FAO CASTLEBLUE

Castle one for you. Not wanting to go over old ground but you are a man with a lot of understanding of the rules, regs & protocol of the system so thought I'd run this past you.

During the QPR hearing do you remember a post I made saying QPR's legal bods had already agreed a fee with the FA prior to the hearing?

This was obviously shot down in flames by many naturally but as I said at the time I trusted my top level source implicitly , well it seems that very story is about to be exposed by the media.

Now what do you make of that & where does it leave the FA with regards to credibility (not that they have much) & future hearings?

Obviously our legal guys tore the FA a new arse hole but at the same time a record £875k fine is very heavy & considering managers have been fined a measly £10k for calling referee's cheats it seems a strange one.


I feel a rather large can of worms is about to be opened.

Just to add the fee agreed by the FA & QPR's legal team was made 2 weeks prior to the hearing starting.

The hearing was 'simply going through the motions' I was told.

Back online shortly just driving home. Typed that post from my phone as I was waiting for a pal.

Castle one for you. Not wanting to go over old ground but you are a man with a lot of understanding of the rules, regs & protocol of the system so thought I'd run this past you.

During the QPR hearing do you remember a post I made saying QPR's legal bods had already agreed a fee with the FA prior to the hearing?

This was obviously shot down in flames by many naturally but as I said at the time I trusted my top level source implicitly , well it seems that very story is about to be exposed by the media.

Now what do you make of that & where does it leave the FA with regards to credibility (not that they have much) & future hearings?

Obviously our legal guys tore the FA a new arse hole but at the same time a record £875k fine is very heavy & considering managers have been fined a measly £10k for calling referee's cheats it seems a strange one.


I feel a rather large can of worms is about to be opened.

Stan whenever a club is charged with misconduct it is given the opportunity to accept the charges and to try and make the process easier the club is told what the likely punishment is if they accept the charge.

QPR would of had the same information and I believe they would of been told all options from fine to point deductions, I was told that QPR actually admitted using an unlicensed agent in their written submissions so I think that fine was more or less agreed before the whole thing started. Strong mitigation being he was a licensed agent within a few days so any point deduction would have been OTT.

The fact that I was told the FA was worried about the written submission made by QPR makes me think the £800k fine was a negotiated punishment because the FA were in real trouble because it appears their 3rd party rules infringe either UK or EU law.

The whole thing stinks Stan because in the court of public opinion QPR are guilty and have got away with something the reality is I understand completely different.

I hope the FA do get found out over this because they almost singlehandedly reduced this years Championship to a farce, I look forward to reading the papers over the next couple of days.

Thanks mate you're post has clarified a few points.

I agree its all rather murky.

Personally I couldn't give a shit as I feel the FA made a rod for they're own back but I feel there's gonna be a big fallout from this affair.

And whispers that a club a little more closer to yourselves will be mentioned in the report, although that is just hearsay at the moment.