Series: Digger

Fifa backs electronic transfers


Fifa is developing a system of monitoring international player transfers as the end of the European club football season in Moscow last night marked the start of summer transfer trading. The world governing body considers a limited pilot of the "transfer-matching system" it began in January to have been a success and it will now seek to roll out the scheme to every national association and club in the world.

Under current rules the football association of the purchasing club must fax that of the selling club to request an international transfer certificate, giving name, date, place of birth, the name of the selling club and to confirm that one of its clubs wants to register the player. This then has to be registered with Fifa, meaning its Zurich headquarters is inundated with paperwork from clubs around the world.

Instead Fifa now intends to make the system electronic, allowing data input online, speeding up the process and making oversight easier. It is hoped that over time the system will cut down on potential corruption through "bungs" as Fifa is able to keep track of monies paid and received by clubs in the transfers.

As a result of the Fifa executive committee meeting last October, a company called Fifa Transfer Matching System GmbH has been set up to perform the task. "The pilot was a success," Fifa's general secretary, Jérôme Valcke, told this column. "The centralised matching system will ensure that the transfers people will be able to point out if they consider something to be strange."

Harry's shock for United

Harry Redknapp's revelation that Manchester United are heading to Nigeria for a pre-season tour came as a shock to the top brass at Old Trafford. The proposed one-game visit, en route to the Vodacom Challenge in South Africa during July, is under consideration but no deal has yet been agreed. Foreign Office travel advice stipulates that outlying regions of Nigeria must be avoided. However, United have not ruled out the match as it would be held in the comparatively serene capital of Abuja.

Challenge to FA panel

The Football Association's processes in considering misconduct charges against Luton Town directors and players' agents, considered a dry run of any action arising from the Quest inquiry, have come under attack from one of the defendants. There was particular criticism that lawyers learned of charges being dropped against co-defendants only through media reports and not direct from the FA.

A three-man panel headed by the QC Peter Griffiths yesterday held its final disciplinary hearing before reaching a verdict on June 4. But the involvement of two other FA mandarins, neither of whom is understood to be legally trained, has been questioned by those who face misconduct charges. Agents have been charged for misconduct after receiving payments from a company other than the club. However, they argue that payments were made by the club's stadium company, which apparently had the same directors and shareholders. Agents have asked why they should be expected to undertake due diligence of every client.

No ducking Duckworth

Twenty-20 cricket may have become a multi-million-pound concern but rained-off matches will still be decided by a Duckworth-Lewis system devised before the format ever existed. Tony Lewis and Frank Duckworth tweaked the software before the 2007 World Cup, and will not return to the subject again before 2010. Innings routinely exceed the 200-run barrier but Lewis insists their formula can accommodate such high scores. In three years the target "may change by one run here or there," adds Lewis - but that could be a very expensive run if Stanford's winner-takes-all match is decided by a deluge.

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