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Earlier this week Lotus became the first Formula One team to launch its new car for the 2013 season. The new E21 will be…
The FA Cup was once the showpiece of English football. However, in recent years it has become the trophy every top-flight club craves, yet…
In the past decade, Roman Abramovich has delivered Chelsea FC fans glory with one hand, yet has slapped them in the face with the…
The A-League transfer market will open on January 14, a fortnight after Europe and most of the Asian leagues. Sydney FC coach Frank Farina…
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Frank Lampard, Chelsea FC's veteran midfielder, could be the latest casualty of an abominable club policy of disposing of players over 30-years-old. Lampard could…
Each year in the lead up to the Sydney-Hobart yacht race numerous people can be overheard denigrating yachting as not being a sport. In…
Indonesian Justian Suhandinata has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in an attempt to clean up the mess…
Sydney FC’s team had an average age of just 19.
Things are looking good for women’s football in Australia in the coming decade.
Sam Kerr's goal one of the greats
Popovic has built a team with a great balance of youth and experience. That is not easy given the limited pre-season preparation available to Wanderers.
He’s also demonstrated tremendous tactical intuition.
Most importantly, his team have a belief that’s been built on some spectacular performances, particularly in the Sydney derby.
Western Sydney certainly have the quality and the class to go all the way.
Wanderers look as likely as anyone to lift the golden toilet seat
It was not my intention to suggest that Abramovich’s private ownership of Chelsea is wrong. Nor did I intend to suggest he remove his funds and let the club slide into mediocrity.
His money does give him certain entitlements regarding the running of the club. I simply believe he should moderate his involvement in how the club actually play football, given his limited knowledge of the game itself.
Chelsea fans must tell Abramovich to butt out
The Australian Trade Practices Act and the common law does operate to protect sports people from restrictive trade conditions. The key legal principles in this area of the law can be summarised as follows:
“In professional sport, there are a number of agreements and undertakings that impose conditions that operate as a restraint of trade. Many of these restraints are necessary and reasonable, some more tenuous to the proper administration of the sport. The general issue in determining whether a restraint of trade in sport is reasonable or not, involves a balancing of the interests of the sport, the club, and society as against the adverse effects on the player (such as lost income).” (From Chadwick’s ‘Restraint Of Trade In Australian Sport’)
So, if Griffiths was to bring a succesful restriction of trade action he would need to show that it is unreasonable for him not to be allowed to immediately register for his new team given an assesment of ALL relevant interests. Based on what I have written above about what I deem to be fair and reasonable, I don’t believe he would have much of a case. However, I’m not a judge.
There is also a distiction between Bosman and similar international decisions, as those cases have focused on the application of European Treaty law.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
Australian clubs are contractually compelled to follow the A-League’s rules on registration.
Think of the A-League as a corporation that has 10 contracts (or licences), one with each of the clubs. Players then sign contracts with the clubs. When the contracts end between a club and a player, other clubs cannot employ the player because they are themselves contractually bound to comply with the registration conditions outlined by the A-League franchise licences.
If a club were to employ a player outside the registration period, that did not comply with the A-League’s terms of the contract with the club, the club’s contract with the A-League could become void; the club’s licence would be revoked.
In terms of all contracts ending in registration periods…this does sometimes happen. A three year contract will often end at the close of the player’s third season and under the Bosman rule the player is eligible for a free transfer. However, in mid-year transfers, such as Visconte, or where a player leaves a year or two early, players usually have not performed all of their contractual obligations, so a transfer fee is paid as compensation to the selling club. Transfer fees are usually split up between the player, agents and then club.
If your premise that all transfers be free was established, then A-League clubs would lose one of their few sources of revenue and the players would be paid even less. That doesn’t seem very fair.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
There are frequent discussions about players not having adequate rights in having freedom to move on when contracts expire. Since the Bosman decision in the 90s there has been a growth in player power. Existing regulations are designed to balance the interests of players and clubs. In the case above I think the balance is quite fair.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
That’s my guess too.
Imagine the amount of players who would seek to end their contracts when their teams go through a bad run. There must be some level of protection for the clubs so they can keep players.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
First of all, “transfer” is a dirty word we like to use which is slang for what FIFA describe as “registration”. In the FIFA regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, FIFA sets out that registrations may only be made in two annual periods decided upon by the League’s governing body (within a set time frame, of course).
“Players may only be registered during one of the two annual registration periods fixed by the relevant association.”
FIFA does provide an exception where contracts have been mutually terminated, as in Visconte’s case:
“As an exception to this rule, a professional whose contract has expired prior to the end of a registration period may be registered outside that registration period. Associations are authorised to register such professionals provided due consideration is given to the sporting integrity of the relevant competitions.”
FIFA explains that this means:
“Although not expressly mentioned by the Regulations, a player who has mutually agreed with his club on the early termination of the employment relationship before the expiry of the registration period also falls under the aforementioned exception. The mutual termination of the employment contract must occur before the end of the registration period for the player to fall under the aforementioned exception.”
So Visconte could under FIFA rules be registered early. However, it is up to the rules that the A-League comes up with for its own transfer windows. It has no obligation to allow an early registration.
“The possibility of registering players outside a registration period is an authorisation, not an obligation, given to the association concerned. In fact, while considering the sporting integrity of the national competition, the association needs to put in place uniform rules of application for this exception by establishing, for example, the number of players per club that can be registered and the last possible date for these players to be registered.”
So really when a player is allowed to move is essentially up to the governing body who sets the regulations of the particular league.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
Oprah will get it out of him.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/lance-armstrong-to-address-doping-scandal-on-oprah-20130109-2cfi5.html
Does the world need a Lance Armstrong confession?
**UPDATE**
Tom Rogic is being linked with Scottish champions Celtic.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
The “cashed up” line was not meant to be a reference to the Griffiths situation, it was made regarding the overall financial stability of the club in contrast to teams who often are required to sell players to maintain financial viability.
A-League transfer policy plays rich against poor
**UPDATE**
Today (8/1/13) Lampard’s agent, Steve Kutner, confirmed that Lampard is all but certain to be shown the door:
“Chelsea executives told Frank in Japan then again re-confirmed with his agent after the Everton victory that, in no circumstances, will he be offered a new contract to stay at Chelsea Football Club after the end of the season…nothing has changed in any respect.”
Doesn’t look good for Frank. Time to pack those bags and head down under.
Chelsea must abandon over 30s policy
The Pittwater-Coffs series is so often overlooked because it falls so close to the Hobart race, and its hard for the smaller boats going south to be back in Broken Bay in time for the race start. It’s a shame because it’s a fantastic ocean race and regatta, one of the best I’ve sailed. Sadly, I won’t be heading North this year.
Outside of sailing it is a very social event and it is an important annual revenue maker for the local Coffs Harbour area.
2013 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour ocean race
What I don’t like Mundine’s approach to his critics. If anybody, including indigenous elders criticism him, he rattles off his mouth with any old rubbish, which is often offensive. This is very irresponsible, particularly as he’s indigenous “role model”.
However, Mundine is the same as so many other high-profile athletes: the mouth piece does more work than the muscles.
Honestly, I think sensible people gave up listening to him some time ago.
Mundine an embarrassment to Aussie sport