Fans group backs transfer sanctions
The Football Supporters Federation (FSF) today backed the calls for tough sanctions against people found to be taking money out of the game through transfers following Lord Stevens’ inquiry into illegal payments.
Lord Stevens stressed all of the 38 recommendations following the nine-month-long inquiry from his Quest team must be adopted to safeguard the integrity of the game.
One of these was that an independent body should handle the audit of transfers rather than the Football Association and that any “punishments must have a significant deterrent…Money alone may not be appropriate as a sanction.”
It was a stance that received the backing of chair of the FSF, Malcolm Clarke.
He said: “One of Lord Stevens’ recommendations was there should be a greatly-strengthened audit and compliance function. We would certainly support that.
“Part of the conclusion is the game has got to improve its procedures anyway, and we will now expect the Premier League and Football Association to start implementing some of these.”
Clarke said: “The key to us is there is proper, strong audit capacity so that transfers can be investigated, and if anyone is found in breach of the regulations, then there are very strong sanctions.
“Fines may not be enough, because some of these people have got so much money that a few thousand is neither here nor there.
“So if sanctions other than just financial ones are implemented, that would be most welcome.
“Things are going to be tightened up now, so it is going to be much more difficult for people to break the law.”
The Premier League has targeted 17 transfers that require further investigation following Lord Stevens’ observations.
A “small but significant number of agents” have refused to co-operate with the inquiry.
As a result, the Premier League will formally ask the FA for a joint inquiry as English football’s governing body has the powers to require agents to disclose information that may be essential to complete any investigation.
Clarke admitted football fans would not be surprised to hear some agents were not keen to help the Quest team.
He said: “We will have to wait to see what happens, but it does not take a genius to work out that people who have got nothing to hide are far more likely to co-operate with the inquiry than people who have.
“The fact he has still got 17 he cannot sign off does tend to suggest there may be something there.
“The question supporters will ask is: 'Why will they not co-operate if they have nothing to hide?'”
