In 2010, Rooney revealed as part of his evidence during a court case that Stretford received 20% of his off-field earnings, an amount the player regarded as being fair.
As part of the same court case in 2010, Stretford admitted that when he first represented the 17-year-old Rooney, he had not explained to the player, or to his father, what documents were being signed or what their effects would be – something the prosecuting barrister called "absolutely extraordinary".
[7] The list of the company's shareholders was later described as "a Who's Who of the footballing fraternity", and included the managers and former players Bobby Robson, Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan, Graeme Souness and Peter Reid.
[citation needed] One meeting to settle the issue was attended by Tommy Adams, member of a London family who have been called "worse than the Krays"[10] and a man described once in court as "a notorious gangster".
[11] Adams had been invited by Kenny Dalglish, a shareholder in Stretford's Proactive agency, who had advised Rooney's parents to change his representation.
[11] At a subsequent meeting at a Cheshire Hotel in June 2003, Stretford claimed that he was physically threatened by Hyland and two other men, Christopher and Tony Bacon, who were reportedly Australian cage-fighting champions.
Stretford had told the jury that he had not represented Rooney before December 2002, but documents came to light revealing that their association dated to at least September of that year when the player was still contracted to McIntosh's Pro-Form Sports Management Limited.
[13] The case led to the Football Association charging Stretford with misconduct in June 2005, a case he at first attempted to have heard in a public court[14] and then challenged on the ground that the FA's disciplinary procedures did not comply with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that one of the FA's rules was an unlawful restraint of trade –claims rejected by the Court of Appeal in March 2007.
"[18] A charge of enticing Rooney away from his previous agent was not proven but the FA also stated that: "The commission found that Mr Stretford had made a misleading witness statement and had given untruthful evidence in court in criminal proceedings in Warrington Crown Court, particularly in relation to the existence, dates and nature of those representation agreements dated 17 July 2002 and 19 September 2002.
[citation needed] During negotiations for a new contract in October 2010, Wayne Rooney announced that he wanted to leave Manchester United, only to agree a new 5-year deal days later.
;[24][25] On leaving Proactive Stretford set up Triple S Sports and Entertainment Group with former Newcastle United owner Freddie Shepherd and his son Kenneth.