Liverpool reported in tap-up row

[TheElephantMan]

Eventually the whole of the Premiership will get dragged into this, it wouldn't surprise me if the ban on Chelsea is lifted.

[wiw]

This is **** all. Chelsea encouraged that kid to break his contract. This is simply tapping up, which goes on with 99% of transfers. Not worried by this. If they **** us for tapping up then every other club will get the same

[cream]

So we made a bid, it got rejected. What's wrong with that ?

[Rafael Benítez Maudes]

from the other side (no not that side)


Liverpool Attempt To Poach Clayton
Once our best mates in the game Liverpool are now central to the poaching row. After Dario's comments over the weekend, where he revealed that one of the academy's top youngsters had been the subject of an illegal approach from a Premier League giant, the tabloids took the row up a notch this morning.

It'll come as no surprise to most Alex fans that the subject of that illegal approach was the highly rated 15 year old Max Clayton. Clayton was 18 months ago linked with a multi-million pound move to Anfield, a move then Alex manager Steve Holland rejected outright.

Dario claimed at the weekend that he has plenty of evidence to support his claims of the poaching attempt, which has left Clayton wanting to leave the club and as such has reported the club in question (Liverpool...?) to FIFA.

It will probably get a little bit more messy before all this goes away. Liverpool will no doubt try and buy their way out of the accusations, something that may not wash with Dario who's seeing 26 years of hard work slowly slip through his fingers as the rich start robbing from the poor.

It's sad that on various message boards and football sites there are comments from Premier League fans claiming it doesn't matter, players should be with them for the good of their development and little Crewe would only sell them anyway. It's such an ill-informed way of thinking - probably what you'd expect from 70% of armchair supporters.

If the 'big 4 [cheats]' are allowed to walk into our academy and take the cream of the crop without proper compensation or talks with the club then our club as a whole is likely to die.

Like it or not, the academy is our life blood and up to 12 months ago with the sale of Nicky Maynard for £2.5million it's still keeping this club away from debt whilst providing us with some of the best youngsters the Football League has seen in recent years. And yes, it's a shame Gudjon Thordarson doesn't see it.

Without us reaping the awards from transfer fees after spending years coaching these young players then our academy would have to go, taking everything this club has worked for for the past 25 years.

It would effectively rip the heart out of the club, but with all the headlines this week it seems to be a every day thing for these big clubs.

I think it's about time FIFA/UEFA/The FA came down hard on these cheats. Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea... all whinge about each others transfer activity but are all quite clearly as bad as each other. It's time to protect the real heart of English football and that's the clubs down in the lower leagues nurturing the future of English football.

[red g]

its not about robbing them but realistically how many of these youngsters that you would pay big money for actually make it?

all that will happen is that we will not look for young english players ( even less than now) and carry on plundering the world game thus having even more of a dire effect on the future game

[Shaggy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/8241607.stm

Liverpool play down suggestions they have been reported for an alleged illegal approach to a Crewe Alexandra teenager, BBC Sport understands.

Crewe director of football Dario Gradi claimed on Monday that the League Two outfit had reported an unnamed Premier League club for tapping up a player.

Reports on Tuesday suggested it was Liverpool, but the Reds say they are unaware of any complaint being made.

[tsb]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ra/8241607.stm

Was expecting this to be on there somewhere... Ian Cotton - "We are unaware of a complaint being made"

[PTP]

this going to get out of hand for the big four now - it's a media frenzy typical of this country.

Read Gradi's comments again! his exact quotes! the only club he mentions by name as 'stealing a player' from them is Everton!!!!!!! - is there any article, reports, headlines, rumours, worry about everton!! no, why cause who gives a **** about everton when we can try and rumble something up about a big four side

[Kenneth]

We made an offer, they rejected it. The player is now not contractually obliged to sign professional terms with them and wants to join a big club. What the hell is wrong with that? No suggestion of 'tapping up', no collusion to encourage him to breach a contract. Just utter bollocks to get on a bandwagon. Utter ****e.

[Tee]

We made an offer, they rejected it. The player is now not contractually obliged to sign professional terms with them and wants to join a big club. What the hell is wrong with that? No suggestion of 'tapping up', no collusion to encourage him to breach a contract. Just utter bollocks to get on a bandwagon. Utter ****e.

The allegations/stories sell papers.

[SimonNo7]

Now the story on the BBC website reads:

No Crewe complaint over 'tap-up'

The Football League has told BBC Sport no complaint has been received from Crewe Alexandra over an alleged illegal approach to one of their players.

Earlier in the week Crewe director of football Dario Gradi said they had reported an unnamed Premier League club for tapping up one of their youngsters.

Reports suggested it was Liverpool and the player was 15-year-old Max Clayton.

But Liverpool, who were willing to offer a six-figure sum for Clayton last year, knew nothing about any complaint.

Crewe rejected Liverpool's initial approach in February 2008, but Gradi says the teenager now wants to leave the League Two outfit.

He told the Daily Express: "Max has come in and told us that he wants to leave right now to join a big club.

"You worry financially for the clubs where the players are stolen from.

"What sort of compensation are we going to get for all the work that has gone into developing him? Any compensation is insignificant for the effort that gone in.

"It's simple, the big clubs are stealing other people's players."

Gradi made his claims in the wake of Fifa's decision to ban Chelsea from signing any players until January 2011 after they were found guilty of inducing 18-year-old French midfielder Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007.

The 68-year-old, who managed Crewe between 1983 and 2007, brought players such as David Platt, Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson, Robbie Savage and Dean Ashton through the ranks at the Alexandra Stadium during his time in charge.

Gradi has given his support to Fifa's decision to place a transfer embargo on Chelsea, who have already confirmed that they will launch the "strongest possible appeal" to the ruling.

Manchester United could also face an investigation after it emerged that another French club, Le Havre, are going to ask Fifa to look into Paul Pogba's move to Old Trafford in August.

"I'm delighted with what has happened with Chelsea," added Gradi. "I would hope all the big clubs are frightened to death. There is no excuse for breaking the rules.

"We lost a 12-year-old to Everton. He was our best 12-year-old. The lure is that the bigger clubs pay big expenses.

"This kid will be getting several hundred pounds a week in expenses. We pay expenses but nothing like that. It's more a case of giving out £20 if someone can pick a kid up en-route.

"At least Fifa have given the smaller clubs hope."

Do we think it maybe the media are making stories up? Would they do such a thing?

[Shaggy]

Haha what a load of **** this turned out to be.

[shanks69]

Here George, hide my wallet, Roffa`s coming.

i'm alright tom,i didn't bring mine