It was bound to happen soon...

[Lecter]

i think it's a good thing - enabling smaller clubs to own bigger players, for a period, and they gain if the players increase in value too

it's a bit like a housing agency

It also means more money disappearring out the game

Not sure how plausible this is for English teams anyway because I believe the registration of any player in the UK must be owned by the clubs themselves and cant be part owned and in addition payments on transfer fees must be made to clubs themselves and not 3rd parties

[Lecter]

Why should rich clubs like Chelsea, Manchester and Liverpool enjoy expensive players rather than clubs like West Ham, this shared ownership puts these types of player within the range of the second tier clubs of the premiership - which I, for one, think is great for the football that is now - not the football from 40+ years ago .

It is against the English FA's rules for a players registration to be owned by anybody but the club they are at (I believe)

[Lecter]

Please. I talked about economics in order to demonstrate that your polyanna atitude toward the current MSI method of buying and selling players is highly uncritical.

I think that's a pretty comprehensive argument don't you?

Nursery clubs with a difference doesn't cut it. Jack Hobbs was sold for a decent price, which protected the clubs investment in his training by law. The money stays in the club. With MSI money is taken away from clubs as they don't own the players - as I have pointed out to you on numerous occasions.

The supposedly "virtuous" MSI system is a process whereby clubs are denied their greatest income stream. The only people that benefit are the "Investors". The club might in the extreme short term, but long term they are out of a player AND any profit they might have got from him. Incidentally MSI sold those two players without corinthians consent. How you can support such a system?

I expect FIFA to cloe the loophole on this and have players solely owned by the clubs

Its not good for the good of the game for large proportions of transfer fees to disappear out of the game

Restrictions on agents fees etc.. has made the more unscrupulous agents life a lot more difficult. Fee transparency has actively given the clubs a pointer as to which agents are worth dealing with and which arent

This is another attempt by an agent to protect his long term income but cant see it succeeding because the authorities cant afford for this to happen

[Tom]

MSI is a group of venture capitalist agents interested in exploiting the game. They have moved into the prem (chelski, pompey, west ham) because it is highly lucrative. The distorting effect of this will IMHO be disasterous for the long term health AND credibility of the game.

[enema of the state]

I expect FIFA to cloe the loophole on this and have players solely owned by the clubs

i am certain you will turn out to be right

have you made the full time move or are you still on kt?

[Lecter]

i am certain you will turn out to be right

have you made the full time move or are you still on kt?

I am still posting over there

If I ever decide to permanently leave KT I would probably post more on YNWA

[Tom]

Today's Grauniad:


Uefa fear for Hammers

Louise Taylor
Tuesday September 12, 2006
The Guardian

Uefa's president Lennart Johansson fears an explosion of illegal betting if strict new rules on club ownership are not brought in.

He expressed his concern at the mystery surrounding the proposed West Ham takeover, and claimed that only clubs should be allowed to own players.

Johansson, in Berlin at a Fifa conference, said: "We know what's going on and this West Ham case illustrates the problems.

"We have to do something to make the author-ities aware of what's happening and I hope they do something.

Article continues
"Take illegal betting. If two clubs in the same competition are owned by the same person through 'daughter companies' then you know how much money they can earn through betting.

"I am also not happy with individuals or agencies owning players and we are doing our utmost to change the system.

"For me, it also increases the risk of illegal betting when an individual owns a player."

[rnm]

good point

[johnp]

If Gerrard and Alonso were owned by some crowd of investors, do you think they'd be still playing for us or wearing Blue and White respectively?

I think they'd no longer be Liverpool players. 30+m for Gerrard and 25/30m for Alsonso would be too good a ROI