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Nabay and the EPPP
It was confirmed yesterday by Birmingham City that Foday Nabay, 15, is to join Fulham after submitting a transfer request. The Sierra Leone-born midfielder has long been considered one of the brighter prospects within the Blues Academy and Lee Clark is devastated at losing a player he was considering giving first team football to this season.
I’ve already seen people blaming the club’s financial situation for Nabay moving on but the truth is this isn’t one the club could have prevented. Under the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) rules, it’s much easier (and cheaper) for bigger clubs to raid academies of smaller teams for their best talent. It’s not just happening to us either; this summer West Bromwich Albion (who have a Category 1 academy) have lost 14-year-old Yan Dhanda to Liverpool and lost their second youngest ever Premier League player Izzy Brown to Chelsea with a compensation figure to be decided. Even the mob from across the expressway aren’t immune, having lost Dan Crowley to Arsenal back in June.
The plan is the brainchild of the FA and spearheaded by the former head of Blues’ Academy Terry Westley, with the idea being to help ensure that the best young talent in the country got the chance to train with the best players and the best coaches to ensure the health of the national team. However, it doesn’t quite seem to have worked like that – at this moment in time we are seeing the so-called “big clubs” within the country hoovering up talent and then loaning them out for first team football. Chelsea alone loaned out 21 players last season – is that helping the league in this country?
I think what it comes down to is the way we want football to go in this country. If we want players to continue to develop at league clubs in the old paradigm then there has to be some sort of financial incentive for smaller clubs to keep their academies open; clubs knowing that they can easily see their players picked off aren’t going to bother taking in young players and developing them because there is no point. The alternatives are either a system where football academies are no longer linked to football clubs – like the Bailey Academy with clubs picking up youth players from these sorts of establishments or a system of nursery clubs in the lower leagues like in Spain.
It’s a tough choice and it comes down to how much of a traditionalist you are. I personally believe that there is room for ninety-two professional clubs in this country and I think more should be done to ensure that system remains – the alternative to me seems like a system where there are just 20-30 professional teams and the rest become feeder and nursery clubs like we see on the continent – or worse, a system of franchises and feeders like there are in American major league sports.
The fact is the English national team is suffering; the u21 side were dumped out of the European u21 Championships without a win and the u20 team didn’t manage a win in the u20 World Cup either. The proportion of younger English qualified players playing in the top league is one of the lowest in Western Europe and increasingly we’re seeing situations whereby young English talent is farmed out to teams in the Championship to ensure they get game time.
The upshot is this sort of thing is going to keep happening unless something is radically changed; I think a limit on the amount of players brought into an academy from another team in this manner per season needs to be brought in immediately and compensation levels need to be rethought to ensure smaller teams at least get some benefit for the work they did. Foday Nabay could have been Blues’ youngest ever player – the question is will he get the same sort of chance at Fulham? I don’t think he will.
Tags: EPPP, Foday Nabay
104 Responses to “Nabay and the EPPP”
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Is there any good news?
I’m sure the current uncertainty and appalling finances were a major factor in his decision to leave the club…what can we offer him at the moment?
In this case, Art, no they weren’t. It was a case of a head being turned because of money on offer in the capital.
Basically, it’s just the FA legitimising ‘Tapping Up.’
“Tapping up” can’t occur with a player who isn’t under contract, and these kids can’t be under contract until 17.
thats the point Staffs was getting at… its a mere bloody technicality, so big clubs can watch us smaller clubs do all the hard work and then they can sweep up the best ones before they are legally allowed to sign up. Its A SHAM AND A CON!
Absolutely! What has age got to do with it? It’s still tapping up another club’s player on the sly.
This lads father has been hankering to get him out of Blues for a while. I dont think the FA are looking at the bigger picture with this EPPP rubish. Ok its good to have the best young talent playing with the best players but they need to remember these are also young boys. Young boys who get homesick young boys who can feel isolated and lonely having to move miles away from family and friends. Its not always about the football and I can see this backfiring
the premier league will be the death of the english national team – we build st georges and then buy cheaper foreign talent and push young english / britishplayers into weaker , less qualified academies –
another case of greed and fat cats in the premier
The EPPP is ridiculous, there is very little point in putting the time and effort to run an academy and bring players through at smaller clubs because the financial rewards are not there, a gem a of a player could go for pennies. In my view there should be a ban on academy players moving clubs before the age of 18-19, as they tend to get lost in the system somewhat, unless they are exceptional. It would be of greater benefit to both the players themselves and the clubs if they had to stay as they are far more likely to get a chance of actually playing some first team football, they gain experience and the clubs could demand a higher/fairer fee for their investment in a young player. Anyway that’s just my two pennysworth.
KRO
Almajir,
I understand what you are saying but frankly its difficult to see how the club can attract and retain the service of any decent players.This shambles of a board continue to demolish the club and I fear more young players will move on soon.
Nabay was contracted to BCFC , & offered the possibility of first team action this season.
We could have held our ground but chose not too.
Why ? Probabely because we were offered over the odds , & cashed in.
Nabay either saw no future in Lee Clarks blue & white army , or was offered a contract by Fulham that was financially to good for his family to turn dowm , or both..
Ultimately if the host club is not going to make a stand , cant really complain can we..
Nabay was not contracted to anyone, as he was too young to be legally contracted to the club. He would have had a scholarship agreement in place with the academy, which isn’t really particularly constraining.
Constricted enough for Nabay have a montetary value , & consticted enough for BCFC to say no to Fulham..
Sorry Blueboy – I don’t understand what Blues could have done to prevent this. If the lad is not under contract (which he isn’t) has had his head turned by the lure of a bigger payday and spurred on by a father driven by his wallet rather than his brain – what action do you think they should have taken. It’s the system that is bent and needs chasing.
Lee Clarke was very magnaminous despite his dissapointment. I am not so magnaminous – I think this will back-fire on the lad and he won’t get a sniff or first team football for at least three years.
If it crushes his confidence and he ends up not fulfilling his potential and dropping out the game, I for one, will not be shedding any tears for him….
Richard , this is all about money….
BCFC could have turned the approach down , & yes had an unhappy player & probabley no financial
recompence for the player further down the line…but a moral stand would have been made.
They chose not to & took the cash…We cant have it both ways , moaning about the system on one hand, but then doing jack about it on the other..
Which I guess is why Lee Clark was so very magnaminous despite his disappointment .
(although I fear more resigned to the situation)
Blueboy what part of this don’t you understand, Blues could not say no.
The scholarship is only a process which gives Blues an entitlement to compensation, which is fixed by amount of years in a clubs academy and i think one or two other parameters.
A club with a lower grading (Blues are a grade two) cannot say no to a higher grade club ( i presume Fulham are a grade one).
He’s on one!
Blues boy, listen to what the others are saying. Clark or the club could do nothing in this case, same with the baggies & their 2 players, same with the Villa & the one that got snapped up by arsenal.
It’s just another case of football being run solely for the big clubs. Eventually, the football league clubs will will slowly start to go out of business… put there by the greed of the big clubs and the FA. Can the FA not see what they’re doing? Are they really that blinkered?
Also, why, oh WHY do the premier league clubs have academies? It’s rare these days for young players at those clubs to get a sniff of the first team. Often, they buy a player, loan him out season after season, just to let him go in 4 or 5 years. That’s a third of the player’s career gone. Wasted. I know it’s not the same, but look at Scott Parker for example at Chelsea. He could have been a regular in the England team 5 or 6 years before, if he hadn’t wasted all that time trying to get into the Chelsea first team. He never stood a chance.
But, at the end of the day, if that’s what young players want, so be it. But they mistakenly think it’s bettering their career, when in fact, it’s putting it into hibernation.
Ahh Staffs…how wonderfully honourable and naive, haven’t you heard the joke, “What does the F. A. stand for”???
F*** A** !!!!
You evidently prefer the way things are run now. Good luck to you with that!
Think you misunderstood my point there Staffs..I’m agreeing with you
I must have done. Apologies.
here foday, gone tomorrow. farewell.
Don’t know if true, but I heard the kid really dug his heals in and demanded to be allowed to leave. If that is true, do you really want to keep a seriously unhappy player? However, the compo package seems miserly when compared to the 7 or 8 years training we’ve provided.
This reminds me of tonight’s opponents most famous son Charles Darwin.
In his book “On The Origin Of Species” he looked at Natural Selection and Selective Breeding.
In other words SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
The “Fittest” in this context are the Premier League clubs, which have immense wealth and can lure players from the lower leagues with impunity.
Is this fair? If the boot was on the other foot and we had the status and money, would we complain?
I fear not.
Fattest is more appropriate..
Does anyone really think that Foday Nabay is the age his parents claim he is?
Anyway, it’s all about money and it makes you wonder whether it’s worth having an academy if the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal (not to mention Norwich and Fulham) are going to buy up all the best young players.
Nabay was born 05/08/98, which means he is 14 years old.
I think it is time for ALL supporters to show disdain towards the hierarchy running the game.
For once, the current board had no influence over Foday Nabays decision, but the system set up by the F.A, which is to blame.
The government must also take a share of responsibility since they promised help for grass roots football or rather all sports as incentive when they were vying for the Olympics but since the success of Team GB, all has gone quiet.
Along with the wage system in this country, your average club cannot compete with the so-called big guns.
KRO
How old would you say he is Peter ?.
It’s hard to say but my guess would be perhaps a couple of years older than stated. His birth may have been registered (in Sierra Leone) in 1998 but he certainly doesn’t look like any 14 year old that I know.
It’s child labour, and I understand it’s being looked at by the EU at the moment. I expect the transfers of children, certainly under the age of 16, but possibly under the age of 18 to be banned by the EU at some point soon.
How much was it Nabay’s decision and how much was it that of his parents? Even in the 60’s (and probably long before) parents were tapped up with the offer of new houses, cars and jobs for family members. We are no different to other Clubs either. It is only a few years ago that we enticed Jordon Mutch from Derby when he was a very hot prospect at the age of 15.
I am sure that we will benefit from the system again in the future….particularly if we continue with our policy of giving youth a chance which will attract more kids to our Academy.
Why wasnt he included in the pre season games mmmmm?
dont be fooled here, pannu has just secured another years salary has he not mmmmm? if you dance with the devil well you dance with the devil mmmmm?
with all the midfield players we have now he wouldnt have got anywhere near the
championship tean this season, its lee just feeling sorry about loosing him thats all.
hes got no pre season under his belt and it was his perogative to move not the club
shiipping out anotheryoung prospect.
just put up with it for now because weve got no choice, once this lot have been
forced out the good times will soon return so keep the faith.KRO.
Money has absolutely ruined the game and it is very predictable and boring in the Prem , remember when the playing field was more level in the 70S
I have absolutely no interest in the tippy-tappy, boring football of the premier league. I prefer to watch the football league anyday, real blood and guts British football. That’s why I cancelled Sky Sports when Blues got relegated.
i know many watch Sky and have hardly been to a game in their life but it needs every fan who does go a some point during a season not to buy Sky or BT.
Fans moan then support the system which is destroying their own clubs.
Never had either companies TV system and never will.
They have ruined watching sport in this country for the majority, who now can’t see one live England cricket match, not even the poxy ICC champions trophy.
Why does BT come along to challenge Sky then does nothing different but show the boring prem, yawn!!
At the end of the day, if a player wants to leave, fine. I don’t get emotional about anyone leaving (TF being the exception.) But I do object to big clubs trawling smaller clubs to get the best young talent on the cheap, having contributed nothing to the player’s coaching and nurturing.
They want all the tv money to themselves, then they spend peanuts on young players, with the SOLE purpose of stopping other big clubs from getting them. If that wasn’t true, why does the young talent they buy never get a sniff at the first team?
Football is a business. It once was the game of the working man and the likes of Alan Sugar saw this and have hijacked the game. Its all about profits I mean what working man can afford to go the games week in week out and take their kids? In real terms your looking at £100 for a couple of hours entertainment. – can you really justify 1/4 of your wage?
We all cannot deney that our hard earned is lining the pockets of charlatans and business men who trade in commodities of players. They know we will keep turning up week in week out because of the simple fact, we have been brought up with the club and the loyalty is deep rooted.
Its time we all followed the German model. I’ve went Dortmond for the last 3 years and their setup is amazing. The club is 51% fan owned – which means you can get a beer for 0.30 cents in the supporters bar. (which opens on matchdays and the weekend and is run by volunteers)
TIme for a blues revolution!
Sadly, I feel the EPPP works EXACTLY the way it was intended to. As does the EPL.
Money is king.
look on the bright side, if the majority of us was to pick our first 11, they would all be british or
irish with the exeption of zigic and asante and hes gone out on loan again, so were doing our
best for british football and keeping the foreighners out so something to be proud of i think in
all this fine mess we find our selves in.KRO.
like the away kit, looks bright and diffrent.KRO.
OMG!! Watford in disguise. Sorry dave, have to disagree. It’s a bloody awful strip.
I can’t believe the hypocrisy of some comments regarding the evils of Premier League club’s wealth and that money in football is ruining the game.
If Blues’ was bought by a benevolent billionaire who was willing to plough money into the club, who amongst us would complain?
If it means going the way of the greedy PL clubs… me.
Staff’s……..Are you seriously saying that if a billionaire buys Blues you would be protesting?
If so, what type of new owner do you want?
One who loves football and has at least some ties to the area. Why on earth would I want our club to end up like Man U, Man City, Chelsea? Those clubs are soulless, money making machines. Football is always secondary. I was quite happy under the G/S/G regime. Just a pity their hearts lay in London.
Following on from what you say Staffs, I honestly don’t understand how the fans of these clubs feel. Because of the big money, they are simply incidental, not real stakeholders. Surely they must feel disenfranchised becuase thier clubs are actually play things of the rich owners.
My point exactly KRO. There’s no soul left in the top clubs. It’s all about money and silverware. How they get both doesn’t seem to matter. And let’s face it, the majority of fans of clubs like Man U aren’t even from the area. They’re just hangers-on. At least with smaller clubs, the majority of the fans are TRUE fans, not glory hunters. It’s sickening to see kids from Birmingham and the surrounding area with Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal shirts on.
Yes i would love a billionaire to come and buy the club and help us up and to stay up, but buying players for a fair price and not at the expense of lower league clubs by bullying, fixing the market and running a cartel and monopoly for the premier league.
Very sad scenario clubs like blues find themselves thanks to EPPP….. Big clubs given the opportunity to get bigger (richer) at all other clubs expense…
My only hope is that Greg Dyke – who is a real footballing man (Brentford Board) can step up to the challenge of restructuring the FA then with his experience of BBC TV puts back into line Sky/EPL. Seems to me the FA are always ‘playing second fiddle’ to SKY/EPL… Its a long shot but live in hope!!
We need a strong FA to stand up to SKY/EPL even if it means a radical restructuring and a break away European PL with the top 6 EPL clubs – Sky can continue to make £££££££££££. Leaving the FA to focus on National side, level playing field for all other clubs and grass roots….
Fodays ‘advisor’ needs to take a look at himself,,, Blues and LC now have confidence in giving young lads first team experience.. The long term exposure, game time and long-term earning potential he would get at blues would far out way this short term payment.
Blues and poor Foday’s lost to be used by Fulham.
Agree with every point. Lee Clark must feel very downhearted at times. All the work the academy puts in, just to have the players thieved by the big clubs. Same with other FL managers.
It’s a bit like breaking into someone’s home, nicking the silver… and leaving a fiver on the table along with an Argos voucher!
Almajir, in your latest piece you alluded to the fact that the EPPP was formulated to ensure the future success of the national teams, highlighting the fact that the U21 and U20 teams had disastrous tournaments this summer. Whilst I will agree with you partially I would have to say that the money that some of these kids earn is a big factor in the demise. If we look at British sport since the Olympics the UK has seen a lot of Success, this summer alone the British Lions triumphed down under, the English cricket team are enjoying success in the Ashes currently, Chris Froome has won the Tour de France and finally Britain has a Wimbledon champion. The point here is all of these triumphs have been made by people who earn a lot less than our so called elite footballers, admittedly these people will now enjoy the financial rewards that go with there triumph but how can premier league clubs continue to pay huge amounts on a weekly basis to some of these people when they do not show the passion or desire to succeed. Perhaps the FA should start to look at the salaries afforded to these prima donnas and act accordingly.
“The EPPP was formulated to ensure the future success of the national teams.”
This is the part I don’t get. HOW will it do that? No matter how many kids we produce in our academies, if they can’t get a sniff at the first teams, how on earth are they supposed to progress? Potential doesn’t get you into the England team… and as we all know, it’s rare for any player outside the PL to get an international cap. I know there’s the odd exception like Butland, but I’ll be interested to see if he gets another chance now he’s 3rd choice at Stoke. Same with Redmond.
Completely agree Staffs, how many promising youngsters have disappeared since moving to so called bigger PL clubs. Its my view that the most promising talent is spirited away to the top four/five clubs in order to maintain there positions at the top of the tree, only getting a run out in the early rounds of domestic cup completion’s. I think that Redmond will get regular football this coming season but Butland will almost fade into obscurity this will hamper his footballing education and IMO set him back a few years. The big question here is what is the answer we all know the footballing authorities wont rock the boat and certainly will not criticize the actions of the bigger clubs. As I have said on a previous subject I firmly believe that the powers that be would like to reduce the overall number of clubs operating sad but possibly true.
It doesn’t matter how many promising youngsters this country produces…. they ain’t never gonna shift a foreign player who’s been brought in for millions. England will NEVER win another tournament while that persists. Our players can’t progress to the level that’s needed to be full internationals.
As for them wanting to reduce the number of clubs…. I have an idea. Encourage the top 7 or 8 teams in the premier to break away and form a euro league. They’ve more-or-less done that with the Champs league, etc anyway. It’s the only way we’ll get our ball back.. and our football!
Staffs I couldn’t agree more, and have been making this point for a few years now. The ONLY way to get the game back on track is to let this happen, and we all know it’s what the Top 6 want anyway. Let them have their “European Super League” – on the understanding that once they’ve gone, they’re GONE, and the door is shut and there’s no way back into the English league.
We can then wave goodbye to Arsenal, Man Utd, Man City, Spurs, Liverpool and any other club that thinks it’s too big for the national game, with tear-stained hankies. We could even invite Celtic and Rangers down to replace them!
Armchair / Fairweather fans, SKY and EPSN will soon get bored playing Barcelona four times a season….
OMG! OMG! OMG! I actually agree with every single point. Going to have a lie down now to recover. :)
I have been saying this for years Staffs. We have become far too club ‘centric’ in this country, and hardly anyone cares about the National team anymore. I bet half of regular going supporters don’t even watch some of our national fixtures as we know we are likely to be ultimately disappointed? If you asked supporters of Premiership teams and many Championship sides too which they would prefer, seeing their club win a title or the National team win a world cup, I reckon 85% would say see their team win something. Most people don’t care where their players come from, as long as they can help their club win something? This is all fuelled by Sky money and wealthy owners which allows clubs to pick the best talent from around the world, and stifles new British talent from coming through as many have posted on here. And I don’t hold with the counter argument that young players learn from their foreign counterparts, particularly if they can’t play. Players need and want to be playing competitively. In my view this will only be solved by the FA putting an enforced cap on foreign players, or by capping the wages thereby making it less attractive to come here in the first place. And It annoys the hell out of me that I am part of the problem, buying into Sky and paying the prices I do to watch football in this country. But what can you do?
Andy W, while I agree with your comment you have basically answered your own question.
You subscribe to sky and, along with all the others who do then the premiership, F.A and the Football league will do nothing to improve things. As for the money being distributed more evenly, again as long as The premiership call the shots it will never happen.
Football needs a major overall, with transfer fees and wages being the major problems facing the average club, unless the multi billionaires move in.
I no longer have Sky, except the free channels. I refuse to subscribe anymore… and I won’t again until the money is distributed more fairly. If that’s never, fine, I don’t miss them one bit.
If they break away there has to be stipulations:
A) They are self sufficient financially, only receiving Sky monies when they are shown live on TV
B) They either produce their own players from their own Academy or they they pay £1 m for a premier academy player, £750k Championship, reducing £250K down the leagues.
Talking about Changes, regarding wages and structuring.
All Clubs should have a relegation clause in all contracts, if a club is relegated then the wages automatically are reduced by 25% for the first season and any player leaving a relegated club cannot play in a league higher for the first season, this would stop players jumping ship and help clubs with the wage structure in the first season of relegation.
How many of Fulham Academy Youngsters have actually made a breakthrough to their First team ? Not many , I should think and it will probably be even less now they have been taken over by a bloke with money to burn.
Yet another quality player leaves the club for an “undisclosed fee”
.PP is jumping for joy!
Well if that’s the FA’s view, whats the point of teams having an academy set-up if you’re top players are gonna get poached before they’ve even played a reserve game let alone in the first team. Better off investing in in the squad…
I’ve read that Blues were extremley good to Nabay in terms of educating and looking after his family, whether thats true or not I don’t exactly know. If it is though, I wish him nothing for the future.
Also we’re not the only team that has been blighted by this, Leeds, Porstmouth, WBA have lost top players too.
… and Crystal Palace too. I believe that’s what killed Simon Jordan’s enthusiasm for running a club.
Really ? I thought he had just run out of fake tan. Anyway, football is better off without the likes of him.
Ok…. we’ll replace British owners with foreign ones then shall we? Oh, that’s right… we did. What a good job they’ve done too!
I’d have Jordan at this club anyday.
I was joking about the fake tan, Staffs, but Jordon was not a nice bloke when he was in charge of Palace. I hope he never comes near us.
He wouldn’t, he got his fingers severely burnt and lost all his money at Palace.
Nope, believe it or not, a decent bloke and footie fan. He was vehemently opposed to the EPP scheme, could see the perils, pointing out it’s flaws way back in 2003 to a dis-interested FA and an irresponsible Premier League.
Jordan may not be everyone’s favourite person but he genuinely cared about football and Crystal Palace. As someone who lives in CP’s patch, I can tell you that their fans still hold him in high regard for saving the club, and do not bear any malice towards him for ultimately failing. Many things were against him, such as the a previous owner selling the ground to one of his own companies.
it’s killing mine too, just about had enought of this greedy society, banks,GP’s on £200,000, a tax cut for the rich earning over £150k while those around 41k now will pay higher rate tax when the threshold should have gone up from £42 k not down, greedy MP’s who have no idea of how the normal person lives and the crime around us.
Stafford Hopsital where no-one has been prosecuted except the lowest paid nurses while the rich managers and consultants get off scot free.
then people who haven’t even got the backbone to give up Sky or BT!!
no wonder the country’s going to the dogs when the working classes don’t stick together.
how lucky we are that previous generations were’t so weak and greedy , when they stuck together and fought for a 40 hr week instead of 72 hrs and later 60 hrs or fought to give us holidays and then holiday pay.
As I said before, I gave up Sky Sports when we were relegated from the Prem. Then 3 months ago, we cancelled Sky altogether. Haven’t missed it one bit.
Blues have done this to smaller teams and will continue to do so, if the lad wants to leave i wont lose sleep on it.. Jack, nath, jord (and soon koby too) getting sold out when they are enjoying the playing time is what gripes me.
It just goes to show, that it’s all about the money… not the football.
I am really looking forward to the weekend match.
Fulham a big club you’re having a laugh as my spam head colleague sat next to me would say.
As Staffs say’s it is all about the money playing football is almost an irritating necessity for some.
ive got no problem when players like messi, ronaldo earning the money they do because when
they play they produce, they score a goal a game, they sell shirts, they earn there money, there
trully two all time great players, its mr average earning 100k a week that annoys me because
they dont earn it on or of the pitch.KRO.
At least there’s some good news to soften the blow: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/transfer-news-birmingham-city-sign-5263921
Proves that a lot of posters who not so long ago were saying we were doomed knew absolutely jack…
I’ve never subscribed to the doom and gloom. I’ve been consistently upbeat about it all. Now, we have a new season and a new squad to look forward to.
I wonder where this leaves the trialists now though?
I guess Blues did their best in keeping the lad but if his head is turned for whatever reason, he will go. I have never understood how if matters go to a tribunal how is a compensation fee agreed / awarded. Whether under contract or not, if a Prem club comes knocking the door they obviously think they can see the talent so therefore must pay a minimum price say £500k – £1m for a 17 year old but if the lad is 15 maybe the min should be £1m. That way it will either deter them and leave them at the club that is nurturing them or they will invest and hopefully take them to the next level. Just a thought KRO
£1m won’t deter the buggers….. Wayne Rooney earns that in a month.
What’s really needed, is a fee that increases as the potenial is realised. 50 games, 100 games, international debuts etc. That way, if a player doesn’t make it, no one has really lost out (except maybe the player,) but, if the player does reach his potential, the original club should be reimbursed accordingly. Plus, a percentage of any sell-on fee.
I totally agree but I was suggesting that poaching from teams without much money in the coffers, £1m could go a long way. £1m is back pocket change for the big clubs , kro
Yes, I see your point. But it wouldn’t mean much to us. We’ve made around £5-6m in sales this summer, and it’s been a drop in the ocean, but I suppose to League 1 and 2 teams, it might come in handy.
mmmmmmmm If you dance with the devil the sardines will follow the ship mmmmmm
I’m sure there’s a message hidden in there somewhere… but I’m buggered if I can see it. =)
thought we could do with some Gerald Philosophy Staffs.. mmmmm
I’m buggered if I can understand it from him either lol
Good luck to the kid, he turned his back on Birmingham so I for one don’t care. As Lee Clark says, we move on.
Double check the rules, as far as I am aware if the player signs a pre-contract after the 14th Birthday then they become the property of the club and thus removed from EPPP rules.
Mark
If you can provide a link to the rules saying that, I’ll be happy.
http://woosiethinksfootie.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/why-eppp-is-not-all-bad.html
Hard to find a link to the rules in their fullest but it is mentioned by this blogger, maybe they have links to it.
The rules aren’t online Mark, I’ve been looking for a long time. Thus I cannot confirm what you have said as being true.
All the smaller clubs called out the EPPP for being a poachers charter as soon as it was announced. The likes of Dario Gradi and Barry Fry thought it threatened their clubs viability to run youth schemes yet Alex Ferguson thought it was a wonderful idea…..
As one of the managers that stood to gain the most… he would wouldn’t he?
Yes he would.. Realistically would he of ayes for blues first team this season he’s only 15?? And has anyone ever seen him play?
One thing that I have thought for some time is iniquitous and encourages this sort of predatory behaviour is the loans system. Chelsea loaning 21 players out?. FL clubs can now only include 5 loanees in their starting 11 and 7 subs. In my view it is about time the FA limited loans out to ,say, no more than 10 players as well as the limits on loans in.
Can’t we loan him back? Mind you that makes a mockery of him going in the first place.
What for ? He is 15 and wont play for the first team , so why use up a place in the Reserves.
Did we not take Jordan Mutch from another academy…..? We have done it to other clubs too.