Ex-Hull City chief denies cash claims

FORMER Hull City chairman Paul Duffen has denied using club money for personal use and that his company took payments from agents.

His barrister, Lexa Hilliard QC, responded to allegations by the club at a preliminary hearing at the High Court in London yesterday, when orders for disclosure and charges over a property were agreed.

Miss Hilliard told Mrs Justice Proudman that, although Mr Duffen had consented to the orders, “this was not to be taken as an admission by my client of any of the allegations against him”.

An order freezing Mr Duffen’s assets made last Friday was lifted and substituted with an order to value and place a charge on a property. Mr Duffen also agreed to hand over computer files.

A date for the trial of the issues has not been fixed.

The club alleges Mr Duffen used money for his own personal use and his company received payments from agents in return for using those agents to deal with transfers.

Clive Zietman, a partner with Stewarts Law, which represents Hull City, said: “Hull City were pleased with the court order made by consent this morning in which Paul Duffen agreed to provide security to meet the claims being made against him.”

Mr Duffen, 51, declined to comment after the hearing.

But yesterday he had been reported as saying that the club’s proceedings against him were in response to legal action he initiated in December in respect of monies he was owed by City.

He claimed this was owed to him under the “agreed terms” of his resignation.

The club swiftly rejected this. It said in a statement it “wishes to clarify that, contrary to a tabloid newspaper article today, Mr Duffen has not issued any legal proceedings against the company and Hull City does not believe he has any basis whatsoever for doing so.”

Mr Duffen left the Tigers last October after more than two years at the Premier League club.

He was appointed chairman in June 2007 after former Leeds United director Adam Pearson sold the club to an Essex-based consortium. Mr Pearson rejoined Hull as chairman in November.

City won promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time in the club’s history in 2008 and narrowly avoided relegation last season.