Adams wanted more backing
Leicester manager Micky Adams has hit out at the lack of support given to the club by the Professional Footballers’ Association and the League Managers’ Association over the La Manga affair.
Adams believes that both unions could have given greater aid to the Foxes particularly during the early stages of a traumatic two-week period which resulted in Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie being charged with sexual aggression.
Instead Adams is claiming that City had to basically carry a lone fight in their bid to secure the release of the trio who were finally freed on bail on Friday and allowed to return to England.
Adams’ only public comment is: “Both the LMA and the PFA should have been more helpful. That’s all I’m going to say.”
But privately he is seething at being given little help by PFA chief Gordon Taylor or his LMA counterpart John Barnwell.
A source close to Adams said: “He feels really let down by both unions and believes that more help and guidance should have been given, certainly in the early stages of the investigation, to himself and the players.”
PFA deputy chief executive Mick McGuire hit back at Adams’ claims and said: “That is not the case. We went to see the players last Tuesday and Micky made it clear that he was disappointed with us.
“But I don’t think he is in full possession of the facts. We have been in constant contact with Leicester’s chief executive Tim Davies, the lawyers, the players – and even one of the players’ wives.
“We have been assessing the situation constantly but, for example, last week there was no point in us going over to Spain when the players were in jail.”
There was a similar response from LMA chief executive Barnwell, who said: “I think Micky has handled an extremely difficult situation brilliantly but I am surprised at his comments.
“I say that because he has on hand Dave Bassett (Leicester’s director of football), who is a senior member of the LMA, to help him.”
Dickov, Gillespie and Sinclair will play for the reserves at Southampton this evening and Adams is claiming that a satisfactory conclusion to events in Spain could happen sooner rather than later.
It is believed that important forensic evidence is about to be presented to the Spanish courts which will help to clear the name of the three players.
Adams claimed: “I think this is a week to 10 days away from reaching a conclusion. I’ve got to trust in what I’ve been told and some of the evidence has not come to light yet.”
