Willie McKay

Willie McKay is a Scottish football agent based in Monaco. He is the agent of many top-level footballers, mainly based in England and France - specifically the Premier League. His clients include James McFadden, Joey Barton, Henri Camara, Scott Brown, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé, Tyrone Mears and Pascal Chimbonda.

Controversy

McKay was one of the agents investigated by the Quest team, led by Lord Stevens, which looked into allegations of "bungs" and fraud in transfers. The Daily Express claimed in December 2006 that the £8.5m transfer of Jean-Alain Boumsong from Rangers F.C. to Newcastle United was one of the deals being examined by Quest. However Quest said of Graeme Souness, who was manager of Newcastle at the time of the Boumsong transfer, "We wish to make it clear that inconsistencies did not exist within the evidence given by Graeme Souness to Quest concerning his role in transfers covered by the Inquiry during his time as manager of Newcastle United FC and neither the Premier League nor do Quest have any concerns in this regard" [ [http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=980622007 Edinburgh Evening News ] ] . In the final report of the Stevens inquiry he was criticised for his failure to co-operate with the inquiry. However, Quest later issued the following statement: "Further to the key findings from the final Quest report published on 15 June 2007 by the Premier League, Quest would like to emphasise that, in that report, it was clear that no evidence of irregular payments was found in the transfers in the inquiry period which involved the agent Willie McKay. Quest would also like to thank Mr McKay for his cooperation with the inquiry". [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2207222,00.html Quest finds no irregular payments in McKay deals | News | Guardian Unlimited Football ] ] On 1 February 2008 McKay won substantial libel damages against the Daily Express over false claims about his transfer dealings. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3290292.ece Willy McKay awarded substantial damages | Football - Times Online ] ]

McKay has upset many fans and in May 2006, he upset the fans of Wigan Athletic when dealing with the transfer of defender Pascal Chimbonda. When at the training ground with Chimbonda, fans welcomed him with a placard saying "McKay you thief!"

November 2007 arrests

On 28 November 2007 it was reported by BBC News that McKay - together with Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and Managing Director Peter Storrie, former Portsmouth and now Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric, and former Portsmouth footballer Amdy Faye, on loan at Rangers - had been arrested by City of London Police in relation to the ongoing inquiries into allegations of corruption in football. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7116823.stm Redknapp held in football inquiry] BBC News - 28 November, 2007] [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2218469,00.html Redknapp arrested in corruption investigation] Guardian Unlimited - 28 November, 2007]

References