Dowie facing £1m bill over Charlton lies

The financial punishment, to be announced next week, could be equally severe. Former Selhurst Park manager Dowie will be forced to pay damages to Palace as well as hefty legal fees which could leave him with a total bill approaching £1million.

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The judge, Mr Justice Tugendhat, found that the former Northern Ireland international had made "false representations" to Jordan.

Dowie had told his chairman last summer that he wanted to leave Palace to be closer to his family in the North.

He also said he had had no contact with Charlton over the manager's position at The Valley, which was vacant at the time.

In fact, Dowie had spoken to Charlton chairman Richard Murray and had prepared a dossier outlining his plans for Charlton before Jordan ripped up the clause in his contract demanding a £1m compensation payment from another club and signed a compromise agreement allowing his manager to leave.

Speaking from his home in Marbella, Jordan said: "It's not a case of vindication, because I didn't have charges brought against me.

"The reality is that it is a good day for football because managers' contracts and what people do and say in football, as the national game, are very important.

"Iain Dowie has been found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation. Where that leaves his standing in the game, I don't know. But the game has the ability to be able to forget very quickly, doesn't it?

"It's not easy to spend three days in the witness box but you rise to the challenge and if you have the truth on your side and you're open and honest, then you'll be more comfortable than someone who hasn't got the truth on his side."

The 40-page judgement was littered with references to the difficulty the judge had in believing Dowie's version of events.

"I have not accepted Mr Dowie's account," is a phrase that recurs throughout.

Jordan, on the other hand, was painted in a more colourful light.

"I saw that he can be charming," is quickly qualified with: "Mr Jordan also says things in the heat of the moment which he later regrets."

Dowie, who was sacked by Charlton in November after 15 games in charge and joined Coventry in February, will discover how much his deceit will cost him a week today.

His annual salary at Palace was originally £185,000 when he led the club to promotion in the 2003-04 season.

That rose to £750,000 in the Premiership season that followed but fell back to £500,000 when Palace were subsequently relegated.

Had the club stayed in the Premiership, however, it would have risen to £875,000, then £1million, and finally £1.2million if Palace had still been in the top flight at the end of the 2007-08 season.

It is these figures that will be taken into account when assessment of damages is made — as an example of the difference between Premiership and Championship salaries.

Dowie will also have to pay costs, both his and those of Jordan, which are likely to approach £500,000.