• Premier League

Allardyce accepts damages for Kean comments

ESPN staff
January 16, 2013
Blackburn have said sorry to Sam Allardyce © Getty Images
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has accepted substantial undisclosed damages over defamatory comments made by Steve Kean about his sacking from his previous post at Blackburn.

Allardyce brought defamation proceedings in London's High Court against Kean, who was Blackburn's manager at the time, during the summer 2011 pre-season tour of the Far East.

The former Bolton manager's solicitor, Hanna Basha, told Mr Justice Eady that the "false and defamatory'' allegation, made while Kean was drinking in a bar in Hong Kong, was filmed on a camera phone and subsequently published to many hundreds of thousands of people over the internet and reported in the national press. She also said that Kean had acknowledged the allegation was completely untrue, withdrawn it, and agreed to pay a substantial sum in damages.

Kean's counsel, John Mehrzad, offered his apologies for the hurt and distress caused and said he was pleased to set the record straight.

Ms Basha said that Allardyce's claim against Blackburn had been settled and as the club had published an apology on its website, it was not a party to today's statement in court.

Kean was Allardyce's first-team coach at Blackburn and succeeded his boss after his sacking in 2010.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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