He was involved with one of the most controversial Football transfer in History.

His name is Ashley Cole.


Here is the extract from the controversial book

1) ON ARSENAL's BID to Get POINTS OFF CHELSEA

“I believe Arsenal’s thinking was ‘We can get one over on them here.’

“If Chelsea were to be found guilty of breaching rule K3, the Premier League had the power to sanction them with a fine or even by docking points.

“It was as if someone had flicked on the floodlights at a darkened Highbury and enlightened the Board.

“This was all because of the Chelsea factor. Was I deemed expendable if it meant getting back at the club whose supremacy was bringing Arsenal and Manchester United to heel in the 2004-5 season?

2) ARSENAL TAPPED GILBERTO !

Cole, 25, also blasts Arsenal over double standards concerning tapping up. And he cites Gilberto Silva’s move to back his claims.
The £4.5million switch from Atletico Mineiro was investigated by a judge amid allegations Arsenal had used a sports consultant to check out whether the World Cup-winner was interested in a move to Europe.“Tapping up takes place in football. And if it is not blatant tapping up, it’s a diluted, more subtle form of the same thing.

To be continued

THE LONDON HOTEL TAPPING

The door opened and Mourinho walked in,
In the second part of our serialisation of Ashley Cole's new book, the defender reveals the secrets of the most infamous football meeting of all time
I LOOK back now and still can’t get my head around half of it; how, in the space of 18 months, the dream was undone so fast. It does my head in thinking about it all: the mess I found myself in, the storm that whipped up around me, the abuse of the fans, the charges laid against me. Overnight, they stopped singing my name and the party ended as abruptly as someone pulling the plug out of the wall. I became the treacherous Ashley Cole, the Judas of Highbury.

I was well down on the day when I drove into town to see Jonathan Barnett (my agent) at his offices. We jumped in Jonathan’s Bentley and he told his driver our destination: the Royal Park Hotel. It was Thursday, January 27, 2005.

We walked by reception and into a meeting room called the Green Room where we found Pini (Zahavi, Chelsea’s agent) sat alone. We must have been in there about 20 minutes when Pini suddenly flicked his wrist to look at his watch — “Time! Time! My next meeting . . .” and he started to get up out of his chair. The door opened and José Mourinho and Peter Kenyon walked in.

I remember noticing Jonathan was gearing up to leave, reaching around his chair for his coat. The small talk, the pleasantries and the goodbyes lasted another 15 minutes as I genuinely saw no harm in being there for a few extra minutes as these two meetings overlapped.

Mr Mourinho pulled out a chair and sat at the head of the oval-shaped table and Jonathan was sat to my right. It was normal chit-chat from then on. I mentioned how well Chelsea were doing in the league. “Yes, and we are going to buy two more players — a midfielder and a left back,” he said.

And that’s when Pini made a flip remark, “Well, we are sat with the best left back in the world!” and Mr Mourinho smiled and said, “Yes, I agree.”

We talked about general football stuff before Mourinho asked how life was with me. Life’s good, I told him. “And are you happy at Arsenal?” he asked. This was not an unusual question in my book. Friends and family had been asking the same thing for weeks and Mr Mourinho had just walked in on a meeting with Pini Zahavi. It wouldn’t take the most perceptive of people to get nosey on that one.

“No, I’m unhappy but it’s a long story,” I told him. He asked if it was because of Arsène Wenger. I told him it wasn’t; the boss was brilliant, I had a very good relationship with him and my unhappiness was with other people. I could tell he was itching to ask more, but, at that point, Jonathan stood up and said: “We had better be going. Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure.”

I can only speak about what was said and not said while I was in the room, and in those 15–20 minutes, the chit-chat never strayed anywhere near what could be considered an approach by Chelsea. Not once was there anything mentioned about figures, transfers, further meetings or even leaving Arsenal.

BY THE following weekend it became clear that, while war had not quite broken out, a major scandal had. Me and that famous Gunners No 3 shirt had been caught out of position as piggy-in-the-middle between both clubs, an Arsenal player chatting with the Chelsea manager, and this is what was exposed in the News of the World as an illegal approach by Chelsea. Tapping-up, in other words. Or, if you want to get technical, a breach of Premier League K3: the rule forbidding under-contract players from being approached by, or talking with, another interested club or manager.

If Chelsea were to be found guilty of breaching rule K3, the FAPL had the power to sanction them with a fine or even by docking points. It was as if someone had flicked on the floodlights at a darkened Highbury and enlightened the board. Perhaps they thought here was a way of possibly reining back the runaway leaders.

I genuinely believe Arsenal’s thinking was, “We can get one over on them here”, even though the club later denied this was a motive.

This was all because of the Chelsea factor. Was I deemed expendable if it meant getting back at the club whose supremacy was bringing Arsenal and Manchester United to heel in the 2004–05 season? I know what I think — that I was naive to believe my years of loyalty counted for anything.

There was a lot of speculation about charges against Chelsea and the sanctions open to the league, but not once did I think about being charged myself. It never entered my head.

But on March 23, 2005, the FA Premier League issued a statement announcing a formal inquiry. It was charging me for a breach of rule K5, forbidding a contracted player approaching another club, and José Mourinho and Chelsea Football Club for a breach of rule K3. It couldn’t make up its mind who had approached whom, so it covered both bases. Arsenal’s pursuit of Chelsea had backfired against their own player, and I couldn’t believe what was happening.

The hearing was held on Tuesday, May 17, five days before the FA Cup Final against Manchester United. As I drove there after training at London Colney, Mr Dein, the first witness called, was getting himself all mixed up. Apparently Mr Dein said that the hotel episode impacted so badly on the club that Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten run was ended in the match following the News of the World’s story.

But the unbeaten run had ended the previous October, not in the January. From what I was told, the vice-chairman was all over the place with his facts.

I walked in as Mr Dein was walking back to the chair at the end of his evidence, with José Mourinho up next. From a tactical point of view, he was fascinating to listen to. He talked about me and Jonathan both being unhappy. He listed as reasons the contract I had, the way the negotiations had gone and said I was generally frustrated with how things were being handled.

I grew more and more agitated in my seat as he continued by saying that I also weren’t happy with the relationship Arsène Wenger had with some of the French players and that they were in control of the dressing-room.

The rest of his evidence weren’t good for me. Nor was the evidence of Peter Kenyon, who was next up. He said Pini Zahavi made the approach on our behalf.

I was nervous giving evidence. I told the inquiry that everything that had been said about the hotel meeting was rubbish. I ran them through the whole thing from start to finish: how a brief meeting with Pini Zahavi was interrupted by a knock on the door, in walked the Chelsea manager and chief executive, there was general chit-chat and then we left.

Then the inquiry hit me with the biggest blow. Arsène Wenger was not being called, because it was Cup Final week. Mr Dein’s evidence would stand alone as the Arsenal view. Coupled with the evidence of Mr Mourinho and Mr Kenyon, I think I knew I was dead at that point.

I WAS never going to be found innocent. I turned up at Marble Arch Towers on June 1 to hear the verdict in person, having flown into London from New York after England’s 3-2 friendly win over Colombia. We sat and listened as they pretty much hammered us all. Guilty as charged. As expected.

The 15-page judgment concluded: “We are satisfied that every individual was fully aware that a prearranged meeting was to take place and that its purpose was to discuss with Ashley Cole his future. We reject Peter Kenyon and José Mourinho’s explanation that they merely went to listen. They played an active role. We safely infer that there was an active discussion between all those present on the basis that Cole was going to be up for sale in the near future. Chelsea were exploring the prospect of acquiring him. We infer that Jonathan Barnett contacted Pini Zahavi and explained the position and, in all probability, the two agents discussed the possibility of a transfer deal for Cole . . . we had grave difficulty giving credence to Cole and Barnett’s account.”

So they didn’t believe a word I’d said. For me, the judgment was one mass assumption – it seemed they had filled in the gaps for themselves with a form of justice based on there being no smoke without fire.

If Arsenal had banked on the league backing up its bark with a bite, it was to be disappointed. Chelsea were not docked any points. Instead, they were handed a suspended three-point deduction and fined £300,000. José Mourinho was fined £200,000 and I was fined £100,000, despite the inquiry conceding that “the arrangements of the meeting were not of his direct making”.

All I could think was that Arsenal had been hell-bent on revenge against Chelsea and hadn’t given a toss about my welfare, and I’d not just been hammered with a hefty fine, but also with a bill for the FAPL expenses. I couldn’t hide my anger for Mr Dein and blamed him for wrecking my Highbury career. I still do.

History will always remember me for going behind the back of Arsenal to encourage interest from Chelsea. But one man’s version of history is another man’s different account. From my viewpoint, sat on the inside of that room with Peter Kenyon and José Mourinho, I know what weren’t said. From the fans’ and the league’s point of view, sat on the outside they seem to think they know what must have been said. And for ever and a day, all of us are going to have to agree to disagree.

INSIDE THE ROYAL PARK HOTEL, LONDON

Thursday January 27, 2005

‘We are going to buy two more players — a midfielder and a left back’ Mourinho

‘Well, we are sat with the best left back in the world’ Zahavi

‘Yes, I agree. [To Cole] And are you happy at Arsenal?’ Mourinho

‘No, I’m unhappy but it’s a long story’ Cole

Arsenal must be up to the same tricks as everyone else

I’VE lost some respect for Arsenal’s vice-chairman, who seems to have forgotten that the Arsenal boy became a man, that the boy he regards as a son of the club cannot be taken for granted just because there is an affectionate history.

Throughout the tapping-up affair the only person who was happy was David Dein, who couldn’t wait to heap praise on the News of the World when the FAPL inquiry was launched.

Nine months later and, curiously, Mr Dein was in no mood to rush to the Editor of the Daily Express to congratulate them for their investigative work. I don’t know what happened. I’ve just read the press reports like anyone else. So I’ll let you decide whether this smells of hypocrisy and double standards.

It all had to do with the £4.5 million transfer of Gilberto Silva from Atlético Mineiro to Arsenal, which attracted the close scrutiny of a High Court judge. Mr Justice Jack presided over a civil matter concerning agents’ commissions involved with the transfer. As a result of that case it emerged that Arsenal had used an international sports consultant to make inquiries and “sound out” the appropriate people in Brazil about Gilberto moving to a “ European club”, without ever mentioning Arsenal.

From reading the reports it seems Mr Dein protested that there was nothing “covert” about that approach. Now, I would say, nor was there anything “covert” about me meeting Pini Zahavi in a busy London hotel, but I still got hauled over the coals for it.

Look, tapping-up takes place in football. And if it’s not blatant tapping-up, it’s a diluted, more subtle form of the same thing. Whether it’s a Fifa-licensed agent, a third party or a friend of a friend, players or their agents are sounded out all the time. I’d be amazed if every club doesn’t do it. By definition, that means Arsenal must be up to the same tricks as everyone else.

What was blindingly obvious to me was that there was only one reason why Arsenal were making such a meal out of my case — because it was Chelsea. I wish the Gilberto case had come to light a few months earlier. It would have made for interesting ammunition for my legal team.

BETRAYED BY THE CLUB I LOVED

MY HEART AND SOUL WAS TIED TO Arsenal with a fisherman’s knot. I don’t think even Houdini could have unravelled it. Not for one minute did I see myself leaving. There was only ever one club in England, let alone London, and that was the Arsenal. That was before the 2004–05 season. That was before something precious was smashed into tiny pieces.

It all started while I was sitting in the sunshine at Sopwell House, the hotel in Hertfordshire used by England before we flew out to Portugal for Euro 2004, when an eager voice called out, “Ashley!” Mr Dein was stood there. He told me I wasn’t earning enough and my salary was going to be increased. My face- cracking smile told him all he needed to know. I was buzzing, really buzzing. His tone soon wiped the smile from my face. I felt his attitude suggested he was doing me a favour, like I was a 17-year-old trainee.

The deal he offered was a £10,000-a-week increase to £35,000. A hell of a lot of money. But, when taken in the context of football wages and his own estimated value of me of £20 million, and when placed next to those other Arsenal wages of between £80,000 and £100,000 a week, his offer was a piss-take. It was a slap in the face, not a pat on the back.

By the time José Mourinho and Roman Abramovich came to Highbury for a thrilling 2-2 draw in December 2004, I’d already told my agents what I wanted in terms of a new deal. They thought I’d lost my marbles. But I loved Arsenal, couldn’t imagine playing for another club and wanted to stay. “So get me £60,000 a week and I’ll be happy with that,” I said.

The next thing I know, on December 20, Jonathan (Barnett) is on the phone with good news: “Ash, I’ve just met David Dein for breakfast at Claridge’s; we’ve shaken on £60,000 a week.” As it turned out, the Arsenal board had other ideas about rubber-stamping Mr Dein’s recommendation. At a board meeting held two days before our 1–0 away defeat at Bolton in January, it was decided the maximum offer should be £55,000 a week. I don’t believe the board gave a damn about keeping me. It preferred to haggle over a difference of £5,000.

IT WAS A GOOD JOB I WAS WELL AWAY from it all, driving to Mum’s house in Chigwell as agent and vice-chairman locked horns in an office in Central London later that month. Somewhere along the A406 North Circular Road, one telephone call changed everything about how I viewed and felt about Arsenal.

“Ash! Are you listening?” said a virtually hyperventilating Jonathan. “I’m here in the office and David Dein is saying they aren’t going to give you £60k a week. They’ve agreed £55k and this is their best and final offer. Are you happy with that?”

When I heard Jonathan repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road. “He is taking the piss, Jonathan!” I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. I suppose it all started to fall apart for me from then on. I’d trusted Mr Dein to push the deal through.

The next month I met Mr Dein at his house, set back off a dark, leafy road on the outskirts of North London, about 15 minutes’ drive from me. He tried turning the screw on the salary. I told him that I thought someone on the board had it in for me, didn’t like me or wanted to see me go. How else could he explain the squabble over £5k?

I just laid it on the line. “I feel betrayed and let down by a club I’ve given my heart and soul to.” I told him I had wanted to re-sign for Arsenal, but the whole thing had left me feeling upset and confused.

One week later, I got a call on the mobile from Jonathan. “Did you tell David Dein that you wanted to re-sign for Arsenal?” I’d said I had wanted to re-sign for Arsenal, “had” being the operative word, and the vice-chairman had somehow twisted my words.

It seemed to me he was letting me down at every turn. And if he thought relations had soured because of the infamous Chelsea incident at the Royal Park Hotel in January he was mistaken. Relations had soured the moment that he went back on a verbal agreement in December.

My Personal Comment on this :

I am suprised that Ashley never admitted his illegal approach was wrong and thereby apologised to Arsenal supporters.

May be he will do that soon.

he can keep writing that his problem , he cant save his conscience he know he's after money and not good football

thats what we call Cole saga.
his reasons to move are just far-fetched and full of crap.
He had shown interest in Roman billions long ago so why is he beating about the bush?
For sure am cracking up!

this guy has no shame
you are gone, go in peace and stop trying to defend ur cashley self

the best weapon for him is to shut his trap since the more he try to explain his move the more it looks like a trickster.

he wants arsenal fans to 'understand' him
he just making a mnkey out of himself

Muks
you are now in Anambra?
anyway we understood Cole intentions last season after that long period of malingering in the name of injury.he was even crap in that Chelsea/Werder Bremen as he was just pushing Klose around. perhaps he knows he has to be more physical at the bridge

yes am now in anambra

Priccy dont forget their name is[b] roman army [/b] so you gats to be physical
i hope he scores an own goal

Dont Mind tha Idiot Guy,Ever Since when wenger started using flamini ashley cole has never been ahppy for once.
always having excuses for not playing.

we dont miss him,
maybe he was the one that gave us bad luck in the ucl finals
he only played in the finals,

Mukin!!!

@All

I am waiting for my 5 special Gunners to comment on this.

Please read everything.

My specials are:

1) Pie1ect

2) Lordi

3) She " You know yourself "

4) Debosky and

5)

I was surprised when I first read about Ashley's biography.

I just couldn't understand the rationale behind all he said, why attack Arsenal?

What was he trying to gain in all those rubbish he said about his former club and team mates.

Saying Arsenal's last season was jeopardized by his lazy and Selfish teammates is what I just couldn't comprehend. What was he driving at?

That amounts to biting the fingers that fed him. And I don't see that as honourable at all.

Kola
I beg, you are taking this whole thing too far.
Why downlook upon peoples' minds. its not fair.I think you should start threads with "exclusive" titles then you will get those to discuss.
Am sick and tired of this!rather at the conflict of interest I  might just assume and if not thinking football?
the truth is, it was very unwise of Cole and he will regret it
have fun highcourt judge!

Muks! dont be vexed my dear we are the people(gunners)

Priccy i nor vex o
i think youre right he should create threads with exclusive rights to special people.

exactly. .
kola no bad belle. you are right to judge all

Na wah o!!!


SO FINE FINE GALS LIKE PRISCCY AND MUKKY NO MAKE THE LIST OF SPECIAL GOONERS AS COMPILED BY AKOLA THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NAIRALAND
Am even surprised that all those people have not commented thus far on the issue at hand

Exclusive rights to special people, hmmn that makes sense to me

I will love to see the list of MAN UTD SPECIALS _{*i bet all the jackals will make the list*}

Source, please, sir?

I'm a Juve fan which means some would say what is my business here.

However, like any true fan, I hate disloyal players. My take on the Cashley Cole saga is documented here. Nothing he claims will change the truth.

Question from admin O.
kola please answer!
@kitaun!
I discovered kola's ploy to devide and rule gunners.We refuse to accept that. we are gunners for real. united we stand

cashley Cole really has image problem.
He is a misunderstood wannabe personality who is only making money by blackening the game reputation.
thats ridiculous for him to start such a book at this time

@Priscilla

I discovered that too and am not bothered about Akola's behaviour but yet it is up to we Gooners not to allow it happen

(anyone who has not read some extracts from Coles my defence i have summarised for you just read!

“Cashley” Cole biography is just a string of denials at least from the extracts I have read. For instance he says his meeting with Mourinho that led to the tapping up scandal was a 15 min general chat.
He also denies being the one who threw pizza at Sir Alex during that infamous battle of buffet as well as being gay. The book further reveals his envy for Henry with the way the club treated him and also ridicules youngsters Sendeross and Fabregas!
Apparently, the Arsenal top brass wined and dined Henry to make him stay and no one bothered to do the same for Cole and instead tried to haggle 5,000 pounds off his agreed
salary. I hear he is comparing himself with Becks and Gaucho!

Whether he likes it or not, Cole isn’t in the same league as beckham either on the field or in terms of millions the former England has made out of his commercial deals and marriage to one of the spice girls. He doesn’t have the technical ability of Ronaldo or Ronaldinho.and his book isn’t getting the reaction he expected. He should stop tainting the image of soccer further

Former Arsenal midfielder José Antonio Reyes has hit back at claims from Ashley Cole that his former club lacked team spirit.

Cole has claimed in his book that there was no team spirit in the Arsenal dressing room and that he never spoke to Cesc Fabregas or Reyes.

"It's out of order to start saying bad things about Arsenal," said Reyes.

"Cesc has told me what Ashley has been saying. It's not true: the atmosphere was fine in the Arsenal dressing room.

We all got on, we all spoke and there were no problems between players. Cole is going about things the wrong way."

Cole has just managed to disgrace himself further.

While he is talking about how the youngsters were not hanging out together or being rude to Keown, he has not said what he tried to do as a senior player to correct this.

Instead he is nearly crashing his car becuase he is offered 55,000 a week instead of 60,000.

Poor guy, it be like say Arsenal wan starve am.

Did you see how Pennant messed up Cashley Cow yesterday it was a gory sight to me, this guy has to allow his legs do the talking instead of trying to gain undue publicity from yarns as silly as all these gibberish talk

look the way i see it is,

The guy wanted more cash and titles, not bad, since chelsea had he cash and the titles , but the problem comes with the way he went about it.

I don 't think he;ll ever be the hero he was at arsenal and even if the crowd didn't sing his name , at least he was appreciated. Once mOurinho sees a better left back, Cashley will be benched consistently.

Besides i'm happy with the coming of gallas, it was a good deal for me.