Under 23 Players

[Inverhunt]

We have all had a go at some time in our supporter lives at the loyalty shown by players and our annoyance when they move to other clubs but have we ever thought how the under 23 ruling affects younger players.

 

 

At the end of this season it is anticipated that the Reserve league may go and that up to 400 players in the Scottish game alone will be looking for new Clubs. It therefore makes sense and fairness to under 23 players that if they are not getting contracts renewed etc that they be told at the earliest opportunity so that they can put themselves in the shop window for the remaining games of their contracts. Nothing is in place to protect these young players and the benefits are all for the Clubs as opposed to what happens to players over 23. We have the interesting part with Hughes and Buzz having the hold over the Club, but the Club has the hold over younger players.

 

 

If you look at the under 23 ruling I think we would agree it was really aimed at bigger Clubs poaching our young players, however for those that are not the Rooneys and Flecks of the world it works against them. In addition some Clubs will obviously wait until they see if they are finishing in the top 6 etc to see what their finances are, which makes economic sense.

 

 

If you look at our current 19’s, the league is due to finish at the end of March, although I see there are still a couple of postponed games to be played in April.

 

 

If no contracts are renewed they are left fighting it out with other players for trials at Clubs in July onwards.

 

 

So I ask this question, bearing in mind several of our young lads are at the end of their contracts, can any players under 23 be criticised, by us the supporters, if the players get an agent to start generating interest from elsewhere just in case they do not get a contract??

[Andy_P]

We all have our own agendas. The vast majority of players will always be on the look out for the best deal they can get, clubs will be looking to have the best possible squad with the resources they have and we as supporters want to best for our team so if a player chooses to leave to go elsewhere then some will always feel let down. I don't see any of that changing.

 

I guess its all just finding a balance. Historically clubs likely held the upper hand being able to retain players whose contracts had expired and in recent times the pendulum has swung in the players favour with pre-contracts being able to be negotiated in the last six months of deals.

 

Indirectly I suppose it could be argued that the club will have more sway with the move to scrap the reserves having the livelihoods of a greater number of players in their hands but that's only really going to be a one off situation. I remember hearing similar when the Bosman ruling was due to come in with hundreds of unemployed footballers going to be on the dole but while the numbers looking for clubs were initially greater, things carried on the same. Those good enough found clubs at a similar level and the rest work their down the pecking order or eventually packed it in.

 

I would expect much the same to continue this time too. I said on another thread that I think its not so much the youngsters who are reall this time. Usually there are only a couple that make it from a youth side to getting a full-time contract anyway. Its the likes of say Steven McGarry who could be in bother - your first team fringe player for whom no reserve team likely means no regular football for weeks.

 

Time will tell I suppose though!