"The manager of Cardiff City is totally out of order in the way he has gone about things," he said.

"I will be reporting him to the League Managers Association.

"Leo said to me he has been given an offer he couldn't refuse."

Moore is perplexed by the sudden turnaround in events. "As far as we were concerned the deal was dead on Monday. They never came back to ask permission to speak to him again," he said.

"Cardiff spoke to him direct and they should have spoken to me first."

The 29-year-old Rotherham goal ace will watch City’s Third Division game against Brighton at Ninian Park.

He is poised to make his Bluebirds bow in Tuesday night’s home league game against Halifax Town.

The former Gillingham, Lincoln and Brentford player rejected City’s first approach but accepted their improved offer yesterday making him the highest earner in the club’s history.

“We have agreed a fee with the club and the player’s personal terms. He is coming to Cardiff with the intention of putting pen to paper and watching the team play Brighton,” said manager Bobby Gould.

Rotherham manager Ronnie Moore predicts the giant front man will get the goals to fire City to promotion this season.

“I would love to see Cardiff go up and believe they now will,” said Moore, who became one of City’s most popular players in his days as a centre-forward .

But Moore is furious over the way the transfer has been conducted. He will report Gould to the League Managers’ Association.

“As far as we are concerned, the deal was dead on Monday,” he said.

“We agreed a £300,000 fee with Cardiff but Leo turned down personal terms.

“We played at Barnsley on Tuesday and Leo received a tremendous reception from our 1,500 travelling fans. They were so relieved he had decided to stay.

“He was involved in all our preparations for Saturday’s game at Cambridge but on Friday he told me Bobby Gould had phoned with an improved offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I don’t blame the boy for that. If he can get double what he is getting here from a Third Division club good luck to him.

“But I am angry by the way Bobby

Gould went about his business. Fortune-West was contracted to us for another year.

“When the deal fell through on Monday, Bobby should have had the courtesy to tell me he was thinking of increasing his offer, and asked permission to speak to Leo again.

“As Leo couldn’t play for Cardiff against Brighton, I suggested he make his farewell appearance for us at Cambridge and he was agreeable.

“But he changed his mind after Bobby had told him he didn’t think it would be in anyone’s interests to play for Rotherham again.

“This has left us in the lurch. If it had been the other way round I’m sure Bobby Gould would have been tearing his hair out and calling me every name under the sun.

“I’m going to report him to John Barnwell at the League Managers’ Association.

“But I have told Leo he is joining a club with tremendous potential and magnificent fans.

“Cardiff will always get 100 per cent from the big man.