Eric has monster money worries

Football's most famous agent, Eric Hall, has run into monster problems with his business.

The High Court has ordered his Eric Hall Management Ltd into liquidation.

Hall, who became well-known for his "monster monster" catchphrase, huge cigars and outlandish fashion sense once said his goal was to make rich players richer and poor players rich but now faces a fight to save his business reputation and his place as one of soccer's most influential movers and shakers.

The colourful cockney's company was put into liquidation because his firm's long-serving accountant Silver Levene was granted a winding up order. Eric Hall Management Ltd is already liable for a £250 fine for late filing of its annual accounts to Companies House.

The accounts for the firm's financial year to 31July 2000 should have been filed in May. The last set of accounts available name Hall as the sole shareholder.

Silver Levene's Mark Gold said his company was owed a "substantial amount of money" for its work and it had begun proceedings against their former client earlier this year.

He said Silver Levene had worked for Hall for several years before the unpaid bills forced it to withdraw its services to his company in February.

Hall is widely credited as being one of the key figures behind the game's transformation into a monstermoney business during the 1990s as he brought the skills learnt at EMI, promoting acts such as Queen, the Sex Pistols and Elton John, to the footballing world.