McManus blast for Millward solicitor

The Ian Millward saga took another twist with St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus moving to halt mounting pressure on the club to re-instate their popular coach.

The outspoken Australian is expected to learn of his fate in the next 24 hours when McManus delivers the outcome of the club's disciplinary hearing into allegations of misbehaviour.

The chairman broke his silence with an attack on Millward's solicitor for allegedly breaching a confidentially clause and took a swipe at fellow director Eric Ashton after he publicly sided with Millward.

McManus accused solicitor Richard Cramer of "destabilising" the club after he issued a press release claiming that Millward was accused on three counts of swearing.

"The charges are being grossly and irresponsibly trivialised in the press and in particular by Ian's solicitor Richard Cramer, who should not be speaking on the matter at all under the legal disciplinary procedures," said McManus.

"The club is presently suffering from having to adhere to the requisite confidentiality of the proceedings. Ian and his solicitor should do likewise as their actions are destabilising the club.

"The totally irresponsible way in which people and sources are commenting on this matter, even people closely associated with the club, is doing little more than unnecessarily damaging the club and Ian's own case."

McManus, who oversaw a disciplinary hearing on Thursday, also gave his backing to under-fire chief executive Sean McGuire, praising him for turning around the club's fortunes.

Both McManus and McGuire were forced to take a back-door exit from the Knowsley Road ground after angry fans staged a sit-in protest at Friday's Powergen Challenge Cup-tie with York.

Comedian Johnny Vegas threw his considerable weight behind the demonstration and Saints fans even attended the televised Salford-London cup-tie to continue their public support for Millward.

If Millward is reinstated in time for Friday's engage Super League match at Hull, it would represent a significant climbdown by the club but McManus appeared to offer a glimmer of hope for the coach's supporters.

"Further action will be taken only if the incidents and other matters are sufficiently grave in their own right," he said. "Ian clearly knows that and I trust that the fans now know that."