Stlen from Sporting-life.com

EC DENY TRANSFER ABOLITION RUMOURS The European Commission has claimed that there are no plans to abolish transfers in their ruling on the market at the end of the year. Mario Monti, the European Commissioner for free trade, said that the intention of the transfer market review was to make the system fairer. "The Commission is open to dialogue and ready to help in any way the working group set up by FIFA, UEFA, the national leagues and the players to find a solution satisfactory to all," Monti said. Monti spoke after a meeting with leaders of 11 national football leagues, during which he appealed for constructive discussions in considering how to adapt FIFA transfer rules to European legislation that has guaranteed the free movement of workers within the EU since January 1992. And Amelia Torres, Monti's spokeswoman, affirmed: "The Commission intends to develop the transfer system not abolish it. "We await the proposals from the football world that will respect European legislation while maintaining particularities specific to the sport, especially where the support of youth team players and solidarity between the small and great clubs are concerned," she added. Moves by the Commission to quell concern over the future of the transfer market came as a lobbying campaign was set up with the specific aim of influencing the final decision. The campaign - being led by the Football Association, Premier League and Football League - are determined to ensure there are as few alterations as possible, although they realise that some changes are inevitable due to European laws on freedom of movement. And it is now at least understood that the EC have agreed they do not consider FIFA's recent controversial attempt at putting forward a solution to be an official plan of action. For, according to many in the European game, FIFA virtually threw in the towel in offering too much, too soon by agreeing to end transfer fees for players over 24 and to offer only limited compensation for those under that age. However the EC, who insist that some changes are legally required, have privately confirmed that they will only consider the official recommendations of a joint UEFA-FIFA committee set up to find football's ideal solution. These have to be made by a deadline of October 31 and the onus is still on football to come up with a workable solution which conforms to the requirement of a "less restrictive system" that cannot be challenged in the courts. But the English governing bodies, whose views are represented on that body by Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor, insist that some of the strengths of the current system could still be protected. While they will almost inevitably not get all of their wishes fulfilled, with many players likely to be on one-year contracts in future, their greatest priority is to avoid a free-for-all causing relative chaos. Players would then only have to serve short notice periods, could change clubs regularly unless there was at least a regulated transfer window and smaller clubs would suffer as there would be little reward for youth development. The English governing bodies have therefore sent leaflets to national associations, leagues, clubs and player bodies across Europe to gain proof of their support for the current system. Now they are turning their attention to fans by appealing to supporters who oppose massive changes to the status quo to make their feelings known by e-mailing the FA's website via infoatthe-fa.org. FA executive director David Davies explained the lobbying process would constitute an "unprecedented show of unity" that it is hoped the power-brokers at the EC would be unable to ignore. FA chief executive Adam Crozier added: "The fans are very important. They are a big constituent part of the game and can therefore create political pressure for the politicians to support what we are doing." Something clearly has to change in the transfer system. The crucial question, however, is how far those changes will go.

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2000

Answers

Is that the clear sound of a lot of back peddling I can hear!

-- Anonymous, September 22, 2000