Faulconbridge put on transfer list
04/12/01
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Let's get it sorted
His contract is up at the end of the season and Wrexham fear he could walkout for nothing under the Bosman ruling. Faulconbridge is 24 in April and any player of that age can walk out of clubs if they are out of contract. Wrexham have already rejected cash bids for him from second division rivals Oldham - but Faulconbridge still has to put pen to paper on a new deal at The Racecourse. Faulconbridge said today: "I want this resolved as soon as possible." So does manager Denis Smith. He said: 'I am having Craig in later today for more talks because this can't go on as it is. I want to keep him. He is my top scorer and on that basis alone I want to keep him here at Wrexham. "But he still hasn't signed the new deal we have offered him and we've got to get it sorted out for the benefit of everyone - including him. "Obviously, the Bosman ruling is the big threat. There's no way this club can afford for Craig Faulconbridge to just walk out with no money coming in for him. I've spoken to the lad's agent - whom I know quite well, and I'm having the player in for more talks today and hopefully we can get this thing sorted." Nuneaton-born Faulconbridge first came to Wrexham's notice after he was released by Coventry City. He had a brief spell with Scottish Premier League club Dunfermline and Brian Flynn gave him a chance to impress during Wrexham's end of season tour of the Isle of Man. Faulconbridge did well in the Manx tournament and is now Smith's main targetman along with Lee Trundle. Cash-strapped Wrexham rejected cash offers from Oldham for him and there has also been interest shown in Faulconbridge by Wycombe manager, Lawrie Sanchez. But the robust Midlander is happy at Wrexham and seems keen to stay. He limped into Colliers Park this morning for more treatment on a painful ankle injury that forced him out of Saturday's 3-2 home win over Northampton Town. Faulconbridge lasted only 16 minutes before he was forced to quit and was replaced by Andy Morrell. Physio Mel Pejic is working hard to get Faulconbridge fit for Saturday's re-arranged home game against Bristol City, but there is still a doubt about him.
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Cold reception for transfer 'windows'
Plans to restrict transfer dealings to just two 'windows' during the year will do "great damage" to English football, according to league officials in this country. UEFA have unveiled an agreement made by the top 11 European leagues - which include England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany - to standardise the system of transfers across the continent. The decision, subject to approval by all of UEFA's 51 member associations, means that players will be allowed to move from club to club - either domestically or internationally - only during three-and-a-half months in the summer and a month in the winter. But a spokesman for the Football League criticised plans to apply the rules to domestic dealings, claiming it would put even more pressure on financially-stretched smaller clubs. "As far as we are concerned, this announcement applies only to international transfers because we remain fundamentally opposed to the introduction of transfer windows on a domestic basis," he said. "From the very start of negotiations on the future of the transfer system we were advised by EU culture commissioner Vivienne Redding that there was absolutely no intention of introducing it on a domestic basis. "Her view, with which we concur, was that having a window on international transfers would actually help stimulate the market and increase the flow of money from the larger to the smaller clubs. "To this end the Football League, along with our counterparts the Football Association and Premier League, have recently made representations to FIFA outlining our concern that a domestic transfer window could do great damage and was therefore unacceptable. "However, we have yet to receive a formal response." A spokesman for the Premier League supported that view, adding that his employers plan talks to clarify the situation. "Up until the case of the commission we have never considered international transfer windows to be necessary," he said. "However, legally we appreciate there was always going to be a need to reinforce the arrangements for contractual stability. "Therefore this is one of the accepted trade-offs, and we will make the necessary adjustments. "As regards the introduction of domestic transfer windows, further discussions will be undertaken with our clubs before any changes are made to the current system." Representatives of the 11 European leagues, who comprise UEFA's Professional Football Committee, agreed earlier on Tuesday to unanimously support the creation of unified transfer windows for both national and international deals. The summer period will span from the end of the season until August 31, while the winter transfers will be allowed between January 1 and 31. The rules apply to both domestic and international transfers. For countries whose season is based on the calendar year, the summer period would be from July 1 to August 31 and in winter from December 15 to January 31. Limited exceptions to the rules, such as for injured goalkeepers, could be applied by individual leagues - but UEFA say this should not be used to circumvent the transfer period rules. "This is an historic agreement which, for the first time, should give us harmonised transfer periods in European professional football," said Pedro Tomas, chairman of UEFA's Professional Football Committee and president of the Spanish League. "We believe that this is the right way forward for sporting, legal and financial reasons. It should help to provide some increased stability in the game and help create a solid framework for the future." The agreement will now be submitted to UEFA's executive committee for approval so that it can be recommended to all of the 51 member associations. |
WREXHAM
today made another bid to keep top scorer Craig Faulconbridge.