LONDON -- British police launched an investigation into sensational allegations that flamboyant goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar had been given bribes to fix soccer matches.


Grobbelaar broke his silence Thursday over the bribery allegations that have rocked English soccer, emphatically denying he took bribes to fix games and vowing to sue the media over the affair.


The goalie reiterated his defense Friday on a flight to Zimbabwe for an African Nations Cup game, telling reporters, "Regarding the allegations against me, I again say I totally refute them."


The Sun, the newspaper that broke the story Tuesday, published fresh allegations against the goalkeeper in its Friday editions.


Under the headline "I'll Take Money and Run," The Sun alleges Grobbelaar plotted to take the money he pocketed from throwing games and move either home to Zimbabwe or to South Africa.


Before leaving Britain, Grobbelaar, the most successful keeper in English soccer history during 13 years with Liverpool, pledged to cooperate fully with a Football Association probe into the allegations.


Earlier Thursday, Detective Superintendant Roger Hoddinott of the Hampshire police said in a statement, "Hampshire police, after consultation with Merseyside police, have approached the Football Association and The Sun with a view to obtaining any evidence that may amount to criminal conduct."


Before leaving for Zimbabwe on Thursday, Grobbelaar said through his lawyer that he "emphatically denies that he has ever taken any bribes or that he has ever tried to fix the result of any game."


Writs for libel have been issued against The Sun, Britain's best-selling newspaper, and Grobbelaar warned, "Further writs for libel in respect of other newspaper articles and radio and television broadcasts will be issued in due course."


The Sun was defiant. Editor Stuart Higgins said: "We stand by every word we have printed, and look forward with interest to his explanation in the face of such overwhelming evidence."


The Sun story quotes him as saying, "I'm just going to take the full lot and go out of the country with the cash."


The Sun alleges that Grobbelaar wanted to keep the money in cash in a secret hiding place and not in a bank, where it could be traced.


"These greenbacks, you can pick up every week and put it in a box somewhere. Put it in a box -- bang bang. Right. Accumulate and account for it. Don't use it. Don't even touch it."


When asked by Chris Vincent, his former business partner who was secretly acting on behalf of The Sun, what he intended doing with the money, Grobbelaar is alleged to have replied, "I'm just going to take the full lot and go out of the country with the cash -- Zimbabwe or South Africa."