4 home-grown's in match day squads

[strap]

The Football League Clubs have just voted to change the rules to make it obligatory to name at least 4 players who have been registered for a minimum of 3 years for the club prior to their 21st birthday, in match day squads as from the start of next season.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1492863,00.html

We voted in favour of this rule, and I am trying to compile a list of our players who qualify. With thanks to eagle-eyed moo and rabidbee for posting corrections this is what I have come up with (2nd time around):

Only taking those with a squad number this season, I reckon we can have a minimum of 4 from 12, assuming "registered domestically" means registered with RFC for domestic competitions 3 years before their 21st b'days, (rather than simply registered with ANY domestic team 3 years before their 21st b'day, which could easily be the correct interpretation TBF, especially when you realise that we have not met the rule once yet this seaosn if my interpretation is correct).

Those in green (3) have already made league starts this season, and in fact we have NOT met the new rule in any our league games this season. We've managed to field 2 qualifiers in 10 league games, and 1 in the other 13. So maybe the looser interpretation is the correct one?

[rabidbee]

You've read it wrong, Strap. They only need to have been registered with a domestic club between the age of 18 and 21, not with reading specifically.

[moo]

Are you sure Harper Lita Long Federici and Kelly qualify? 3 years prior to being 21 ?

[rabidbee]

Are you sure Harper Lita Long Federici and Kelly qualify? 3 years prior to being 21 ?

Presumably players 21 and under won't be penalised for their age? That would be counter to the spirit of the rule. And I don't think Fed would count, as I thought he was 19 when he arrived in the UK?

[strap]

Are you sure Harper Lita Long Federici and Kelly qualify? 3 years prior to being 21 ?

Probably not! Did it in a rush, so stand to be corrected! in fact you're spot on. Got my formulae in the wrong boxes - will update in a mo.

You've read it wrong, Strap. They only need to have been registered with a domestic club between the age of 18 and 21, not with reading specifically.

Wasn't sure about this - "registered domestically" seems an odd description. I took it to mean registered to play for the team currently with for 3 years before 21st b'day. If it isn't this, then it seems a weak rule, as anyone registered with a FL club, from any country, can qualify, as long as they were registered before their 18th b'day. What's the point of that? It just means more overseas "potential" teenagers sign for FL clubs when they're 17, so denying development places for UK 17 yr olds. Surely that defeats the whole object of the rule? I would havbe thought the point was to get more UK registered 17 year olds playing for FL clubs?

Stand to be corrected as ever though. Just give me a mo to redo the Excel spreadsheet (and learn how the DateDiff function works )

[rabidbee]

You can't have any rule that treats an EU nationalities differently, that's why any plans to restrict by nationality has come acropper. This would enable foreign kids who have been training within a country since they were 18 to qualify as "domestic", so yes big clubs could continue to bring over foreign teenagers galore. Nevertheless, this forces clubs to take their youth system a bit more seriously - I would have preferred a rule stating you had to have home-grown kids in the squad, but that might need more time to implement.

Just occurred to me - would this make Cesc Fabrigas "foreign" if he went back to Spain?

[SLAMMED]

If it was for only their club, then any teams that havnt got any now wont qualify next year...?

[rabidbee]

Strap, there's nothing on any of the press releases I've read to say that the four players in question still have to be 21 or under. I am presuming, therefore, that even grand old men like Murts count.

I think this rule is simply to stop the kind of thing that happened at Bolton, when there were absolutely no domestic-raised players in the match-day squad. As has been said, in FL terms it's really only cosmetic, unless you're a PL team worried about the drop, as it's highly unlikely that any FL team would have fewer than 4 domestically-raised players in their squads.

[Ian Royal]

Strap, there's nothing on any of the press releases I've read to say that the four players in question still have to be 21 or under. I am presuming, therefore, that even grand old men like Murts count.

I think this rule is simply to stop the kind of thing that happened at Bolton, when there were absolutely no domestic-raised players in the match-day squad. As has been said, in FL terms it's really only cosmetic, unless you're a PL team worried about the drop, as it's highly unlikely that any FL team would have fewer than 4 domestically-raised players in their squads.

Agreed. It's not likely the FA are doing to introduce a rule that requires at least 4 players 21 or under in a squad. It's silly.

[rfcjoe]

Great idea and can only benefit the country's football development.

[willz_royal]

Scott Davies. Never heard of him, but he's been with us for 7 years! Signed at 13.

[The_Cat]

Scott Davies. Never heard of him, but he's been with us for 7 years! Signed at 13.

On loan at Aldershot atm.

[Barry the bird boggler]

My understanding is 4 players who have been "brought through domestically" somewhere within the country in which the team operates.

Therefore the likes of Murty, Armstrong, Resenior, Lita, Harper etc. all qualify.

Overall I think this rule is a complete waste of time and administration, what they should be agreeing is to cap the amount of "foreigners" in all teams at all levels in all countries. Failing that then at least specify that the "4" should have been brought through that club's academies.

[Wycombe Royal]

Strap has it cokpletely wrong. We had 7 or 8 players in last weekends squad that qualify under this rule, including Stephen Hunt.

[SpaceCruiser]

Strap has it cokpletely wrong. We had 7 or 8 players in last weekends squad that qualify under this rule, including Stephen Hunt.

Yeah.....

Rosenior
Duberry
Armstrong
Henry
Harper
S Hunt
Kelly
McCarthy

[Forbury Lion]

Sounds like age discrimination to me, What about late bloomers such as Ian Wright who joined the game late on in their career?

I would prefer to see a requirement for at least 4 English players in the squad (I don't mean British as we are an English league club), regardless of age.

[SCIAG]

I would prefer to see a requirement for at least 4 English players in the squad (I don't mean British as we are an English league club), regardless of age.

That's breaking EU law.

at strap. I went through this yesterday for somebody, and now one of the users who should be aware of the in's and out's of this messes up.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Strap has it cokpletely wrong. We had 7 or 8 players in last weekends squad that qualify under this rule, including Stephen Hunt.

Yeah.....

Rosenior
Duberry
Armstrong
Henry
Harper
S Hunt
Kelly
McCarthy

i think shane lomg ,ay qualify as well, correct me if wrong though

[Wycombe Royal]

Strap has it cokpletely wrong. We had 7 or 8 players in last weekends squad that qualify under this rule, including Stephen Hunt.

Yeah.....

Rosenior
Duberry
Armstrong
Henry
Harper
S Hunt
Kelly
McCarthy

i think shane lomg ,ay qualify as well, correct me if wrong though

You're wrong, he was 18 and a half when he joined us so could not be registered for 3 years before the age of 21.

[Royal Jelly]

I would prefer to see a requirement for at least 4 English players in the squad (I don't mean British as we are an English league club), regardless of age.

That's breaking EU law.

at strap. I went through this yesterday for somebody, and now one of the users who should be aware of the in's and out's of this messes up.

Even if they did some to some agreement re: nationality, what would they do with youngsters from Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham?

Or can we just kick them out of our league?