After weeks of talking about it, Leeds chairman Ken Bates has finally reported Chelsea to the FA for the alleged tapping-up of three of Uniteds bright young stars.
Two of these players, Tom Taiwo and Michael Woods, have since joined the Londoners with Danny Rose opting to stay at Elland Road.
In a press conference Wednesday morning bates said: ‘Leeds United want to be compensated not only for the work done in developing the players, but also the loss of opportunity to develop them further into professional players which would have increased their value both to the club as players and in transfer value.
‘We feel we have been deprived of this opportunity by the actions of Chelsea.
‘Football development will not be viewed in the same manner again unless the financial award payable to compensate Leeds United is such that it makes clubs think twice about such actions. Many other clubs with talented youngsters are looking on knowing they could be next.
‘Football development schemes as currently operated will fold if clubs no longer have the opportunity to hold on to the best players they develop or make the conscious decision to sell them rather than having that opportunity taken away from them as in this case.
‘In reality financial penalties will have little impact on Chelsea and we feel it is time for the Football Authorities to make a stand for those things that should be sacrosanct in the game to protect everybody by imposing penalties on them that will affect them and deter others, namely; points deduction from the Premier League, additional suspended points deduction from the Premier League, prevention of entering European competitions, and a transfer embargo.
‘The simple question is – why would two young players still in full-time education turn down offers from the club that had assisted in their development from nine and ten that had been described as ‘among the best that would be made to any players of that age’ if they or their representative did not know that they could do better elsewhere?’
Chelsea still have a suspended 3-point reduction hanging over them following the tapping-up of Arsenal’s Ashley Cole.
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