Mike Newell yesterday took the first official steps to follow up his claims in the media that he has been offered bungs by agents and other clubs' officials during the course of his transfer activity.
The Luton Town manager, who has never engaged an agent to act for him personally, has always refused illegal payments but insists he is prepared to blow the whistle on the culprits.
However, Newell accepts the shortcomings of his allegations since he can offer no written or recorded evidence to the English Football Association's compliance unit.
"It's word of mouth," he said. "It's in my head, so I don't know if it will be any use at all."
It was the compliance unit's agents-regulations specialist that Newell met with yesterday. That was the formal part of his trip to Soho Square, though he also visited the FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick; the governing body put out a statement to say it would "now reflect on the private conversation with Newell".
The former Liverpool striker Nicolas Anelka has told Everton he would never consider playing for them and that the club should "stop dreaming" about him joining them in the transfer window.
Meanwhile, Anelka said yesterday that he has no intention of leaving Turkish club Fenerbahce for England and denied all reports linking him to Newcastle and Everton.
"Some newspapers said I absolutely wanted to leave Turkey and come to Newcastle or Everton," said Anelka. "The problem is, I never speak to the English press."
Anelka, who has been recalled to the France team, said leaving Fenerbahce to join "a smaller club" like Everton is "absolutely impossible".
"Having played for Liverpool, and worn Liverpool's jersey, I will never wear Everton's," he said. "Everton should stop dreaming about me coming. I'm staying at Fenerbahce until the end of the season. I'm very happy here."
Anelka scored five goals in 22 games during a six-month loan spell at Liverpool in the 2001/'02 season.
The 26-year-old said that he is committed to Fenerbahce until 2008, when the contract that he signed upon joining from Manchester City a year ago expires.
"I'm very happy at Fenerbahce and in Turkey and I plan to stay until the end of my contract.
"A club that wants me would have to speak to Fenerbahce because my contract is there. The club hasn't told me of any offer."
Anelka has been linked with a January move to Everton and Newcastle, with Graeme Souness's side widely rumoured to be preparing to bid for him as an eventual replacement for Alan Shearer, who is planning to retire at the end of the season.
Anelka was brought to England from Paris St-Germain by the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, in 1997 and flourished at Highbury and later with City, while his loan move to Liverpool was expected to result in a permanent deal until Gerard Houllier opted out and purchased El Hadji Diouf instead.
