Phil Sumbler
When Josh Key moved from Exeter City to Swansea City last summer I don’t suspect there was any expectation on the time that it would take more than twelve months to get to the stage where the compensation figure was confirmed.
However that was the case after neither club was able to agree on what the Grecians considered a suitable compensation sum. That led to the matter being referred to the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) to make a ruling as to how much the Swans would have to pay for the services of Key.
Earlier this month, Exeter manager Gary Caldwell criticised the tribunal system which he felt had done nothing to help the lower league clubs when he said “We’ve actually had the tribunal, and I have to say, I think it’s a disgrace the way we’ve been treated in this situation and any other club that faces a tribunal in this situation.
“We’re a club that obviously develops our own; we develop Academy players and the way the system is set up, that bigger clubs can just take these players, or try and bully us to take these players, I think is wrong. The fact is that we sold a player over a year ago now and still haven’t had money for that.
“I think it’s a disgrace and I think something needs to be done about that in the future – not just for ourselves, but other clubs that develop their own players and sell them on. They need to find a solution to this much, much quicker.
“If we were in a situation where we badly needed this money, this could have affected our recruitment last year, it could have affected our performance last year but, because we’re a well-run football club, we can get away with it. But other clubs might not be able to and I think the EFL really have to look at it.”
The actual outcome of the tribunal process will remain confidential – something stipulated by the PFCC – but Exeter say that they are content with the final award which suggests that the fee has come down nearer to the figure Exeter felt was suitable than maybe the Swans would have wanted.
Exeter also went on record to send their thanks to Marcus Flitcroft, Matt Taylor, Josh Key and our legal representative Phil Bonner from Centrefield Law, for their contribution to the process.
The outcome of the tribunal is non-negotiable and there is no right of appeal from either side.
