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How far up should you tap?

In recent times it’s seems that there is nothing clubs can do to stop other managers telling the collective members of the press how they’ve “always admired”, “would provide a new challenge for” and “would be very keen to sign” you’re star players.

The most recent example of this is the “John Terry Saga”. Mark Hughes has been all over the newspapers claiming how much Manchester City could pay the Chelsea and England Captain, how keen he would be to link up with Terry again after their brief spell at Chelsea whilst John was coming through the ranks and even speculating on reasons why Terry might want to join Citizen’s. The club has rejected 2 bids and not given permission for Hughes to talk to Terry. Yet it

seems that nowadays the press can be a useful tool.

In 2005 reports came out that Ashley Cole and his Agent had met with Jose Mourinho and Peter Kenyon. In this case high fines were issued to all the participants of this meeting. But are fines enough? £100,000 is less than a week’s wages to most star players at top clubs. The Premier League does have the authority to force a transfer embargo and even dock points of guilty clubs. But it isn’t used. Instead they prefer to issue warnings and mediocre fines.

Tapping up is defiantly seen as a part of football by most involved in the game. Most seem resigned to the fact that it happens and there is nothing that can be done about it. In fact most people come out after their careers and state they have been tapped up at one point. The brilliant Brian Clough even said “we tapped more players than the Severn-Trent water board!”.

So what can be done to stop it? In my opinion the trouble is in most cases the Premier League doesn’t assert its authority. It usually will not intervene when managers come out with comments about other team’s players. Instead it is up to the team, whose player is the subject, to complain to the governing body. I think as soon as managers come out with comments like this they should be given a warning by The Premier League. Of course now the liberal brigade comes in with their Freedom of Speech debate. But the fact is it disrupts the player, the fans and the club and is just something that football could do without.