DowieGateDisgrace.........The Very Latest!

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan must wait to see if he has won his bitter legal row with former manager Iain Dowie.

Their eight-day High Court battle ended on Tuesday - but the judge has withheld his decision over Dowie being sued for alleged "fraudulent misrepresentations".


Dowie's barrister Michael McParland this week dismissed claims that his client had discussed the Charlton job before he left Palace.

*However two days before he left he had talked to Charlton chairman Richard Murray, but Mr McParland said that did not mean Dowie had been spoken to about taking charge of the club.

*Mr McParland added that Preston boss Billy Davies had already been lined up for the Charlton hotseat, although he later declined the move.

*The barrister said Murray had phoned about possible player signings for Charlton.

*He said Dowie could NOT afford to "offend" a Premiership chairman by NOT taking the call.

*It was also revealed that Dowie had started writing a document called "Advancing the Addicks" - before he left Palace.

But the barrister said this did NOT mean he had talked about getting a job at the club.


John Davies QC,for Jordan, said there had been "five representations" that caused his client to waive the clause that required compensation should Dowie leave:

1/ He said Palace's line had been "consistent" from May 10 last year onwards when Jordan made it clear that Dowie could go,but only on the basis he was returning to the north.

2/ Mr Davies also disagreed with Mr McParland's claim that Charlton had lined up Billy Davies as manager when there was initial contact between Dowie and Murray.

3/ The court was also told that Dowie had been "mis-taken" when he said in a press conference to announce he would be joining Charlton that there had been no contact about the job when he was still at Palace.

4/ The court was also told that, on May 16 last year, Dowie considered himself "free" to talk about becoming Derby County manager, even though the agreement to terminate his contract at Palace had NOT been signed off.

5/ Mr Davies said the fact Dowie was talking to Derby at that early stage made it more likely that he had also spoken to Charlton about the managerial position at The Valley.



Mr Justice Tugendhat said he would reserve his decision in the case until a later, unspecified date.