Home-grown rule introduced

14 September 2009 22:23
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} The Premier League have introduced a home-grown player rule which will come into effect from next season, alongside a limit on squad sizes.[LNB] From the 2010/11 campaign, the 20 Premier League clubs have voted to introduce measures which will see all teams required to have eight home-grown players out of a squad of 25.[LNB]Chief executive Richard Scudamore confirmed the changes, with clubs only able to make alterations to their squads during the two transfer windows.[LNB]"As of next season clubs will be required to have a squad named of up to 25 players, of which no more than 17 can be over the age of 21 and not home grown," Scudamore said.[LNB]"The definition of home grown is trained for three years under the age of 21 by somebody in the English and Welsh professional system.[LNB]"Clubs will have to declare their 25 at the end of August when the window shuts and then again at the end of January."[LNB]Players who are aged under 21 are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players per squad.[LNB]IncentiveScudamore does not believe the move will encourage clubs to hoard young foreign players and claims the England team will ultimately reap the reward.[LNB]"It's not in the club's interests to stockpile players. It will make buying home-grown talent more attractive," he said.[LNB]"We're not going down the route of a nationality test but what this will mean is that you just can't buy a team from abroad.[LNB]"We think it will give clubs an extra incentive to invest in youth. We think that one of the benefits will be that it will help the England team."[LNB]All 20 Premier League members also agreed to adhere to a set of financial reporting rules designed to protect the viability and sustainability of the clubs.[LNB]Finances"They will all have to annually submit accounts and future financial information," said Scudamore.[LNB]"At all times the board of the Premier League will be applying a test which basically says this: can the club fulfil its fixtures, pay off its creditors when they are due and also to meet obligations to the Premier League's contracts and partners?[LNB]"If the board believe a club is at risk of not meeting those obligations, it has to then step in and agree a budget for the running of that club. Any transfers can be embargoed.[LNB]"It's absolutely crucial that these clubs are run as ongoing viable concerns. These financial rules apply immediately.[LNB]"This is tied in, and we passed the rule during the summer, to a 'fit and proper person test'. At our club meeting last week, the clubs absolutely endorsed our position of not linking expenditure to income."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports