Conflict International Limited - Private Investigation Agency

Football Association probes England security breach

9 March 2010, 2:15 pm

Conflict International understands the Football Association is looking into a security breach after a tape emerged claiming to carry discussions between England coaches and players.

The recording, allegedly made at the England hotel as the squad prepared for last week’s friendly with Egypt, has been offered to media outlets. There is no doubt that a private detective or private investigator would be keen to obtain such information.

At this stage it is unclear whether it was obtained through a wireless security surveillance, bugging device or by the intercepting of phone calls. Either way it would appear, somewhat typically of England, in the run in before a World Cup summer the squad implodes and the media is there to pick up the pieces and regurgitate them.

The recording, believed to be several hours long, is alleged to contain conversations between coaching staff and players at the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire ahead of the 3-1 victory over Egypt at Wembley last Wednesday.

The FA’s solicitors have written to news outlets to state the recording was obtained illicitly and that any publication of its contents would be a breach of Press Complaints Commission rules.

The incident comes in the wake of the furore over reports surrounding Chelsea and England defender John Terry’s private life.

The Chelsea skipper was subsequently stripped of the England captaincy by national manager Fabio Capello, while Bridge announced he did not want to be considered for international duty, thereby ruling himself out of the World Cup plans.

Bridge was seen as the natural replacement for Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, who is facing a race against time to be fit for the finals in South Africa after breaking his ankle, while Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand has persistent back problems.

United defender Wes Brown, who filled the right-back slot against Egypt, is waiting to find out whether he suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the champions’ 1-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday.

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