West Brom manager Tony Pulis has coughed up almost £6m to former club Crystal Palace after losing a High Court appeal last year.
The 59-year-old has paid his former employers £3.77m as ordered by the court, but must also cover £2m in legal fees.
Palace took further action against Pulis to enforce the judgment after the High Court labeled the Welsh manager's behaviour “disgraceful," ascertaining that Pulis had bagged himself an early payment of a £2 million bonus “by deceit” shortly before leaving Palace three years ago.
What happened with Tony Pulis and Crystal Palace?
After a stunning turnaround in Pulis' first season at Palace, where he guided them from 19th to 11th in the Premier League table, Pulis requested an early bonus from the club. As per The Times UK, Pulis received the bonus early by saying that he was “committed” to the club and “urgently needed the money early” so that he could buy some land for his children.
He then left the club unexpectedly on the eve of the following season, joining West Brom five months later.
An arbitration panel ruled that Pulis' aforementioned land deal was "non-existent," and ordered Pulis to pay Palace back his bonus, plus taxes and the amount arising from a clause in his Palace contract that meant the club would receive £1.5 million in compensation should he join another club. Add to this the £2m in legal fees, and the whole affair has set Big Tony back a good £5.77m.
Neither Pulis nor Palace have commented on the matter publicly.
