Newcastle United assistant manager Bond sacked

LONDON, Sep 26 (Reuters) Newcastle United have sacked their assistant manager Kevin Bond, the Premier League club announced today.

''Newcastle United has terminated Kevin Bond's contract,'' they said.

''There is no further comment from the club,'' they added in a statement to the London stock exchange.

Bond was named in a television programme last week alleging that a culture of corruption and illegal payments to managers was rife in English football.

The Football Association has launched a series of investigations into the allegations and the Premier League has asked the BBC to hand over the documentary evidence from its Panorama programme.

Bond was secretly recorded saying he would consider discussing payments by a proposed, but fictitious, agency involving agent Peter Harrison, a central figure in the programme.

Bond formerly worked as assistant manager of Portsmouth under Harry Redknapp, who was accused in the Panorama programme of breaking the rules on indirectly approaching players under contract to rivals clubs.

All those named in the programme have denied any wrongdoing.

REUTERS AY ND1616