton and, bingo, he is their new manager.

Simon Jordan quickly slaps a writ on our former gaffer on the grounds, I believe, of fraudulent statements to get out of a £1m penalty clause.

As I write, that's the state of affairs and no doubt more disclosures will emerge as the story unfolds.

Well, it's never dull is it.

I will not be in the UK to see what happens because I am going to the Greek islands in a couple of days for an eagerly anticipated fortnight. And I can't say that I'm all that sorry.

Whatever happens in the Jordan/Dowie affair, we will have a new man at the sharp end, some new players and some old favourites departed come August.

But for the immediate future, when I am sitting in the village taverna watching England v Paraguay and England v Trinidad and Tobago, my main concern will be attracting the waiter's eye and getting a refill of ice-cold Amstel.

Email Jamesey with any comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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