FORMER Crystal Palace FC manager Iain Dowie deceived the club’s chairman Simon Jordan over his move to rival club Charlton Athletic, a top judge has ruled.

Both parties will return to the London High Court on Friday, June 22, to hear judgement on the amount of compensation and costs Mr Dowie will be liable to pay.

Today Mr Justice Tugendhat ruled that Dowie, who is now at Coventry City after a dismal spell with Charlton last season, lied to Mr Jordan by telling him that he had had no contact from Charlton and no intention to join them.

However, Crystal Palace failed to prove that Dowie had said that the only reason he wanted to leave was to be closer to his family in the north of England.

Also, they could not prove that he had been invited to an interview with Charlton at the time both parties agreed to wave a £1 million get-out clause in Dowie’s contract in May last year.

After the hearing, Mr Dowie said he was pleased with the ruling on that agreement.