Rule L19: Why Robbie Keane is not returning to Spurs
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
Hacks across the Britain furiously scribbled the same story this morning after football pundit Mark Lawrenson claimed that Steven Gerrard had let slip that Robbie Keane is a goner at Anfield.
The Times’ James Ducker wrote: “Keane has struggled since moving to Anfield from Tottenham Hotspur in a projected £20.3 million deal last summer and has been linked with a return to White Hart Lane, even though Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, has denied suggestions he could let the Ireland striker leave in the January transfer window.”
There appears to be a common misunderstanding, or lack of knowledge surrounding the buying-back of footballers, and it is starting to verge on the ignorant and stupid.
According to Premier League’s Rules of The Association and Laws of the Game Season 2008–2009, Rule L19: “A Club which transfers or cancels the registration of a Player may not apply to register that Player within a year except with the prior written consent of the Board.”
So, what does this mean.
Simply put, when a club offloads a player from their books, their is a blanket prohibition on that club resigning the player for the next 12 months. And there is a common-sense reason why this rule exists, it acts as a safeguard against clubs abusing the loan system whereby a club could “sell” a player then “buy them back” at a later date and avoid the strict rules governing loan deals.
The only exception to rule L19 is when the FA are swayed by some special reason that would demand such a transfer be ratified. And, to date, the precedent for going against the essence of rule L19 has been interpreted very narrowly.
The most high-profile exception to L19 has been former England international Chris Powell, as the Premier League ruled he could rejoin Charlton six months after leaving the Addicks for West Ham. Yet crucially in that instance, Powell was a free agent at the time of the decision having been released by the Hammers. Only because Powell was without a club was he allowed to rejoin the South Londoners.
The same does not apply to Robbie Keane, who cannot resign for Spurs in the January sales.
Hacks, please learn the rules!
8 Responses to “Rule L19: Why Robbie Keane is not returning to Spurs”
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December 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Thank god… finally someone with some sense !!
I have been telling people this for weeks but could not remember the rule nuber..
Good man !!
December 17th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Some rumours state he could be coming back on loan? i dont know where we stand with this one but it may make sense as if Liverpool are looking to sell in the summer they are not going to want Keanes form to completely go out the window and his value depreciate any more! Time will tell.. why not just wait and see instead of all the rumours!
December 17th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
REGARDLESS WHATEVER THE OUTCOME I FOR ONE WOULD NOT WANT THE TRAITOR BACK , FOR AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IT WAS ABOUT MONEY NOT HIS BOYHOOD TEAM LIVERPOOL AND HE DID A CAMPBELL HE WAS WHEELING AND DEALING A MOVE IN A GREASY SPOON UP THE MOTORWAY SOMEWHERE , HE GOT WHAT HE SAY`S HE WANTED AND THAT WAS MORE MONEY BECAUSE SPURS WERE NOT BREAKING THEIR PAY STRUCTURE FOR ROBBIE KEANE , HE SAY`S LIVERPOOL WERE HIS BOYHOOD TEAM HE DREAMED OF PLAYING FOR THEM I CAN TELL YOU NOW HIS BOYHOOD TEAM WAS CELTIC WITHOUT ANY DOUBT ABOUT IT , BECAUSE HE TOLD A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE WHO PLAYED FOR SPURS (NO NAME`S MENTIONED)SO YOU SEE THE LIE`S COME BACK AND TRIP YOU UP OR THEY HAUNT YOU , SO GO WERE EVER YOU LIKE KEANE BECAUSE AT LIVERPOOL YOU ARE A BETTER SUPER SUB THAN DAVID FAIRCLOUGH AT LEAST HE SCORED WHEN PLAYED AND HE COST NOTHING YOU HAVE GOT WHAT YOU DESERVE HO HO HO ! ! ! COYS ! ! !
December 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Isn’t it amazing how capital letters make things so much more important!
Did we get £20.3 million for Campbell?
December 17th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
er ….excuse me ! robbie keane put a great deal of his career and effort into thfc over many years…….
simply put thfc does not own someones life and although under contract there is a reality of a team at odds with itself and not pulling the same direction as was with berba at the end …….no one wins regardless of the money media bullshit etc ..
i for one wanted the berba and keane partnership to remain with spurs .for all the right reasons of watching their skill and 6th sense style of play……..
it does not read well when spurs fans of today talk about loyalty with such short memories
of some of the best play in recent years ……why cant we just accept change as a natural
thing is beyond me ,,,,,,.they are not robots but the epl is different in the way the players and managers are treated arent they?
Zola was given the utmost respect at chelsea on his return……the chelsea fans were
proud of their association with his career……
granted there were difficult decisions and tapping etc in recent times
but really the modern trend of booing etc is infantile at its best……
paying a lot of money to watch football has probably made this worse
time to move on into the new era at spurs
December 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
READ UP PLEASE,
the fact of the matter is that robbie keane left spurs and left us in the dumps, yes i agree he done well for us BUT someone who made out he was mr spurs to just walk out like that is a traitor in my eyes, We were in trouble at the begging of the season, we risked going down, robbie was not expected to leave and it left us short of strikers, HE didnt give a shit what happened to spurs and i dont give a shit what happens to him, a true lover of his club is someone like Hoddle who was a real spurs man whether we where winning things or not he stayed with spurs and only moved to monaco as it was the end of his career
December 17th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
how did he leave us in the shit?…and short of strikers?….that’s not his fault…he went before the season started and we had plenty of time to find a replacement
December 17th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
robbie did not leave us in the dumps..although it appears so ..he was offered at his point of career .not many years left ……….
a difficult choice to say no….the writing was on the wall and
to replace such players has proved very difficult…….
so to me question marks on the process of change in the transfer window
have to be adressed so as not to repeat the media circus and insecurities
as a consequence
our pre season was excellent and the start was …….dismal..
new players pav/modric/bentley adjusting to new tactics etc.bent needed a run to prove himself…in the epl for real as our main front man…… the jury was out…
so we were left with a transtional team….!
hence it proved too much for the immediate pressur and demands of the EPL
so .ramos had to go as he fumbled with the selection causing…….confusion
simply put we missed the quality of the berba / keane …and for me the hard working malbranque who i think was really missed..
the pysche of the team had its goal posts altered too much
the players have worked hard to put right with redknapp
and so we move on as harry sorts the strengths and shape ……..no magic formula
i believe both berba and keane look over their shoulders at their decisions to leave
regardless of trophy possibilities
as spurs is a ………….football club!