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MAWHINNEY CALLS FOR END TO TRANSFER WINDOWS
Football League Chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney has revealed the devastating financial impact that transfer windows have had on clubs over the last season.
And he has announced plans to meet with other leagues from around the world to organise a concerted campaign to have domestic transfer windows scrapped.
An analysis of the transfer market during season 2002/2003 has revealed:
The value of sales from Football League clubs to Premier League clubs has dropped by more than a THIRD from £52,236,801 in 1999/2000 to £33,227,150 last season
· The value of the transfer market between Football League clubs has dropped by almost 90% from an average of £29,576,860 (five seasons 97/98 to 2001/02) to £3,317,625 last season
· The value of the domestic transfer market, including Premier League clubs, has dropped by almost HALF from an average of £169.5m (five seasons 97/98 – 2001/2002) to £90,380,775 last season
This reduction in the traditional method of redistributing monies in football has led to huge financial pressure on lower league clubs. A pressure that will only be lifted by FIFA agreeing to reopen the domestic transfer markets, according to Mawhinney.
“We’ve looked at the figures and are shocked,” Mawhinney said. “And we think they will shock other people.
“If the downward spiral created by the introduction of transfer windows continues, clubs in The Football League could go out of business. We have 72 clubs who historically have been sustained in part by the ability to sell players as and when the need arises. That ability has been taken away.
“The domestic transfer market must be reopened and we are going to explore the possibility of hosting a conference of football bodies from around Europe and beyond to investigate a way of challenging FIFA over the imposition of windows on a domestic basis.”
He explained: “We want to know if there are other leagues who want to join us in making a case to FIFA. If multiple countries join us that obviously makes the case stronger. But we will make representations to FIFA regardless.”
The Premier League has turned down The Football League’s request to reopen the domestic market by lifting their transfer windows and Mawhinney said: “The fact the Premiership are only in the business of buying and selling for two relatively short periods creates enormous downward pressure.”
An examples of this downward pressure was the transfer of Ipswich Town midefielder
Matt Holland who was the subject of a £4million offer in August 2002, before eventually being sold in May 2003 for £800,000 – an 80% drop in value in nine months.
As a result of the drop in revenue generated from transfer activity within the game, clubs are looking to reduce their squad sizes. At the end of season 2002/2003 a total of 364 players were given free transfers by Football League clubs. This means that the total number of footballers retained by Football League clubs has dropped from 1,727 to 1,395 in two years.
Eight clubs have scrapped their reserve teams and one has scrapped its youth development programme.
The Football League has ignored FIFA’s edict to introduce transfer windows domestically – and Mawhinney confirmed that they will continue to do so for season 2003/2004. However, it is clear that despite The League’s efforts to maintain the existing transfer system the impact of transfer windows has still been devastating.
Football League Chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney has revealed the devastating financial impact that transfer windows have had on clubs over the last season.
And he has announced plans to meet with other leagues from around the world to organise a concerted campaign to have domestic transfer windows scrapped.
An analysis of the transfer market during season 2002/2003 has revealed:
The value of sales from Football League clubs to Premier League clubs has dropped by more than a THIRD from £52,236,801 in 1999/2000 to £33,227,150 last season
· The value of the transfer market between Football League clubs has dropped by almost 90% from an average of £29,576,860 (five seasons 97/98 to 2001/02) to £3,317,625 last season
· The value of the domestic transfer market, including Premier League clubs, has dropped by almost HALF from an average of £169.5m (five seasons 97/98 – 2001/2002) to £90,380,775 last season
This reduction in the traditional method of redistributing monies in football has led to huge financial pressure on lower league clubs. A pressure that will only be lifted by FIFA agreeing to reopen the domestic transfer markets, according to Mawhinney.
“We’ve looked at the figures and are shocked,” Mawhinney said. “And we think they will shock other people.
“If the downward spiral created by the introduction of transfer windows continues, clubs in The Football League could go out of business. We have 72 clubs who historically have been sustained in part by the ability to sell players as and when the need arises. That ability has been taken away.
“The domestic transfer market must be reopened and we are going to explore the possibility of hosting a conference of football bodies from around Europe and beyond to investigate a way of challenging FIFA over the imposition of windows on a domestic basis.”
He explained: “We want to know if there are other leagues who want to join us in making a case to FIFA. If multiple countries join us that obviously makes the case stronger. But we will make representations to FIFA regardless.”
The Premier League has turned down The Football League’s request to reopen the domestic market by lifting their transfer windows and Mawhinney said: “The fact the Premiership are only in the business of buying and selling for two relatively short periods creates enormous downward pressure.”
An examples of this downward pressure was the transfer of Ipswich Town midefielder
Matt Holland who was the subject of a £4million offer in August 2002, before eventually being sold in May 2003 for £800,000 – an 80% drop in value in nine months.
As a result of the drop in revenue generated from transfer activity within the game, clubs are looking to reduce their squad sizes. At the end of season 2002/2003 a total of 364 players were given free transfers by Football League clubs. This means that the total number of footballers retained by Football League clubs has dropped from 1,727 to 1,395 in two years.
Eight clubs have scrapped their reserve teams and one has scrapped its youth development programme.
The Football League has ignored FIFA’s edict to introduce transfer windows domestically – and Mawhinney confirmed that they will continue to do so for season 2003/2004. However, it is clear that despite The League’s efforts to maintain the existing transfer system the impact of transfer windows has still been devastating.
