The Mail Bag
Crooks in a Crooked world
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Seems like Everton are getting a reputation amongst the lower leagues for doing exactly what seems to rile David Moyes so much — we have been poaching youngsters (Crewe have now joined in with Leeds according to article in The Mail).
It's always happened and probably always will (as I can't see how they will ever stop players from being tapped up) but it just goes to show you that every club is screwing someone else over at some point other. Everton may be relatively skint compared to the top half of the Premier League but we still have enough dosh to annoy a few people further down the pecking order and to me this makes Moyes's stance over Lescott even more hypocritical/bizarre.
Of course we dont like seeing our best players leave but face facts — everything boils down to money... no matter what league you are in.
Iain McWilliam, Posted 07/09/2009 at 11:24:07
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I can understand how and why Crewe would be ticked off if we "stole" their 12-year-old star. However, the question from me to those that know is: what process is in place to compensate clubs for such a deal? Can Crewe be fairly compensated for a 12-year-old or did Everton do their legwork and they spotted a talent that they can develop?
It’s hardly a black & white area. I confess I don’t know how a club acquires a 12-year-old from another club... then again, the acquisition of a certain 27-year-old is hardly straightforward these days either!!
Anybody know who he is?
There is no obligation for the club to keep the schoolboy on their books... just as there is no obligation for the player to keep playing for that team. What happens if I, aged 12, play for Newcastle, but my dad gets a job in Southampton... am I not allowed to leave and play for Saints? OF COURSE I AM!
The case of Garbutt is slightly different in that he had progressed from ’schoolboy’ to academy. In this instance, players can leave and go whither they like but the club they go to has to pay compensation. This fee is decided by a tribunal. This is exactly what has happened; happens all the time and is perfectly acceptable.
This Lescott issue is a far cry from this. No club is allowed to talk to any player under contract at another club unless they have the express permission of the club who own his contract.
If so, where is the tapping up and offering of wonga? I assume no money was involved, possibly a monthly subscription of the Beano and Shoot, with a packet of Fruit Bon-Bons thrown in for good luck.
It does make you wonder though what things will be like in 50 years time if the rules aren’t altered somewhat. Will the big clubs employ a genetic scientist to screen kids to see if they have similar DNA profiles to Dixie Dean or Alan Ball? And has Liverpool already tried genetic splicing with the failure known as Dirkus Kuytus?
Italy is similar to us but France (Chelsea issue) lets clubs have contracts with over-12s!
Fifa and Uefa want all clubs to behave the same but every countries' legal systems are different, and I suspect the EU don't have anything on the statute book.
However in Kuyt’s case, it seemed to have gone horribly wrong. Something must have got into the telepods during the splicing....
But we all know that ain’t how it happens anyway. Do the rules prevent a player’s agent being approached by a freelance scout who may have only a verbally agreed function for said club? As in: "See if what’s his name’s people would be interested in him jumping ship for a big fat wedge..."
There was an interesting article in one of the red tops when the Chelsea story broke about a number of youngsters that they had "acquired" and where they have ended up. Scot Sinclair was the only one I’d heard of and even he hasn’t come on that much since he burst onto the scene. The rest of them had been released or moved on to lower league clubs.
So maybe these kids need better advice from their parents. Why go to Chelsea when you’ll probably be scratching around for another club in 3/4 years having been discarded?
I do agree though that the amounts decided in tribunal for compensation are derisory and in no way reflect the effort that the club’s have put in to development. This needs to be looked at, but I think a club would have to be able to prove that the player had been with them for a considerable time and also that there was significant potential. That may prove difficult.
I say 18 because that is when the player is an adult and can make up his own mind and sign his own contracts and be subject to the normal transfer rules. At this time it can also be better gauged whether the lad will make it or whether, after being stolen, he will be dumped as many youngsters are.
This disgusting bribing of greedy parents to get the lads is corruption and should be wiped out. I agree with Fifa moves to limit foreign (non EU) players in all national leauges. I also fully support moves to enable clubs at any level to develp and keep their own youngsters unless fully compensated for their loss.
I am absolutely against Everton poaching youngsters as this makes their criticism of City over Lescott look like pure hypocrisy. At least City gave us more than adequate compensation for our loss.
I’m not going to name which club it is, suffice to say that most Evertonians will be delighted when they hear who it is.
Moyes complaints about City’s approach was simply posturing in order to obtain the maximum fee possible. Nothing bizarre or hypocritical for me. Simply the art of very clever bargaining.
It’s the parent’s duly to act in their child’s best interest. Make it long-term interest, not a few grand now to blow on the bookies.
Are some of you that desperate to add you own two bobs worth that you don't read previous posts? For my money, Mark Stone's post summarised the whole issue very well...
You said "I do agree though that the amounts decided in tribunal for compensation are derisory and in no way reflect the effort that the club’s have put in to development."
£600k possibly rising to £1million + for training a kid for a few years, who might never make it? Nice work if you can get it if you ask me.
Then...it goes quiet for a while.
Then more...OUTRAGE!!! (ie’ tapping up’)
Then it goes quiet for a while.
Fact: The whole of football is a cesspit and has been for a long time and we don’t really (not REALLY) give a shite.
From under-8 kids teams to the very top of FIFA.
Putrid - all of it.
My mate’s lad (8) plays for a team and I went to watch them playing in a semi-final recently in Belle Vale.
After watching, the idea that this was ’fun’ was a nonsense.
They won, but afterwards, their ’manager’ (ie: some be-trackied fact fuck) gave them what appeared to be a bollocking.
During the game, all kinds of hairy-arsed fellers screamed at their kids
"DON’T LET HIM PAST YOU TONY LAD!!!"
"GET A HEAD ON IT SON....COME ON!!!"
The faces on these kids said "whatever this is, this is not fun".
Tapping up Leeds players?
Alehouse teams pay inducements!
Kids teams pay inducements!
Everyone cheats all the time
Obvious throw-in to the opposition?
"AAARR BALL LINESMAN!!!!!"
Cheat!
"I NEVER FUCKIN’ TOUCHED HIM!!"
Cheat!
"PENALTYYYYY!!"
Cheat! ("Wayne wouldn’t dive!")
And as for the people who ’run’ the game?
Christ, no wonder the bottom is bent if you look at how the top works
FIFA is like Haiti under Papa Doc.
Blatter has made millions....for Blatter!
FIFA have had literally hundreds of allegations of corruption thrown their way in the past 15 years and you know something?
Nobody (ie: us!) gives a fuck.
We might SAY we do, but every ticket we buy says "I don’t give a fuck".
And until we change, nothing else will.
Let's hope that they get as bad as Chelsea in punishment and then we can watch with delight as all their mercenary players leave and they return to were they belong:- the Championship!!!
Shame it wasn't us that reported them for tapping up a contracted player.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=674234&sec=england&cc=4716
but what happens if we sell him? Does his new club have to make those payments to Leeds?
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Actually, it doesn't say Everton are the unamed Premier League club, just that we once lured one of their 12-year-olds away...