What a drama with BBC Panorama. Sam Allardyce and football bungs.

I want to make things crystal clear before we again. The following article in relation to the BBC's Panorama documentary on bungs in football contains circumstantial evidence. They are allegations only and no person, football agent, manager or otherwise, has been found guilty of any illegal activities.

You should not necessarily believe anything I say here.

That said, there is not a single person involved in football, from chairmen down to the fans, who does not believe bungs - illegal payments to agents and managers - are a major part of the game.

I feel that has excused me enough from sanction. If I am a liar, prove it. Show me the evidence. If half the managers in the Premiership can stick together in silence over allegations of bung taking then why can't I, as someone who wants to discuss the issue openly, be equally obtuse.

Their motto has always been: Say sod all.

Their silence is damning. They carry on raking in the money and devouring the fringe benefits while ignoring rumour and supposition because they are making too much dosh out of it.

Basically a bung goes like this. A player moves from one club to another. An agent is paid £150,000 by the buying club for his good work - and £50,000 of that goes back to the buying club's manager. A kind of thank-you for buying my player.
I have no doubt that there are far more complicated ways of players, agents, managers and chairman receiving far greater sums of money.

Who am I to say that past and present managers like Sam Allardyce, Harry Redknapp, Graeme Souness, Peter Reid, John Gregory and David O'Leary have taken bungs at some time? I am no one to say it, so I won't.

But it makes me sick when managers who are suspected of underhand behaviour fail to come forward with an offer to help rid the game of its shady dealings. If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

For example, imagine you’re an experienced Premiership manager who has been one step ahead of bung allegations for years - let's call you Barry Headclap. Something fishy went on a few months ago when you met a couple of agents. Now you've heard that the BBC has got something on you. You're under a bit of pressure.

You decide the best thing to do is deny any wrongdoing until the show comes out. You don't think the revelations will be all that bad, but you're not sure. When the BBC air their documentary one of your mates has got it in the neck more than you.

You got off lightly - the evidence isn't hard enough. You come out and say, 'I'm not guilty' and carry on as normal (except you’ll be a bit more weary in future of reporters wearing cameras).

The problem is that Barry, now believing he is in the clear, at no point will feel the need to come out and say, 'I want to work with the FA and the police to rid the game of its shady dealings'.

There's no chance our Barry will say at all. All he thinks is: You've got nothing on me, up yours.

That is not how it should be. But these managers will never hold their hands up because they know if they don't, they will get away with it.

George Graham, the ex-Arsenal boss, was the only manager to lose his job over bung allegations - and that was only because he admitted taking £400,000 from an agent. The rest learned their lesson from that one.

Even Bolton boss Allardyce, who was essentially crucified by his own son in the Panorama documentary, will have to be dragged out of his job rather than willingly walk the plank.

And that brings us to the FA. In many respects, the documentary has put all the pressure on to English football's governing body.

It is now up to the FA to take the BBC's evidence, examine it and (possibly) charge someone. And they will hate that. The FA have failed in the past to weed out the dirty side of the game.

In the past they had a dedicated 'bung-busting' man, FA compliance officer Graham Bean, who uncovered absolutely nothing. Before his post was discontinued he was deafened by a wall of silence wherever he turned.

Now they have the BBC's evidence, the FA have been handed their best opportunity of making something stick. But even that might not be enough to prosecute managers or agents. And if they don't now, they never will.

Even before the BBC show had aired, all those caught up in the show had issued statements.

Proving that these guys have no sense or remorse they shamelessly contradicted what they said on camera.

Craig Allardyce denied any wrongdoing.
Agent Peter Harrison denied he was corrupt.
Agent Teni Yerima claimed he made it all up.
Ex-Portsmouth coach Kevin Bond said he did not want to take a bung.
Agent Charles Collymore also claimed he made up what he said on camera.

Made it up? Is this guy for real?

It's quite pathetic. Along with Allardyce and Redknapp, this lot will now wait and see if they are charged with anything. They will fret and stew a bit, but they none really believe they will be punished.

Yes, British law states you are innocent until proven guilty, but stubborn non-co-operation in dealing with a serious issue is hardly the behaviour of a saint.

It was midway through the 2006/06 season when Luton manager Mike Newell first spoke in public about being offered a bung and complained about the way agents work. It was a brave move. It was also incredibly honest and I admire him for that. Ex-QPR boss Ian Holloway was the one manager to publicly back him up.

But I find it equally unadmirable that the rest of his fellow football managers united in silence, effectively leaving him out in the cold. To me, that says almost every manager in the game is partial to a little sweetener.

Until they all start being pro-active - and that includes players agents chairman, chief executives, coaches and scouts - the finger of suspicion will always be flicking around.

And with so much money being bandied around, this lot are unlikely to come clean.

Come on then, the FA - it's over to you.