by Ray Graydon

Created on: September 14, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

I think that we're already in murky water here. In this context what does 'poach' actually mean? If a club courts a junior player already under contract with another club how far would be too far? FIFA and Mr Blatter need to decide this. It is obvious that the best young players will want to play where they feel they can best develop their game, and, apparently how quickly their pockets can be filled. The parents of the youngster might even want a house in Notting Hill. (Mr and Mrs Kakuta?)

But if there is no written, tangible contract then the 'big' clubs will not be deterred and sooner or later the player will come around. It takes a loyal kind of fondness for ones' hometown club to turn down a plane ticket and a new life in the big leagues. Verbal agreements just won't stand up to time, especially if a young players' potential talent is spotted by a scouting network from abroad, and, lets face it, clubs have been prising 'the next Zidane' from each other for a long time and if proper punishments aren't handed out it will continue.

These clubs, such as Chelsea, have eyes everywhere because they can afford to have eyes everywhere, they can buy players at the peak of their powers, (well not at the moment), and they can bring in the French kid whose family will find a way out through football. Points deductions won't do, to stop this we need to tread on Mr Abramovich's fat fingers or at least for the time being, tie up his purse strings. Some feel it was a harsh penalty to apply a transfer ban on Chelsea, but it is the exact area they are abusing so the punishment is more than just. You have an academy too, Roman.

The argument goes further, though. Clubs have already lost identities due to fielding teams of 11 foreign players on a regular basis, but what happens when the town where that french youngster is from can no longer compete, because 10-20 of the worlds clubs snap up talent before it can be showcased? This is only one reason that the gap will widen, the smaller clubs will shrivel and the bigger clubs will grow. FIFA need to recognise this for the sake of the game, before the bloated rich list clubs and their oil barons have only themselves to blame.

Learn more about this author, Ray Graydon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.