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As if the rumour mills needed anything to fuel their Notts County fire, the sudden departure of Sol Campbell has stoked the flames even more.
A wide range of rumours and theories have been presented by the assorted media on Campbell's exit, often backed up by an 'insider' or 'source'. Some claim Campbell's first wage packet was ominously light, others that he simply didn't like League Two after all after an indifferent debut at the less glamourous surroundings of Morecambe's Christie Park.
The most intriguing one comes from The Sun, who say Campbell was 'only' earning £7,000 a week as a player, with the rest of his £40,000 deal coming as an ambassador for Munto Finance as they exploit mining agreements in South Africa but that the picture painted to Campbell about the situation was not as bright as claimed. The paper quotes an 'insider':
"Both Sven and Sol were given traditional football contracts, confirming their pay, terms and conditions to manage or play for Notts County. There was nothing unusual about that. But they were also offered separate ambassadorial contracts, whereby they would perform various off-field duties for Munto Finance and County.
"In Sol's case, he fully expected to go to South Africa, where he understood Munto - or Qadbak - would be involved in mining investments. The idea would be that Sol would meet the local people and explain to them how the companies could be good for the local areas. It was his belief the companies would bring massive infrastructure to communities, paying for new schools, hospitals, sports facilities, and even charitable work.
Magpies' Managing Director Peter Trembling suggested that it was all Morecambe's fault: "The five weeks Sol has been here he has been as happy as Larry. He played at Morecambe on Saturday then phoned and expressed a few concerns. Maybe it was the stark reality of Morecambe, which, with respect, is not the Emirates. But five weeks ago he was prepared for that."
While all this goes on press reports state another unnamed Premier League player is to join the club on loan shortly, while the Football League will continue to investigate the ownership of the club: "The Football League is now analysing information given to us by Notts County and making further enquiries. No further comment will be made until after the League’s next board meeting on October 8."
