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Talking to the lawyers

I am well aware that the number of sports lawyers is on the increase: they tend to dominate academic discussion of football.   It's a very interesting area of the law to be in and can be lucrative.

It's therefore interesting to get in depth reflections from four lawyers on their clubs and their relationship with them.   The four clubs are: Manchester City, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth.

QPR to defend writ

Queens Park Rangers are facing a battle in the High Court after being served with a writ for £750,000. Carlos Dunga, the former Brazil captain and manager, claims that he lent the club a sum of money from 2005 to 2007 when the club had previous ownership.

Fan sues club

One of the most loyal supporters of Preston North, Robert (also known as 'Ben') Casey, has felt obliged to serve a High Court writ to reclaim £250,000 he lent the club in 2007.

Casey, who was instrumental in designing the new Deepdale asked for his money back in August 2010 but at that time he was told the club couldn't pay him.   The writ goes on to claim that further promises and offers have been unacceptable to Casey.

Top clubs could pull out of Champions League

Top European clubs could ultimately decide to leave Uefa and the Champions League and form their own breakway competition as a solution to the constraints imposed by the Financial Fair Play regulations.   There is a growing fear, exemplified by the move of Nicholas Anelka, possibly to be followed by Didier Drogba, that financial power in football may start to shift from Europe to Asia.

Will Bribery Act hit clubs?

The Bribery Act came into force in July and some clubs are worried about its possible impact on them.  This is not a reference to payments or hospitality to the officials or even the players of the opposing team, which have not been unknown in countries such as Italy, but to the implications of the legislation for corporate hospitality at games.   In these difficult times clubs do not want any threats to an important income stream that helps to keep them afloat.

Ruling due on football creditor rule

An important court ruling is due this week on the 'football creditor rule' which gives so-called football creditors priority when a club goes bust.   The football authorities see it as integral to the governance of the game.

Portsmouth owner bailed

Vladimir Antonov, the Russian owner of Portsmouth Football Club and his business partner Raimondos Baranauskas were bailed until 16 December by Westminster Magistrates Court today (Friday).    They were arrested at their offices in Bishopgate on Thursday after the issue of a European Arrest Warrant.


They face an extradition request by the Lithuanian authorities in connection with alleged fraud and asset stripping at a Lithuanian bank.   Should they be convicted, the Lithuanian court could impose sentences of up to ten years' imprisonment.

Uefa's financial fair play dilemma

Uefa faces a series of dilemmas in terms of its enforcing Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.   If it doesn't enforce them at all, it will look foolish and be weakened in relation to the top clubs.  But devising sanctions that bite without undermining the Champions League itself is a real test of ingenuity.

The transformation of European football?

The book I have edited with Borja Garcia from Spain and Arne Niemann from Germany on the transformation of European football has now been published by Manchester University Press.   A 20 per cent discount is available to our readers who contact us through our e-mail address.

Spurs deny snooping charges

In the latest twist in the convoluted Olympic Stadium saga Tottenham Hostpur have rejected in the strongest possible terms allegations that they had organised the monitoring of all 14 members of the board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) by private investigators.   The claim was made by Baroness Ford, the chair of the OPLC.