bearing in mind the team NEEDS strengthening in some areas...

Going into extra time Deadline extended on transfer issue

UEFA are confident that the sympathetic hearing they received from the European Commission yesterday will bode well when the final decisions on football's transfer system are made at the end of the year.

In the first formal meeting between the two organisations since the legal challenge to transfers was first raised over 18 months ago, Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Culture and Sport agreed to extend the deadline for football to report its findings on the issue from September 20 to October 31.

That decision alone proved the value of UEFA's involvement and it now seems certain world governing body FIFA - criticised by the EC and influential figures within football for dragging their heels over such an important issue - will be shunted aside in further talks.

The six-man "Transfer Taskforce", including Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, will meet at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland on Tuesday to begin the troublesome task of finding a solution to the transfer issue which is acceptable under European employment law.

"It is accepted that there needs to be change," said UEFA director of communications Mike Lee.

"But we had a useful exchange and it gives us something to work on and bring back before the Commission."

"We believe our thinking is broadly in line with what would be acceptable to the EC but the Transfer Taskforce will be the major focus for taking the ideas forward."

However, the involvement of government - in particular Prime Minister Tony Blair - is seen as vital in the lobbying process.

Blair has vowed to push football's case and has already persuaded his German counterpart Gerhard Schroder to back him.

This has been welcomed by the Premier League, who decided at the monthly chairman's meeting yesterday to individually sign a declaration to defend the strengths of the current transfer system.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

Answers

I have no idea. I can't make up my mind which is the best outcome for NUFC!

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

Either way nobody with half a brain is going to be buying at the moment so we're not going to lose out on anybody and everyone else is stuck with their dross too.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

The six-man "Transfer Taskforce", including Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, A euphemism for a typical quango who will meet in exotic places and actually decide bugger all "It is accepted that there needs to be change," said UEFA director of communications Mike Lee. accepted by who actually

"But we had a useful exchange Yeah....they all exchanged the keys of their various villa's and timeshare apartment so that they had somewhere different to take their secretaroes this year However, the involvement of government - in particular Prime Minister Tony Blair - is seen as vital in the lobbying process. well....if the Sedgefield Slaptwat is getting involved everything will get f***ed up

Blair has vowed to push football's case should really have read Blair has vowed to push his own case as he doesn't give a toss about anyone else

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

A touch cynical ITK :-)

If this drags on then there are going to be some mighty unhappy dressing rooms come christmas, take Villa for example.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

In this morning's Journal BR says he can't invest a lot of the Club's money on players until this issue is finally resolved so any delay doesn't do us any good.
You have to appreciate this highly responsible attitude - which could be actually being dictated by the plc - but if we pick up a couple of injuries to defenders we are well and truly screwed. After such a promising start to the season that would be a terrible shame.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

It would be dead funny if the Euro commision did call and end to transfer fees. The UItalians and Spanish clubs would be screwed after forking out so much on players..... and how much have the likes of Chewsee forked out this season on a new batch of "bottlers" as Vialli calls them?....Nice one Bobby, laughing all of the way to the bank.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2000

In this mornings Journal, BR says he's very pleased with the way hughes and goma have played but that still expects to strengthen the squad.
He indicates he was very close to signing Winston Bogarde, who he says then "..decided he fancied the Kings Rd. more than the Quayside, even though he knows nothing about the Quayside".
Here's another one who can now happily rot in Chelsea's Reserves while earning a Kings Rd. ransom!

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2000

We'd be fools if we didn't take a stance like this. Boro' will probably keep spending but no-one else is doing anything at the minute.

I woldn't want Bogarde at the club anyway, if you believe what you read in the papers, he thinks he is above playing for a club the size of Chelsea, mind you when you've come from Barcelona?

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2000