BOLTON Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside has been acquitted of perjury and fraud charges after the prosecution offered no evidence.

He and other senior figures in the game had been privately prosecuted by soccer agent Tony McGill.

All 11 defendants - alongside the club as a corporate entity and a sports agency called SEM - saw the prosecution against them collapse on Monday. 

The criminal case related to earlier civil proceedings brought by Mr McGill against nine of the 11.

Mr McGill claimed he had been cut out of midfielder Gavin McCann's £1million switch from Aston Villa to the Whites in 2007.

But the High Court, sitting in Manchester, decided against him last year.

It was in the wake of that ruling that he launched the private prosecution.

Court summons were issued and the fraud allegations against Wanderers and Mr Gartside referred to alleged “numerous false and representational contracts” in June and July 2007.

But the case came to a shuddering halt today at Newcastle Crown Court.

Judge Tim Gittins told the defendants: "I enter not guilty verdicts in each of the allegations.

"That is an end to this matter as far as all of you are concerned."

Gartside, of Crowley, Northwich, Cheshire, who joined the club's board and became chairman in 1999, was cleared of five counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation.

The club's secretary Simon Marland, of Chorley, Lancashire, had faced five counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation

Co-defendants Sammy Lee - the club manager at the time of the deal and now a coach at Southampton FC - and Frank McPartland, the club's former director of football and now holding the same position at Brentford FC, were both acquitted of four counts of perjury.

The player whose transfer was at the centre of McGill's claims, former professional footballer Mr McCann, of Lytham, Lancashire, was cleared of four counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation.

Several football agents were among the defendants.

Jerome Anderson, of Barnet, north London, was acquitted of four counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation.

Stephen Horner, of Brindle, near Chorley, Lancashire, was cleared of two counts of perjury.

Verdicts of not guilty were entered against the four counts of perjury faced by David Sheron, of Rossett, near Wrexham, North Wales.

Jeffrey Weston, of Mill Hill, north London, was acquitted of five counts of perjury and one of fraud by false representation.

The last of the 11 defendants, lawyer Chris Farnell, of Hale, Cheshire, had faced two counts of perjury.

Bolton Wanderers FC as the club and Mr Anderon's Sport and Entertainment Media Group agency similarly saw the private prosecution against them come to an end.

Mr McGill's barrister confirmed Mr McGill, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, would not seek a judicial review of the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to offer no evidence.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “After being asked to review this case we concluded that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction. Therefore the CPS took over and discontinued the case.”