MR HALE PAYS COMPENSATION FOR LIBEL:

Mr Tony Hale, Chairman of West Bromwich Albion FC, has settled the libel claim brought against him by Paul Thompson, a former non-executive director and major shareholder. Mr Hale has paid Mr Thompson a substantial sum in compensation for the injury caused to Mr Thompson by his words.

Mr Thompson requisitioned an EGM last July asking shareholders to consider removing Mr Hale as Chairman of the Club. Prior to the EGM Mr Hale made a series of false statements and serious allegations against Mr Thompson which damaged his reputation and good name. Among the many things which Mr Hale said, he accused Mr Thompson, on the radio, of having persistently refused to co-operate with his attempts to raise finance for the Club. This was totally untrue.

The true position is that Mr Thompson has always been ready to provide very substantial sums to invest in the Club's future and, as the largest shareholder in the Club, Mr Thompson has already invested more in the Club than anyone else in the Club's history.

Mr Hale, having waited until both the EGM and the AGM have passed, has now settled Mr Thompson's libel claim by paying him a substantial sum in compensation for the injury caused by his words, together with Mr Thompson's legal costs, and by undertaking not to repeat the allegations.

Mr Thompson was pleased that the attached public statement, in terms approved by the Court setting the record straight, was read out in Court on Friday 17th December.

In these circumstances Mr Thompson's good name has been restored and the legal action is at an end.

Mr Thompson said:

"I am glad that my legal action for libel against Mr Hale has been successful. I am satisfied that those shareholders and supporters of the Club who may have believed Mr Hale's false statements and allegations about me, will now know that they were untrue."

"However, I remain very concerned at the manner in which the Club is being run under Mr Hale's chairmanship and I remain committed to doing all that I can to progress the best interests of the Club."