It’s not just Sam Allardyce who has borne the brunt of this week’s Telegraph revelations and allegations – the Football Association has suffered too.
No, we’re not talking about the payout afforded to the former England boss after he left his post by mutual consent.
We’re not even talking about Martin Glenn, chief executive of the governing body, being required to go on camera condemning Allardyce’s actions as “inappropriate and frankly not what is expected of an England manager”.
Instead we’re on about the haul of commemorative Allardyce t-shirts which The Sun reports the FA have been forced to bin at a cost of £40,000.
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Sure, that’s a drop in the ocean compared to the reported seven-figure severance payment going the way of the ex-Sunderland manager, but the headline figure is perhaps less significant than the awkwardness of it all.
The Sun claims the FA had 4,000 t-shirts printed to mark Allardyce’s first home game in charge, due to take place against Malta on October 8th.
Allardyce secured victory in his first game in charge, thanks to Adam Lallana’s last-gasp winner in Slovakia, and has left his post with a 100% record. He was due to welcome the world’s 176th-ranked team to Wembley before flying out to Slovenia for their third 2018 World Cup qualifier.
With Allardyce gone, the FA have confirmed that Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate will take charge of those games, as well as November’s qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly meeting with 2010 World Cup winners Spain.
Southgate, who remains the bookies’ favourite to take the job on a permanent basis after his temporary stint, has described it as ‘a huge responsibility and a huge honour’ to be handed the reins.
