Source: FOOTYMAD
New Squad Size Rules For 2009/10
Chief Scudamore brings in 17+8 rule Next season has been given a major shake up with the news that the Premier League is to introduce squad quota's.From the start of next season clubs will have to decide a 25 man squad at the end of the summer transfer window and will only be allowed to replace players in the squad during the January transfer window. The news is further complicated by an announcement that within the squad there will have to be eight players who spent three seasons at an English or Welsh professional club before the season in which they turned 21 ends. All players aged under 21 on January 1st on the year in which the season started will not be part of the 25 man squad but will be able to play as additional players. The rules are sure to mean more investment in clubs youth academies and with Chelsea's recent transfer ban for allegedly poaching a teenager from abroad could also mean more players remain at the clubs that actually develop them. It is also sure to increase the amount of players out on loan from Premier League clubs and hopefully close the gap between the top clubs and the rest as teams will be unable to have large squads, Liverpool have nearly 50 players, and will not be able to bring in countless players from abroad. Manchester City, complete with billionaire owner, could be rocked by the news more than most as they released a whole host of talented youngsters last season despite having the most successful academy for the last two years, going thirty games unbeaten. They also will have been making big plans to bring in more and more of the worlds top players and these may have to be readdressed.Stoke's current squad has the following players who would be fighting for the 17 squad places with no restrictions on: Ricardo FullerMama SidibeSalif DiaoAmdy FayeTuncay SanliDiego ArismendiAbdoulaye FayeThomas SorensonIbrahima SonkoThe following players will be able to take one of the places with restrictions on, of which there must be at least 8 but, coupled with the players chosen from above, must not exceed a total of 25:Steve SimonsenAndy GriffinDanny HigginbothamLeon CortGlenn WhelanLiam LawrenceTom SoaresJames BeattieDave KitsonDanny PughRichard CresswellRyan ShawcrossDean WhiteheadAndrew DaviesDanny CollinsMichael TongeRory DelapMatthew EtheringtonAndy WilkinsonCarl DickinsonRobert HuthThe following players can be added to the 25 squad players as they are under 21:Ryan ShottonDiego ArismendiBen MarshallMatthew LundNathaniel WedderburnLouis MoultDavid PartonDanzelle St.Louis-HamiltonThat all means that Stoke will have to cut there 30 players who are over 21,m down to just 25 players. They would currently have no problems fulfilling the other quota's of home grown players. The 25 man squad will currently be supplemented by eight players who are under 21.
