Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 7y

MP calls for FA review into Liverpool's 'tapping up' of Stoke schoolboy

A leading A leading British politician has called on the Football Association to commission an independent review into Liverpool's "tapping up" of a Stoke City schoolboy.

Last week, Liverpool were given a two-year academy transfer ban -- with the second year suspended for three years -- and a £100,000 fine for breaking Premier League rules on youth recruitment.

It was found that Liverpool had spoken to the youngster before they should have done, paying for him and his family to attend a game at Anfield and offering to pay his private school fees, viewed by the Premier League as a forbidden inducement.

Damian Collins, the chairman of the Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee, says the FA needs to look into the saga, and find out whether there are any more cases of clubs offering inducements.

"The FA should establish an independent review to investigate this particular incident -- independently of the Premier League -- and also to enable other families to come forward, with a promise of anonymity, so they can share other stories of inducements and tapping up by Premier League clubs and other inappropriate contact with players," the MP for Folkestone and Hythe told the Daily Telegraph.

"I'm going to be raising this with the members of the committee when it meets on Tuesday, to discuss what we can do to bring pressure to bear on this issue -- whether that's us getting directly involved with hearings or questioning the football authorities about the way they've handled the case."

Liverpool and Stoke agreed on a £49,000 deal for compensation for the player, but the Premier League blocked the move.

The schoolboy, who has not been identified, cannot join another team until Stoke receive compensation for their part in his development.

Liverpool offered to pay the player's private school fees, which were being paid by Stoke at this time, but this was a breach of newly introduced regulations which state a benefit can only be offered if it is applicable to all youngsters across the club's academy, and this was not the case.

"The Premier League should pay the boy's education up to the age of 16 out of the money they've fined Liverpool," Collins added. "That was promised to him and the family by two Premier League clubs. Through no fault of the family's, that hasn't been honoured. The boy's education and football career are in jeopardy as a consequence and the family have got themselves into enormous debt.

"[Clubs are] using the draw of Premier League football, and the desire of families to get the best for their child, to encourage people to take steps that aren't necessarily in their best interests. A lot of people will read this story and look at a club like Liverpool and the resources they have available and be very disappointed at the way in which this family's been treated."

Stoke chairman Peter Coates told the Daily Telegraph last week that he is seeking compensation over the case.

^ Back to Top ^