The Plot Thickens...

[Reg Smeeton]

its difficult to make a conection with jim little and the castros. this makes no sense. it looks like sturrock is getting cut out of the loop by the so say agents who look like they have some say in the players comming in. it would be interesting to see littles attitude to sturrock if we lost a few games as he seems quite agressive in his attitude towards success.

   Little is most likely just fronting up in the relative short term, to facilitate the deal for the Castros.....he'll be gone ASAP.

   Holt said its business as usual....for once he was right, CVA still not paid, and the shit hitting the fan .

[Dazzza]

How can a registered FIFA agent have any involvement with a football club?

As a registered agent they are forbidden from being a director or having any other involvement in the game.  QPR were caught with Italian agent Antonio Caliendo lurking behind the Monaco based holding companies.  Caliendo eventually resigned as an agent and became chairman at the club but a lot of the QPR fans have subsequently questioned the salaries and amount of fees paid to agents in the past 12 months.  Agents that Paladini (another ex-agent) brazenly admits he had business connections and ties with.

Closer to home I suspect that Jim Little and/or Brevett are the slightly less glamorous equivalent of QPR’s Dunga who will act as unofficial proxies for the Castrators while they continue to ply their trade as agents.  

Someone give the FA a tinkle and find out what the official gen is on agents having a shareholding (albeit indirectly) in a football club.  

From the description Little gave last week of the fluid holding company you would have to speculate that the fluid shareholders are agents sending players to the club so they can then legitimately claim a slice of any future transfer fee generated as well as the agents fee on top.  Potentially every agents dream.

[pauld]

Raises far more questions than it answers - the Castros have been spotted on the fringes of this since the summer, and seems now they're breaking cover, but as what? They're in talks but about what? Buying in? Taking over? Player sales/loans?

 Its at times like this that  Trust should come into its own....its the only realistic vehicle for us ordinary fans to speak with a collective voice. What can be done?

For the meantime, it would seem simply continue to keep the pressure up asking the questions, while doing everything we can to find out the answers via our own means if the powers that be refuse to answer.

As per the vote at the members' meeting we have written to Jim Little highlighting members and fans' concerns over the ongoing secrecy and the apparent continued involvement of existing board members. The letter also reminds him that he agreed to a further meeting with us and asks for an early date for that meeting

[pauld]

How can a registered FIFA agent have any involvement with a football club?

Via a whole variety of backdoors and loop-holes is the usual answer. However, it would appear the Castro brothers are not FIFA-registered, either in Portugal or the UK. At least not according to the FIFA list of registered agents anyway:

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=por.html

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=eng.html

[Reg Smeeton]

So the Castro's other interests are plastic pitches and concerts.....I think you can see where I'm going..

[Simon Pieman]

Does make you worried especially with the whole Tevez/Mascherano deals. Then there is Sturrock leaving, which as others have said, I was indifferent about until this season's performances.

I won't be protesting though, seems too futile to me. I will be voting with[out] my wallet should the shit hit the fan.

[Ardiles]

...should the shit hit the fan.

It's covered in the stuff!!

[figgis]

actualy its made of it

[wheretherealredsare]

Are there some keys, a phone and a wallet next to that fan too? I heard a rumour about how the fan got covered, well partly anyway.

[pauld]

How can a registered FIFA agent have any involvement with a football club?

Via a whole variety of backdoors and loop-holes is the usual answer. However, it would appear the Castro brothers are not FIFA-registered, either in Portugal or the UK. At least not according to the FIFA list of registered agents anyway:

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=por.html

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=eng.html

The FA Regulations are pretty clear:

14.25 Subject to the transitional provisions of Article 19, a Licensed Agent/Exempt
Individual shall not have an interest in a Club (unless the Club is below the level of
the Football Conference). Such interest shall be defined in terms of:
(a) beneficial ownership;
(b) a shareholding;
(c) ability to exercise financial, commercial, administrative, managerial or any other influence over the affairs of the Club.

(From the FA Handbook 2006-07, available for download in PDF format from: http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/RulesAndRegulations/)

[Dazzza]

How can a registered FIFA agent have any involvement with a football club?

Via a whole variety of backdoors and loop-holes is the usual answer. However, it would appear the Castro brothers are not FIFA-registered, either in Portugal or the UK. At least not according to the FIFA list of registered agents anyway:

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=por.html

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=eng.html

That's interesting stuff as I've seen the Castro Brothers agency listed complete with site address although the page was in Portuguese.

I’ll have a dig tonight and see if I can uncover it again.

[Lumps]

Take this with a pinch of salt if you like but a friend of mine does some coaching with the youngsters at Swindon and he said that Sturrock has already had 6 Portugese players forced on him which have been tied down on permanent contracts. Apparently Sturrock is very unhappy with the set up and seriously considering his future.

I didn't take him too seriously until I read todays articles about the Castro's involvement and now I am very worried that this very encourgaing start to the season could go pear shaped with Sturrock suddenly leaving the club  

Errrr......Where the fuck are they then?

I think if we had signed half a dozen Portugese players someone in the local or national media might have noticed?

I think we should all go back to the Adver report  and notice the equivocal nature of the statement form the Castro's "er yeah we might have spoken to someone possibly about Swindon"

Sounds more like they're not part of the takeover deal but are just sniffing around for any opportunity in the future.

[DV]

Didn't we know this six weeks ago  :?

Ummm even longer wasnt it?!

I got told this as soon as the new investors showed up

Hardly a surprise

[Dazzza]

How can a registered FIFA agent have any involvement with a football club?

Via a whole variety of backdoors and loop-holes is the usual answer. However, it would appear the Castro brothers are not FIFA-registered, either in Portugal or the UK. At least not according to the FIFA list of registered agents anyway:

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=por.html

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=eng.html

That's interesting stuff as I've seen the Castro Brothers agency listed complete with site address although the page was in Portuguese.

I’ll have a dig tonight and see if I can uncover it again.

Got it.  It doesn't look like either of the Castro brothers are registered agents but they are connected through a company called Sportis who are listed with FIFA.

http://www.sportis.pt/

SANTOS FERREIRA Ulisses
Sportis - Castro Brothers
 
 
Portugal
(registered in Portugal)  
Tel.: 00351 217 521 300  
Fax: 00351 217 521 301  
 
 
Email: ulisses@sportis.pt

[pauld]

It doesn't look like either of the Castro brothers are registered agents but they are connected

That's not as in the Sopranos sense of the word "connected" I hope  :shock: