Mike Newell has provoked angry responses from the FA and football agents after hitting out at the corruption in the game.

Luton manager Newell yesterday said that he had been offered bungs during his short managerial career and criticised the money paid to agents during transfer and contract negotiations.

"There are clear problems in football but nothing gets done," Newell said.

"Why has it taken so long for people to realise what's been going on? And why aren't the Premier League doing anything?

"What it needs is for someone in the Premier League to stand up and shout about it. But what you find is that a lot of people involved with the agents and doing the deals are getting back-handers.

"You're not telling me that the only person guilty of taking a bung in the last decade is George Graham? I don't believe it."

When challenged today to name names, Newell said on BBC Radio Five Live : "I will do that. I have no problem. I have no reason to be afraid and I have no fear of anybody coming to speak to me.

"They need to come to me - I have absolutely nothing to hide. I have done my duty to football."

"You will get a lot of people denying - but you don't have to be Einstein to understand why they are denying it."

But the Football Association said that the claims would have to be investigated.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said that Newell should make his allegations specific to the FA.

His counterpart at the FA, Brain Barwick, said: "These are very serious claims that Mike Newell has made.

"We welcome the fact that he has said that he is willing to provides names and details of people who have breached the rules.

"We have contacted Mike this morning and will meet with him early next week. If he provides us with evidence we will investigate fully. The FA takes this issue very seriously.

Newell also caused a reaction from leading agents. Phil Smith, of agents First Artists, said: "Mike Newell now needs to put up or shut up - come out with it all and name names to the relevant authorities."

Smith also criticised the FA.

"We really need a proper investigation to flush it out - for as much as the industry has been cleaned up, we don't feel the FA have policed it properly. If it is still going on we need to know who it is.

"We are a public company and are very transparent in our dealings. But unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people in the agency side of the business, and it would help if we all knew who they are."

Newell is confident he is in a powerful position, because he has never been tempted to take a bung himself.

"I have no fear. I have never taken anything that was not due to me in a contract - and that goes as a player or a manager," Newell said.

"I find it unbelievable that the journalists in this country cannot investigate what is going on - it's not Watergate or the White House they are going into," he said.

"I find it unbelievable that they just skirt round the issue."