The Idea

[Browney]

Ok, I live in Keighley, where we have a *semi* successful Rugby League club. They're called Keighley Cougars and they're playing at the bottom of the second tier of Rugby League. A while ago, I read in the local newspaper a club called Keighley Pumas have been set up and they have an agreement with the Cougars that when an academy prospect from Cougars can't quite make it, Pumas will have a "first refusal" if you will, of bringing the player there. I didn't think much more about it.

Then, I read up abit more about this new rule meaning football clubs need to have a certain number of Englishmen in the squad, so combined with me pondering why there are so many foreigners, I wondered whether it could work in football. So a team like Villa have a player who can't break through, so they have an agreement with Leicester, a club close, so as not to disturb the player, but with no bitter feelings towards each other, and it would help promote talent within England.

Outside of football, it would improve economy in the area, especially for teams such as Carlisle. There's a severe lack of higher end football from that far North West. But if Everton agree to a deal with Carlisle, then I could quickly see Carlisle improving, and rejuvinating the economy, thanks to top flight/championship football.

1. Do you think this would work?
2. Would you agree to letting your team's players like this?
3. Would you be insulted to take other team's cast offs, or would you accept it as a price of progress?

[JackBuddy]

It could be a good idea, but academies would have to improve massively if it's to be a success. What happens if the two clubs can't agree a fee for a player?

To a smaller extent this is already happening with some large clubs having ties with lower division clubs. Spurs for example have players who normally go on loan to Exeter, Peterbrough or Bournemouth, because of Harry's ties. I can't speak on behalf of other clubs though- this mainly depends on the manager though. Spurs also have a partnership with San Jose Earthquakes in the USA and Internazionale in Brazil, the clubs basically share I commercial and footballing ideas and give some sort of transfer option (it's half of the reason we managed to get Sandro).

[Browney]

I forgot to say, an idea may be, that a club gets cast-offs at a bargain price, with the agreement that the big club gets first refusal on any player sold by the big club. For example, Villa have a contract with Leicester, and Villa want their star striker, then Villa get to see the player first. And like you said, there ARE international agreements, but my idea was trying to focus more on keeping English talent on the rise.

[JackBuddy]

It wouldn't be financially viable for the bigger club if they are contstrained to selling cast-offs at a bargain price when they could get more by selling elsewhere. There would have to be some flexibility with the contract between the clubs, because they might not agree the fee for a player but the terms of the partnership say they have to sell the player to them. There'll also be difficulties with the valuation of the 'bargain price' aspect, footballer valuations are all over the place. I know I'm nit picking, but the more I think about it, the more complicated it gets. The only things I can see changing are the ties between big and small clubs developing allowing first to choice to recieve a loanee.

[Browney]

The idea for the bigger club, is they promote English talent (good public image) and like I said, they help teams in their area meaning they help the local economy. Which is good not only for the fans, which gets them on side, but it also means more money is coming in to the big club it's self. Leicester are in a league with Leeds, who have great support. If Newcastle was still in Championship there'd be alot of fans turning up for a few drinks in the midlands, meaning shop owners, the places shop owners purchase from and so on, all get more money, meaning more season tickets for Villa to be sold. Admittably, the clubs would have to be fairly charitable and do their maths right. Though really, I'm not talking just can't break through. But players who were never going to be good enough. Less of Barca dropping Fabregas, more of us dropping Leadbitter.

[JackBuddy]

Most clubs now have foreign owners/ chairmen, who care only about profits and short term gains. Half the teams in the PL sell out week on week and I bet that those that don't sell out have rubbish academies. I like the idea in principle, but it'd take a lot of negotiation/time/dedication/commitment. for it to work successfuly. Small clubs would love it, but bigger clubs would just turn a blind eye and only think about themselves.

[Browney]

Or, in which case, teams franchise, such as Real. Real Madrid Castilla are the reserve team of Real Madrid and play in the second division. Sunderland could have a "cast-off" team, called "Sunderland Stray Cats" We play in a piss-poor local stadium, with players who didn't quite make it, it keeps our homegrown players rule intact, if we ever recall them from the strays. Profits go in the club's owner's pockets. That's more like the Puma/Cougar example I used. They're both owned by Cougars.

[JackBuddy]

The Spanish league is so unfair, Real and Barca negotiate TV money between themselves, which drives themselves away from every other club. I think the closest England will ever come to having a second string club will be the reserve league. Real Madrid can pump as much money into their other club as they like and if this happened in the Premier League and every team participated, then you're driving away other teams and preventing their development. It would be a good experience for the players involved but I doubt the other teams in the Spanish second division are too happy about it and nor would the Brentfords/ Exeters/ Bournemouths if it happened here.