County chief denies making false promises to Campbell

Trembling 'surprised' by comments as identity of backers remains unknown

( PA)

Notts County's chief executive, Peter Trembling, has refuted claims by their one-game wonder Sol Campbell, who left the club by "mutual consent" last week, that the Magpies had lured the defender by touting some potentially big signings that were in the works. He also denied that the club have been slow to make progress.

"I'm a bit surprised by Sol's comments," he said. "Things have gone at an astronomical pace over the last few months. Signing nine players in three months is unheard of at our level and we've started work on a new training ground. We've been linked with about 88 players but I've never talked about Benjani to anybody at all. Roberto Carlos – Sven [Goran Eriksson], I understand, did talk about but it never went beyond a conversation.

"Sven talks every day about four or five players we might be looking at – but most are more aligned to League Two." Trembling added that, although the identity of the group which has taken over the club remains something of a mystery, the Football League is happy with the situation.

"They've quite rightly asked more questions about the investors – an overseas private investment trust," he said. "We've no issues with that and have given them everything they need thus far. The League have a board meeting on 8 October and have said if they know anything they'll come back to us. It would help if one of the major shareholders would put their head above the parapet but we are being pilloried for putting money into the oldest club in the world. As far as we are concerned we have nothing to fear. All we want to do is invest in this club and make it successful."

The former England defender Campbell said he left Notts County after one game of a five-year contract because the League Two club failed to deliver the big-name signings he had been promised when he joined. Campbell joined the Midlands club, where former England manager Eriksson has been installed as director of football this season following its takeover by a Middle Eastern consortium, but after playing in last week's 2-1 defeat to Morecambe he left by mutual consent.

"I knew I would be the club's first big signing but was told I would be the first of many. Names like Roberto Carlos and Benjani were mentioned. But nothing materialised," Campbell said.

"The only thing I'm guilty of is taking people at their word. So I'm not embarrassed, not hurt or humbled or anything like that – I am just disappointed. I bought into a dream and I wanted to make that dream a reality. But it took me less than a month to realise that it was all heading to a different conclusion," added Campbell, who once walked out on Arsenal at half-time during a game.