The Sunday Mirror:
A sensational plot to spike a soccer star's food with drugs can be revealed today by the Sunday Mirror.
Leeds United's £5million defender Michael Duberry was the intended victim of a plan to deliberately wreck his career.
A former Leeds executive has revealed a plan to dope the 29-year-old with cocaine, ecstasy and banned steroids so he would fail a drugs test.
The aim was to engineer the one-time England international's sacking because the Championship club could no longer afford to pay his £24,000-a-week salary.
Another plan was to end the career of his fellow top wage earner, Gary Kelly, 30, by hiring hitmen to break his legs.
And a bizarre plot was hatched to drug opponents Coventry City and their high-profile manager, former Leeds boss Peter Reid, by lacing a pre-match banquet with ecstasy.
The plots followed the £22million takeover of Leeds by a Yorkshire-based consortium in March last year. To re-finance the debt-ridden club, the new owners wanted to sell the ground and slash the £15million wage bill.
Former Leeds executive Chris Middleton claims the plot was hatched between him and senior director Simon Morris - part of the consortium that had taken over the club. Morris denies being involved in any plan to nobble Duberry and Kelly claiming Middleton was a "rogue employee" who was sacked for gross misconduct.
Three witnesses to the extraordinary plan have given testimonies to the Sunday Mirror corroborating the events. And yesterday operations manager Middleton - now ashamed of his part in the plot - admitted his role in an exclusive interview.
Three witnesses to the extraordinary plan have given testimonies to the Sunday Mirror corroborating the events. And yesterday operations manager Middleton - now ashamed of his part in the plot - admitted his role in an exclusive interview.
Middleton claimed they planned to sprinkle powdered drugs disguised as Parmesan cheese on Duberry's pasta dish. He says that he and Morris - a 27-year-old property millionaire and life-long Leeds fan - also considered dissolving banned steroids in a sports protein drink aimed at the former Chelsea defender.
Middleton claims the idea arose from a chat the men had about reducing the wage bill at the crisis-hit club in March last year.
"We went on to talk about the wage contract and conditions. I said, 'Who's going to take Gary Kelly on a transfer?' Morris said, 'We'll probably just get his legs broke and then get the insurance money'. Then Duberry was mentioned. I said, 'What are you going to do with Duberry?' He said, 'Wolves have shown an interest in him. I said, 'Wolves are not going to take Duberry. They must know how bad he is'. He then said, 'Well we could get him drugged'. I'd heard this before because a businessman pal had said they were going to get Duberry drugged and cancel his contract."
Middleton also told of a plan to get Kelly off the payroll by breaking his legs and cashing in his lucrative insurance policy.
Middleton said: "Then Morris said, 'What if we get him beaten up, I'm mean seriously beaten up'. I had no answer. I conveniently forgot about it. I wanted no part in it. The boss was desperate. No-one wanted to buy the club's main assets."
Quote
Originally Posted by Macy
Hey never said it was true, just thought it was funny. Besides, plenty more on the sunday mirror site - read how a director wanted over a mill to leave the club...
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks