BARNSLEY has sacked its Scots assistant coach Tommy Wright over allegations of corruption.
The Championship club had earlier announced that the 50-year-old Dunfermline-born assistant head coach had been suspended "pending an internal investigation" following allegations made by the Daily Telegraph that he took a £5,000 payment made by its undercover reporters, allegedly to help place players at Barnsley.
Video footage released by the Telegraph as part of its investigation into corruption in football appears to show Wright, a former footballer with Leicester City, Oldham Athletic and Leeds United, accepting the money during a series of meetings with a fake Far East firm, in which he agreed to help sign players part-owned by the firm. Wright has denied any wrongdoing.
The club said: "Barnsley FC today terminated the contract of assistant head coach Tommy Wright with immediate effect.
"A meeting between the club and Mr Wright was held this morning attended by club chief executive Linton Brown. After considering Mr Wright’s response to allegations in today’s Daily Telegraph about breaching FA rules over player transfers, Mr Wright was dismissed.
"The club was unaware of such matters or involved in any wrongdoing. The Club will continue to fully investigate the issues at hand and will co-operate with the regulatory authorities as necessary."
Earlier Barnsley FC boss Paul Heckingbottom said he was under strict instruction not to talk about the allegations.
"You've all been briefed. You know [this press conference is] just about football," he said.
"The club and myself will make a statement later because there's still things ongoing."
When asked when he was made aware of the allegations, Heckingbottom said: "I am just focusing on the football. We can speak about [Barnsley's next match] and things going forward.
"If not we can just finish [the press conference] because I'm under instruction just like everyone at the club that we have to do things properly. We have to speak about it at the right time and in the right way.
"Because it's not nice for anyone."
The Daily Telegraph's investigation involved Wright being introduced to members of the Far East firm, who were undercover reporters, by two football agents.
"I can just recommend players to you that I've gone and seen, and you will have to do your spicy dealing, whatever you do," Wright is filmed saying during one of a number of meetings.
Wright says "you know where I live" when the subject of giving him money is raised.
The article makes it clear that there is no suggestion Barnsley were aware of Wright's actions.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Wright was quoted as saying: "Any suggested acts contrary to criminal law or those of the Football Association and Fifa are categorically denied."
Wright's suspension follows allegations of corruption that led to the departure of England boss Sam Allardyce, and a separate report alleging that eight managers with Premier League experience and two from the Championship had taken so-called 'bungs' in transfer deals.
Allardyce said he was just just trying to help out a "down on his luck" Scots agent Scott McGarvey.
Heckingbottom said he would be speaking with his players about the matter this morning before focusing on Saturday's match.
"My focus this morning, is the players and the team," he said.
"There'll be a time for me to speak about it later on. At this moment in time, everything I'm doing is focused on the players and the team.
"Our job's the pitch. There'll maybe be other people having similar press conferences like this around the country, I don't know.
"But we have to stay strong and focused. We've shown that we're good at that."
Wright, who had appearances for St Johnstone and Livingston in the late 90s was appointed assistant head coach at Barnsley in February 2015 and following the departure of former head coach Lee Johnson the following February he remained as Heckingbottom's number two.
He signed a new 12-month rolling contract in July with the club saying he was a "a key member of Paul Heckingbottom’s coaching staff".
Heckingbottom and Wright steered Barnsley away from relegation and to promotion via the League One play-off final in May in their caretaker roles before being appointed permanently in the summer.
In announcing Wright's contract signature the club added that he was "instrumental in the success of the Reds’ squad last season, winning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and promotion back to our rightful place in the Championship".
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