Lawyers' pitch battle

Football's dispute resolution procedures are likely to be swamped with fresh actions as a result of recent changes to the regulations covering the transfer of players, a leading sports lawyer predicted last week.

The provision for 'sporting just cause' - which effectively allows players to break their contracts for vaguely defined sporting reasons, such as a perceived lack of first-team action - is an 'open goal' for lawyers, according to barrister Paul McGrath of Essex Court Chambers in London.

Mr McGrath, who was speaking at a sports law conference organised by the Law Society's Commerce & Industry Group at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, criticised the regulations for being poorly drafted and open to wide interpretation.

World governing body FIFA has said that sporting just cause will be judged on a case-by-case basis, with all cases decided on their individual facts.

Meanwhile, the in-house lawyer for the Football League remained stoical in the face of the ITV Digital debacle.

Solicitor Nick Craig told the conference that 'court action will follow against [ITV Digital's] parent companies, Granada and Carlton.'

He also hinted at how the league would attempt to recoup some of the lost funding following the collapse of the 300 million-plus broadcast rights deal.

One method would be for the league to tighten its grip on its data rights by better protecting and licensing its fixture lists and statistical information.

Jonathan Ames