Crystal Palace are preparing to take further legal action against Tony Pulis after failing to pay back a Premier League bonus, after a high court ruling.
In November, Pulis was ordered to pay the Eagles £3,776,000 in damages following a tribunal of which he ‘deceived’ on the matter of the manager asking for his Premier League bonus early, to allow him to buy a plot of land for his children and quitting upon receiving the bonus.
The now West Brom manager, who Palace face this weekend in the Premier League, has continued to plead his innocence despite the ruling by the High Court who described his behaviour as ‘disgraceful’.
The Eagles could be set for a return to court, to seek an enforcement order or request to make the former Palace manager bankrupt. Pulis is also said to be considering his options after finding a new lawyer and could seek to appeal the decision.
Dispute resolution lawyer Paul Stothard told The Times: “It is unlikely that there are grounds to oppose the decision of the FA tribunal, which is final and binding and can generally be enforced through the courts like any other judgement.
“Unless Mr Pulis is able to pay the debt, then there are a range of enforcement options open to Crystal Palace, including enforcing against his personal property, taking security over his real estate and so forth.
“Palace could even enforce the award against any overseas assets.”
The panel of which made the ruling, were not happy at the case made by Pulis with a number of flaws found within what he said to both the tribunal and the club on the matter of needing the money and the way of which he left the club.
At the end of the hearing, the panel said: “There was in truth no pressing need for the money at all, since at no time was there a plot of land on the market which Mr Pulis was remotely close to purchasing.
“The Panel is satisfied that Mr Pulis intended to give Mr Parish the false impression that he had a pressing need for the money for use in connection with an imminent land transaction and that he knew or was reckless to the fact that the impression he was giving to the club was a false one.
“His motive in doing so was to secure early payment of £2million.”
