John Terry touts his Wembley box for £4,000: England captain's perk offered for cash against all rules

By Christian Gysin, Matt Lawton and Michael Seamark

Facing questions: John Terry with his wife Toni


John Terry faced new questions last night over his fitness to be England captain.
A Daily Mail investigation found his personal box at Wembley being 'touted out' for £4,000 a match.

Terry's contract to rent the luxurious 12-seater facility is subsidised to the tune of tens of thousands a year as one of his 'perks' as national team skipper. Its terms expressly forbid hiring it out.

But yesterday the Mail was offered exclusive use of it for England's friendly against Egypt next month by an associate of Terry's management agents.

'It's John Terry's box and you can have it,' said the go-between. 'It will be £4,000 and we would want the money in cash.' He said the player would provide a signed England or Chelsea shirt as 'part of the deal'.

The revelation comes as England manager Fabio Capello prepares to meet the Chelsea star, a married father of two, to discuss the sex scandal that has called his international career into question.

Terry had a five-month affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the estranged partner of his England team-mate Wayne Bridge, then tried to cover it up with a court 'super-injunction'.


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Terry, 29, who earns £170,000 a week as Chelsea captain, is now likely to be asked to explain why his box is being offered to outsiders. The facility guarantees seats not only for football but also rugby, American football and non-sporting events including top pop concerts.

The Wembley scheme is revealed six weeks after Terry and an associate showed reporters posing as businessmen around Chelsea's training ground in Surrey, in return for £10,000 in £50 notes.

The box was offered to the Mail by Anthony White, 35, sales and marketing manager at the David Beckham Academy until it closed down last month.

A coach at the Academy was Paul Nicholls - a 29-year-old semi-professional footballer and long-term friend of Terry, who is now part of the player's two-man management team.

Our reporter, posing as a businessman wanting to organise of football-related events, first met White at the Academy in Greenwich, South East London.

After an exchange of emails, White telephoned earlier this week and said: 'I've had a think about what we could do, and as this is a special event I've pulled a few strings and how about I get you a 12-seater box at Wembley for the England-Egypt friendly on March 3?'

'For the box it will be £3-4000 and we would want the money in cash. You pay a mate of mine a few days before the game.


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'As for the beer and wine in the box you have to pay for that, as it is fully stocked and then re-stocked afterwards. You can pay in cash on the night. That would be the best way.

'I can also arrange for a signed shirt, either England or Chelsea, from John Terry. How does that sound?'

In a call yesterday White confirmed: 'You can have it for four [thousand].

'I will let you have it for four - no problem. The only way it will become unavailable is if John wants to use it. But I don't think that will happen.'

It was unclear whether the box was being offered with Terry's knowledge but the Football Association are certain to want to know if it has been 'touted out' before - and if so, how often.

Terry, who has been reported to be a heavy gambler, is understood to have tried to get out of the contract for the Wembley box twice in the last two years.

His discount as England captain means he pays just under £80,000 a year for a box which would cost anyone else £120,000. But Internet reports yesterday claimed he owed money on the deal and that his friends had run up a £20,000 bill at last year's FA Cup Final.


Fabio Capello, left, arriving at Heathrow yesterday and right, John Terry's former lover, Vanessa Perroncel, who was out in London's West End

White claimed the box belonged to Terry's management company, Elite Management, which is run by Nicholls and Keith Cousins, chairman of lower league side Rushden and Diamonds.


They provoked controversy last year after hiring a firm called Riviera Entertainment to try and fix lucrative commercial deals for Terry in the run-up to the World Cup.


Referring to the sex scandal, White told the Mail: 'You can imagine the furore that's been around John. Well it's the guys that look after him that own the box. I spoke to the guys yesterday from his management team and they are just checking the availability. I will put you on to a guy called Paul who will look after you once I get the nod from him.'

He even held out the possibility that Terry would come up after the game to meet guests in the box.

The legal contract between Wembley and box-holders is unambiguous about hiring out the facility. It says: 'If you don't want to attend an event, you can allow someone of your choice to use it instead, provided you give your tickets away (no money, service or benefit in kind may be given in return). If you prefer to sell your box for an event, you can ask Club Wembley to do this on your behalf. You will receive the proceeds less an administrative fee of 15 per cent.'

As Terry's finances come under scrutiny, the Mail has learned that he has taken out four mortgages in seven years on the Surrey home he bought for £2.75million in 2003.


One financial expert said this suggests he has been raising capital against the house.

Last night Terry's spokesman Phil Hall said White had been acting 'on his own' when he offered the box.


He said: 'I have spoken with Paul Nicholls and the box is run by his promotions company, Sports Marketing and Promotions, of which he is sole director.

'When Anthony White asked Paul for the box, Paul replied "I'm sorry Anthony, we are not allowed to sell it on. We never would do'.

Mr Hall said that until last August the box had been owned by JGT Promotions - JGT standing for John George Terry. He did not know who was responsible for paying for it now.

White also denied offering the Mail the use of Terry's box.

He said: 'I didn't make any offer. I said I could try and get some corporate hospitality. I am sorry if he got the wrong end of the stick.

'I said I know a guy at John's management company and I know they have a box. It belongs to the management company. I just know the guy who works there and I was going to ask as a favour.'

It's thought Terry's lover Vanessa Perroncel has signed a kiss and sell deal to tell all about her fling with the England captain. Her publicist Max Clifford was last night spotted with a contract in his hand outside his home. Miss Perroncel has reportedly been offered £250,000 to speak about her relationship with the married footballer.


source: dailymail