The Big 2018-19 Squad Thread

[TRVMP]

We are not due compensation. He is free to sign for a club like Mark russell was. Why is this?

 

We are due compensation unless we've sent a note out to everyone telling them otherwise. The rules are very clear on this. I wrote a post on it last week. Here is the post:

 

http://themortonforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=43491&view=findpost&p=1098033

 

And here is the document I'm working off:

 

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/3998/scottish-fa-handbook-18_19.pdf

 

See page 194 for where the rules begin. The rule in question for a player who was offered a same-or-better contract for 21 days after its expiration is then rule 1.1.9 on page 195:

 

The Club with which the Player has been registered as a Professional Player, shall be responsible for contacting the Player’s former Club in writing by Recorded Delivery letter, fax or email within 7 days of the date of signing of the Registration Form to open discussions regarding compensation.

 

 

So, Partick (or whoever else) would then get in touch with Morton saying "hey, we just signed Quitongo from you, here's our offer for compensation." And we'd either agree to it or make a counter-offer, and on and on it would go until we either reach an agreement, or (as was the case for Telfer from Rangers to Dundee United, and now Lewis Ferguson from Accies to Aberdeen) it goes to tribunal.

 

Because of the unclear statement from GMFC on this all we can do is read between the lines, and my guess is that we've told Jai and his agent to tell clubs that we're not going to actively seek compensation, and thus instead we'll just get a nominal fee. I also believe, from hearing from people ITK at Falkirk, that we did this to Russell.

 

But none of that changes the fact that we are absolutely entitled to compensation.

[dunning1874]

The only way we get no compensation is if the club choose to let him sign elsewhere for nothing.

 

If the club choose to let him sign for another club for nothing, the position of those involved in the decision would be untenable.

 

In any case, for all we know at the moment he's only training with them. Until he's announced as signed for another club we can assume that Quitongo's options are finding a club willing to pay a six figure fee or remaining unemployed.

[dunning1874]

my guess is that we've told Jai and his agent to tell clubs that we're not going to actively seek compensation, and thus instead we'll just get a nominal fee. I also believe, from hearing from people ITK at Falkirk, that we did this to Russell.

 

Wait, what?

 

If this is the case, impeach Hawke.

[TRVMP]

Wait, what?

 

If this is the case, impeach Hawke.

 

In the case of Jai that's what I'm taking "free to sign for another club" to mean, since he's been free to sign for another club all summer. I could be incorrect in my reading, but then why else would the club even point that out?

 

The Russell case, that's what I've gleaned from talking to a Falkirk guy, and reading their posts on P&B.

[EanieMeany]

Also possible that Morton offered the players less than they were on before.

 

In Quitongo's case at least, it's not implausible that the club were reluctant to pay a full wage to a guy who's averaged 10 games a season...*if* that's the case I wouldn't really be too bothered about it, to be honest. It's a gamble for whoever takes him on and even more so if you're offering him a wage in the hope that he rejects it so you  get compensation.

[Tubes]

We need clarification from the club with regards to this. If we have indeed let Russell and Jai go for peanuts, especially off the back of the “youth is the way forward / selling our youth players / sustainability” patter then Hawke has a shitload of explaining to do.

[TONofmemories]

Someone on Twitter suggesting the the contract offee needs to be registered with the SFA, which apparently we didn't do.

 

Also suggests we strung Jai along for weeks until we found out no comp was due.

[TONofmemories]

We need clarification from the club with regards to this. If we have indeed let Russell and Jai go for peanuts, especially off the back of the “youth is the way forward / selling our youth players / sustainability” patter then Hawke has a s***load of explaining to do.

Alternatively, Hawke can just do one in general. Only interested in himself.

[Malt]

You need to offer the player a deal that is more than previously on. Can be a quid more but this is part of the criteria.

[Jamie_M]

Also possible that Morton offered the players less than they were on before.

 

In Quitongo's case at least, it's not implausible that the club were reluctant to pay a full wage to a guy who's averaged 10 games a season...*if* that's the case I wouldn't really be too bothered about it, to be honest. It's a gamble for whoever takes him on and even more so if you're offering him a wage in the hope that he rejects it so you get compensation.

Think that one is unlikely. They made a big deal about only offering contracts post-Duffy to compensation eligible players, unlikely not to have been a matched or bettered offer.

[Jamie_M]

You need to offer the player a deal that is more than previously on. Can be a quid more but this is part of the criteria.

Doesn't need to be a quid more, can be equal.

[Jamie_M]

Someone on Twitter suggesting the the contract offee needs to be registered with the SFA, which apparently we didn't do.

 

Also suggests we strung Jai along for weeks until we found out no comp was due.

Another pretty unlikely scenario.

 

The rules aren't new this season. So either we don't know them, and every offer to youth players over the past few years has been done incorrectly, or it was a single oversight (like Hearts who ended up fielding an ineligible player) but that doesn't explain why we were in this situation for Kai, Tiffoney and Russell.

 

All rumours aside, we wanted to keep him, we offered and kept the offer live way longer than we had to, but eventually ultimately gave up.

[EanieMeany]

Think that one is unlikely. They made a big deal about only offering contracts post-Duffy to compensation eligible players, unlikely not to have been a matched or bettered offer.

Yeah, I think it's unlikely too but again, I wouldn't be overly aggrieved if it was the case.

 

We really do need some kind of statement clarifying the situation though, so far the signs are that the club have made an arse of it and the silence only serves to strengthen that suspicion.

[Toby]

What a ****ing minter that is if he ends up signing for a club in our division. Boys getting the wrong advice, hardly a surprise though.

I quite often read this about Quitongo getting the wrong advice, but it what way is getting the f*ck out of Morton ASAP a bad thing for an ambitious young player?

 

We stumble from failure to failure after flattering to deceive season after season, have very little profile compared to our peers like Partick and Falkirk and our young players have probably accumulated about 5 under 21 caps between them in the last 30 years.

 

There’s nothing to suggest that if he’s getting advised to get out of here that it’s bad advice. Much as I loathe both the clubs I’ve mentioned above, his international chances and hopes of a bigger move will improve dramatically if he’s to join up at a club like that because of the exposure they get.

 

None of us like to admit it, but from Quitongo’s perspective, getting out of Cappielow’s a no brainer.

[TRVMP]

He also seems to have gotten out without being held to 'ransom' with something so gauche as a transfer fee. Well done to his agent.

[Jamie_M]

Agreed.

 

Those in the past given advice and sunk down the levels, definite bad advice.

 

Those getting out easily and to the same or higher level, absolutely nothing wrong with being advised to do that.

[BishopBrennan]

If we have made an arse of the contractual obligations then head(s) need to roll. If we had not set up our club structure to cash in on good young players that we develop and sell on, this whole scenario wouldn't bother me as much. The very fact that everyone at the club is gearing towards sustainability through youth development makes this absolutely unacceptable for this situation to arise. There should be AT LEAST one person at the club who knows the regulations inside out and is making sure that everything at Morton's end is water tight. That is far too big an error to be mitigated by inexperience in the boardroom. 

 

We know the powers that be read the forum daily, so let's make this clear;

 

Release a statement. No jargon, no bluster. Just facts. 

[TONofmemories]

So typical of Morton not to bother their arsed to clear things up. Instead, they let these stories rumble on until negativity is at a peak again

[BishopBrennan]

So typical of Morton not to bother their arsed to clear things up. Instead, they let these stories rumble on until negativity is at a peak again

 

I think it's more a case that certain staff members at the club hold the support in such contempt that they do not believe the supporters will either find out about these catastrophic errors, or will fall hook line and sinker for their spin-laden statements. 

[Mr Toon]

Or it could be that these matters are considered to come into the category of contractual agreements and are therefore considered confidential. If that is the case the club should simply say so and give a more general explanation of their policy regarding seeking compensation for players who move on.

 

The continuing silence is unacceptable.