Foreign Players and Immigration

The recent failed attempt to form the ESL has thrown up an interesting aspect of foreign players coming into the English game. Foreign players require a work permit to play here. The club applying for a permit or visa must get a letter of endorsement from the FA. The club making the application must be a member of the PL or EFL to qualify. The Home Office only recognises one governing body, the FA, not the PL or EFL. The requirement for the FA to authorise any transaction is enshrined in the Home Office immigration rules. The FA is dinosaur and allowed the PL to have more power than the governing body. I wonder if the FA realises how much power this gives them in terms of influencing fairer competition, maximum wage limits and more equal rules on ‘fair play on finance’.

 

I believe regulations changed following Brexit. There is now a points system in place depending on a number of factors (leagues played in, international caps) that give a player points.

If you don't hit the quota, then you can't play here.

 

Dane said in his most recent interview that its going to be much more difficult for us to recruit players from the EU. This is why we're looking at scouting in North, Central and South America. For the points required for a work permit, players in the EU will have needed to have represented their country above a certain level.

 

Hence signing Dike after his 1 cap!

 

By crossing the touchline he got 16 points which took him over the required minimum (or so I believe.)

 

Good decision on his coach’s part to bring him on that day