IN July 2002 the Business Argus ran a front page story on Fuller's announcement that he planned to create 27 new jobs with his company Fans 1st with the help of a £50,000 grant from the National Assembly.

The article said the venture was "a dream business" for Fuller who used to play for QPR's youth team and almost became a professional footballer.

He relocated the company from Essex to a suite of offices in Clarence House, Newport.

Fuller was quoted in the article saying: "It's a fantastic business. Our staff get to know players and when we talk to the fans we also talk about the players with them."

He said the Assembly Investment Grant (AIG) would help him employ 27 people in 18 months.

An Assembly spokeswoman said that although the company was made an offer of an AIG grant, no payments were made.

She said: "The AIG team were aware of the situation when he was charged.

"We understand that the company had told potential clients that we had given them money and an AIG monitoring officer was due to attend the court case to refute these allegations. She will not now be attending court as the defendant has made a guilty plea."