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Sports agent wins damages over article in weekly

A sports agent has won libel damages over an interview with a former football club chairman that appeared in a weekly paper.

Sky Andrew has won undisclosed damages and an apology after suing former Watford FC chairman Laurence Bassini for libel over an article which appeared in the Watford Observer last February.

The agent, who has represented ex-boxer Frank Bruno and former England soccer star Sol Campbell, said he was delighted that the legal row with Mr Bassini had been brought to a “successful conclusion”.

A High Court judge had earlier been told how Mr Andrew took legal action after Mr Bassini discussed the circumstances surrounding the transfer of England under-21 striker Marvin Sordell from Watford to Bolton in January 2011, during an interview with a local newspaper.

Mr Justice Tugendhat heard that Mr Bassini had told the Watford Observer that Sordell would only sign a contract if his agent – Mr Andrew – “received a substantial sum of money”.

Mr Andrew sued Mr Bassini over the article, claiming that he had he had been accused of an “offence under the UK’s Bribery Act” and of breaching a Football Association code of professional conduct.

The judge was told that Mr Bassini did not accept that the words he had used “bear that meaning” but had, nevertheless, agreed to “set the record straight and apologise to Mr Andrew”.

A lawyer representing Mr Andrew had given the judge details of the case in a statement at a High Court hearing in London.

After the hearing, Mr Andrew said: “This is a very pleasing result and I am delighted that this action has been brought to a successful conclusion.

“Football agents often get a bad name and I have worked hard to ensure that all my dealings are ethical and professional. These false allegations could have seriously damaged my reputation.”

Lawyers representing Mr Andrew said Mr Bassini had agreed to pay “commensurate damages” but added that the amount was “confidential”.

Korieh Duodu, representing Mr Andrew, had told Mr Justice Tugendhat how Mr Bassini had discussed the circumstances surrounding “Sordell’s contract not being extended” in an interview published in February 2012.

In the interview, Mr Bassini had stated: “The problem that I had with this was that a few months previously, his agent came to see us and said the only way Marvin would sign a new contract is if he (the agent) received a substantial sum of money and that was never going to happen.

“‘Marvin has done nothing wrong in this whatsoever but his agent wanted a fee to facilitate a new contract and he told me he would do what he did with Sol Campbell and let his contract run down, so that was that.”

Mr Duodu said Mr Andrew contended that the words used meant that “he put his own interests before those of Mr Sordell” and that Sordell would only sign a new contract if he received a “substantial bribe”.

Mr Andrew also contended that, “in doing so, he committed an offence under the UK’s Bribery Act” and breached the FA’s Code of Professional Conduct and his contract with Sordell.

Mr Duodu added: “Mr Bassini does not accept that the words bear that meaning. He states that he intended to convey that (Mr Andrew) had legitimately asked for his agent’s fee.”

But he said Mr Bassini had “nevertheless” agreed to “set the record straight and apologise”.

Mr Duodu added: “Mr Andrew has painstakingly built a reputation as an honest and ethical football agent, in an industry which is much maligned and criticised. He has never acted in any way corruptly in relation to football transfers.”