Dunc's from the Ronnie

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DUNCAN Ferguson will return to Everton today providing he passes a medical - after losing his battle of wits and wills with Newcastle United.

United refused to give in to Ferguson's demands 'to settle up', so that he could hasten his return to his beloved Goodison Park.

And they did not panic when Ferguson's agent Dennis Roach insisted yesterday that the deal was off because his client could not agree a financial settlement with United.

United have called the bluff of Ferguson and Roach - and with Everton wanting one of their favourite sons back at Goodison in time for the start of the Premiership this weekend, the deal is now back on.

All United chairman Freddie Shepherd would say today was a rather curt "we do not discuss players' contracts and we have tried to maintain a dignified silence throughout all this."

However, a United insider told me: "Freddie Shepherd and his board have refused to give an inch throughout all this.

"They feel that Ferguson has not given them value for money in his time here.

"And they were determined that Duncan Ferguson would not get a penny to move - even if it meant him staying at St James's Park to see out the rest of his contract."

Ill-fated

This was never going to happen, of course, and once Walter Smith showed his hand, big Dunc was always going to return to Goodison Park.

Football has made Ferguson a millionaire twice over and this is one of the reasons he has probably decided not to get involved in any long drawn-out row with United over money.

And if he passes his medical, yet another one of United's ill-fated forays into the transfer market will be closed.

United will have lost a large slice of the #8 million Ruud Gullit paid Everton for Ferguson in October 98 with just #4 million coming back and another #1 million based on appearances. The United fans will have noticed that Ferguson's eight Premiership goals have cost a cool #1 million each.

Meanwhile, reports linking United with Steve McManaman over the weekend are well wide of the mark. Bobby Robson is not the Real Madrid and England midfielder's number one fan and is not interested at all in the former Liverpool player.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Answers

Well, that's another #4Mish in the bank (nearly). Now we know where the money is coming from to pay the Euro-qualifying bonuses.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

40k off the wages is a big relief. What a waste of cash. I'll hobble around saying nowt with an Everton tattoo for half that a week - no problem

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Olie, I thought you did (without the tattoo) hobble round? Still wheelin' and dealin'?

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

By my reckoning, if DF does leave, BR will have reduced the wage bill by some #7-8 million p.a. by off-loading DF, Maric, Pistone, Howey, Kets, Robinson and Perez (have I missed someone?), and added around #2.5 million for Cort, Cordone and Bassedas.

A nett saving of some #5 million per year so far - although this could be offset by further incomings.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000


Tabloids are reporting that Dunc failed to turn up for his medical so Everton have called the deal off. We wouldn't have passed it anyway!

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000


This saga has move twists & turns than a big twisty turny thing, is he or isn't he going?

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

Duncan Ferguson's dream of a move back to his beloved Everton almost certainly collapsed last night after he appeared to place his wish for financial security before his desire to return to Goodison Park. This morning Ferguson should have been enjoying an emotional reunion with those team-mates from whom he was reluctantly parted 20 months ago; instead he is staring an uncertain future in the face because of his failure to make one brief phone call.

Ferguson was scheduled to arrive in the north-west at noon yesterday to undergo a medical before completing his transfer back from Newcastle United.

But, to the astonishment of Everton officials and the disgust of the club's manager Walter Smith, the 28 year-old Scot failed to show up.

Even more damaging was the player's failure to phone either Smith or Everton's chief executive Michael Dunford to offer an explanation or excuse for his non-appearance.

Smith immediately indicated that his two-month pursuit of Ferguson was at an end - news which will hardly have been welcomed on Tyneside.

As Everton's medical team awaited his arrival, Ferguson was at St James' Park making one last attempt to persuade Newcastle that his brief stay at the club merited the payment of a loyalty bonus - believed to be about #750,000.

Ferguson is believed to have stayed in the north-east on Monday night before training with his Newcastle team-mates yesterday morning. His plan was then to hold one final round of talks with members of his club's hierarchy in the belief that he could convince them he should be given a cash settlement to help speed his departure back to Everton.

Ever since Everton's interest in him first surfaced last month, Ferguson has argued that as he has never indicated a desire to leave Newcastle he should be entitled to the payment, in full, of bonuses which would have accrued had he stayed to see out the remaining three years of his contract.

Newcastle's board of directors - seemingly to a man - were unmoved by Ferguson's plea for a handout, insisting he had spent insufficient time on Tyneside to warrant any bonus.

When he was controversially sold to Newcastle in November 1998 for #8m, Ferguson collected about #1m in bonuses and signing-on fees.

During what has been a rather unproductive 21-month spell in the north-east during which he has made only 24 Premiership starts, Ferguson has been paid more than #35,000 a week, making him one of the highest-paid players in British football.

However, despite Smith's sense of outrage, Everton's desperation for a striker of proven ability is such that the deal may yet be resurrected.

Smith has spent most of the summer seeking to sign a competent forward after being informed that Kevin Campbell would definitely miss the opening few weeks of the new season after knee surgery almost five months ago.

Smith ran the rule over several men - including Blackburn's Ashley Ward - before informing his club's majority shareholder, Bill Kenwright, he wished to re-sign Ferguson.

If Ferguson was this morning to abandon his attempts to squeeze more money out of his current employer, and then apologise to his prospective future employer, he might still find himself lining up in a blue shirt when Everton's season opens against Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.

Everton assumed that the closure of the deal was little more than a formality after they had agreed terms with Newcastle - an initial down-payment of #3.75m with an additional #1.25m after Ferguson had featured in a specified number, believed to be 60, of first-team games.

Last night Ferguson's agent, Dennis Roach, indicated that his client would almost certainly be remaining with Newcastle, curiously citing his friendship with the former England captain Alan Shearer as the deciding factor.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000


Everton have this afternoon been informed that the Dunc deal is off as he will not leave without his bit from NUFC. So what happens now?

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

He looses the diminishing amount of respect I had for him for starters, and if he's any dignity he'll also lose that Everton tattoo. Not impressed by this at all. Sure he's under contract to the club and has his rights but all that talk of 'loyalty bonuses' 'cos he hadn't asked to leave really stick in my throat considering how little he's played. This from a man seen paralytic drunk (yet again) on the pre-season whilst recovering (yet again) from injury. Robson obviously has made his mind up and wants shot of him but at how much of a loss?

If he is staying he had better sharpen up his attitude as all I'm seeing here is one greedy tosser taking the club for a ride. Meanwhile his agent is reported as saying he didn't want to leave because of his 'friendship with Shearer'. Just how dumb does he think we are.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000


Something about this just doesn't add up (and I don't mean the cash). I think his agent is playing a far larger part than is being admitted. Note how all the quotes have come from him - Dunc hasn't said a word.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000


Agree, Steph. I've just been reading various reports and all they've got in common is the agent running his mouth. If Everton is really that close to Dunc's heart, I can't imagine he'd let it fall through so easily, or so stupidly. Exactly what Newcastle is thinking too, so they know they don't have to budge. Sure he'd like as much money as he can get, but it's sounding like his agent has screwed everyone, including the player, in this deal. I'm glad Dunc's staying for now and hope he can give 100% when he puts on the shirt(a repeat of 'that goal' on sunday would be nice!). No doubt he'll go at some point....after firing his agent probably.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

Before we blame his Agent for this greed-fest let's just remember who the Agent is actually working for.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

But remember, agents nowadays are always hankering after the players to change clubs, demand more money, etc. So maybe Dunc gave the go-ahead to see if a deal could be done but I bet the agent was the one one instigated the whole deal right from the start.

Anyway, with Dunc's goal-scoring record against Man..e, hopefully he can start us up and running. (after he gives Stam a black eye, of course)

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000


Apparently Bobby has accused the agent of stirring things up.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Some scouser on the Toffee Web forum reckons Dunc is at this minute driving to Goodison for his medical.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000


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