Member Article

Newcastle’s Muckle secures payments to football youth clubs over Fraser Forster and Jermaine Defoe transfers

Newcastle law firm Muckle LLP has helped two of the UK’s best known football youth clubs benefit financially from transfers of their former players.

John Devine, Partner and head of sport at Muckle LLP, has been working with both Wallsend Boys’ Club in North Tyneside and Senrab FC in London over the past 12 months to secure funds they were entitled to from the professional club transfers of former players, Fraser Forster (Wallsend) and Jermain Defoe (Senrab).

With significant claims now resolved for each of the clubs, both outfits were invited to host a friendly match in Newcastle to raise awareness among amateur clubs of FIFA’s ‘solidarity mechanism’.

Under FIFA’s regulations, when a player makes an international transfer, 5% of every transfer fee between clubs in different national associations is set aside by the buying club to be distributed among each of the clubs with which the player was registered between the seasons of their 12th and 23rd birthdays.

The amount due is proportionate to the actual length of time spent with each club during that period, which is recorded on a ‘player passport’. The solidarity contribution may then be apportioned to each club on a pro rata basis. In relation to international transfer values of several million pounds, the solidarity entitlement can run into thousands for former clubs. Unfortunately, it does not apply to domestic transfers in England.

John revealed: “It’s been a pleasure to help both Wallsend Boys’ Club and Senrab FC over the past year or so. Both clubs are integral to the communities they serve and play a vital part in the lives of the young people they engage with. Like many grassroots clubs, they each still depend on donations and other financial support just to keep going each year, so hopefully the solidarity contributions will help to make a real difference this season.

“The FIFA regulation is not that widely known among grassroots clubs so we proposed the match to raise awareness of the solidarity issue, as well as to give the boys a great experience in playing under the floodlights at the home of Northumberland FA, who have very kindly offered to host the game.”

Steve Dale, chairman at Wallsend Boys’ Club, said: “John Devine talked us through how the regulations apply to international transfers and liaised with Newcastle United, Celtic and Southampton on our behalf. Our claims were successful and we can now use those much needed funds to help more children take part in community football.”

The match will take place on Wednesday 28th October, with a 3pm kick-off, in the week following Wallsend Boys’ Club’s 50th anniversary dinner and a week before the Sunderland vs Southampton game where the current respective clubs of the two players involved in each solidarity claim, Fraser Forster and Jermain Defoe, will play each other. Clive Oliver, Chief Executive of Northumberland FA and a former Football League referee, will officiate.

Wallsend Boys Club has produced more than 75 professional players over the years, including Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Michael Carrick and Steve Bruce. Senrab has a similar pedigree, with John Terry, Bobby Zamora, Ledley King, Ashley Cole, Lee Bowyer and Paul Konchesky among their former players.

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