Dowiegate Day Three

Jordan told Justice Tugendhat that ten days after he had agreed to release Iain Dowie on the understanding that he would move north to be nearer his family,Mick McGuire phoned to say that he had nothing to do with Dowie's decision to leave Selhurst Park for Charlton and apologised for what had happened.

He added that this was not true. Dowie's defence counsel Michael McParland asked Jordan: : "Are you saying you believe that Mick McGuire colluded with Mr Dowie in a fraud on you?"

Jordan said in reply: "I believe he had a conversation with me which was not founded on the truth. With the benefit of hindsight and having seen evidence from his diary, I am led to believe he was telling an untruth."

More cross examining saw Jordan say that the agreement to release Dowie was a "pragmatic compromise". "Dowie left the club at a very difficult time. It was a disaster for us to lose him at that time in a critical season, but you have to make the best of the hand you are dealt.

Mr Jordan denied a "Machiavellian attempt to get money out of Charlton" with Mr McParland saying that Jordan's insistence that he would have been just as angry if Dowie had gone to any other London club or anywhere south of Watford was "absolute rubbish".

Mr McParland went on: "When he got to Charlton, you thought, in your Machiavellian way, 'great, I can get on the media and rant and rave and claim compensation." with Jordan replying: "I don't need to go on the media to rant and rave - I can do that by myself. "But there is nothing Machiavellian about me. This man (Dowie) lied to me and I asked my lawyers about it and they advised me what to do."

He stressed that no writ had been issued against Charlton Athletic who have denied any wrong doing.

The case continues.