BURNLEY’S sporting director Frank McParland has been cleared of three charges relating to a £1million Premier League transfer deal.

McParland, 56, was one of several senior football figures to be accused of a string of offences relating to the deal which took Gavin McCann from Aston Villa to Bolton in 2007.

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But yesterday, the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence against the director, cleared of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

McParland was working for Bolton Wanderers at the time of the deal. He joined the Clarets this summer.

Agent Tony McGill started a private prosecution against the parties, following a legal battle over his claims he was cut out of McCann’s transfer.

The CPS took over the case and at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the prosecution formally offered no evidence, with Judge Tom Gittins telling the defendants: “That brings the matter to an end.”

Sammy Lee, a coach at Southampton, was Bolton manager at the time of McCann’s move and he was cleared of conspiracy to defraud Mr McGill in relation to the transfer, and two counts of perverting the course of justice relating to a civil claim in the High Court which followed.

Mr McCann was cleared of conspiracy to defraud, two counts of cheating the public revenue and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Phil Gartside, Bolton Wanderers chairman, was cleared of conspiracy to defraud, forgery, cheating the public revenue and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

The club itself, secretary Simon Marland, football agency SEM and four of its employees were also cleared of various charges relating to the deal.

After the hearing Mr McGill, who still works as a football agent, said: “The whole thing has been mega bucks since I started, but ‘que sera, sera’.”