Watford placed under transfer embargo

Watford placed under transfer embargo and former owner banned

Watford have been placed under transfer embargo and former owner Laurence Bassini banned from football for three years for financial misconduct.

However, the promotion-chasing club, currently third in the Championship, escaped a points deduction and fine.

The Hornets and businessman Bassini were charged last August with a breach of Football League rules.

Under the terms of the embargo, Watford can still sign players with prior permission from league officials.

The embargo will last until the end of the summer transfer window on 31 August.

A Football Disciplinary Commission found that the club should have been placed under a transfer embargo for 11 months from 26 September 2011.

The commission stated that Watford signed eight players in that time and although determining that the club gained a sporting advantage from those transfers, it did not deem a points deduction necessary.

Watford and Bassini, who sold the club to the Pozzo family in June, were found guilty of failing to inform the Football League of financial agreements set up with a company called LNOC.

These agreements, which were shown to be arranged by Bassini and his advisor Angelo Barrea without the club's knowledge, led to Watford being given funds by LNOC, in return for money from the transfer of Danny Graham to Swansea City and the club's share of the Championship's TV rights deal.

The commission found that Watford received £951,041 from LNOC on 21 September 2011 in exchange for a return of £1m, which was guaranteed in the form of the two final £500,000 payments from Swansea for the purchase of Graham.

In the same month, LNOC handed £1.66m to Watford, guaranteed against two £900,000 instalments from Watford's share of central Football League money.

The Football League requires clubs to name any third parties who possess an interest in a transfer contract and says it was never told of LNOC's involvement in the Graham transfer.

It also requires notification within 24 hours if a club has made plans to redistribute central funding to a third party, which it never received.

Had Watford declared this arrangement they would have been immediately placed under transfer embargo.

The club had been unaware of the funding from LNOC, as the money was paid into an account belonging to Watford Football Club Limited, the company setup by Bassini to hold his majority shareholding.

The breaches have no connection with Watford's current owners, the Pozzo family.

"It is clear from the decision of the Football Disciplinary Commission that the offences which the club has been found guilty of were committed by one or two individuals who are no longer associated with the club - and without the knowledge of the full board of the club,"

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21829894

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21829894

Any points Watford have gained in games that the 8 players played in should be stripped from them .
Why have rules if you don't enforce them with strict penaltys they knew what they were doing !

Any points Watford have gained in games that the 8 players played in should be stripped from them .
Why have rules if you don't enforce them with strict penaltys they knew what they were doing !

It makes you wonder if the Pozzo family would have brought Watford if they knew anything about this.

Anyway they have got away with it but this transfer embargo is going to make things interesting. They won't be able to sign any of their loan signings now and if they get promoted to the premier they could end up with a very weak squad going into the new season.

Any points Watford have gained in games that the 8 players played in should be stripped from them .
Why have rules if you don't enforce them with strict penaltys they knew what they were doing !

It makes you wonder if the Pozzo family would have brought Watford if they knew anything about this.

Anyway they have got away with it but this transfer embargo is going to make things interesting. They won't be able to sign any of their loan signings now and if they get promoted to the premier they could end up with a very weak squad going into the new season.

all 8 of these players are from udinese ?
Thinking about it ,if the pizza family did know but didnt have time to take over the club and make transfers , I wouldn't be suprised if they said yes to it expecting there loan players to win the league anyway then just extend the loans or sign them on frees next summer with a view to buy once out of the embargo ! Loads of ways round the rules it's wrong they deserve a deduction wether the owners knew or not
Can you really see the premier league telling Watford they can't sign any players in the summer and letting them start the season without a squad ? It will be embarrassing for the league
The embargo will be lifted well before then
After this ruling they may as well throw the rule out of the window because every club can now loan from whoever they want against future transfers , it will destroy football , if they all start doing it knowing they could just get a small ban but 100+ million after promotion and one doesn't make it , the knock on effect down the line will be devastating for smaller clubs

If Watford had told the league they would have had an embargo straight away and wouldn't have been able to loan all these udinese players , they would be in the bottom 3 now if they had done things properly IMO they were in big trouble and have cheated there way out of it . A points deduction is the only suitable action !

The QC Ian Mill, the guy who defended QPR a few years ago, sat on this panel and came to this decision.

The panel accepted that Watford should not have been able to sign 8 players last summer, and by signing these players the club had received an unfair sporting advantage. However it was not possible to assertain the level of advantage.

Ian Mill was the man who argued that it was not possible to assertain the level of advantage QPR had gained by the illegal signing of Faurlin.

But 8 players in a squad of 20 surely you could get any idiot from the street to see that is a massive advantage gained by Watford.

Why on earth the FL have used blood sucking lawyers is beyond me. Never mind it may yet give Watford a £100m advantage, instead of sending them the other way to League 1.

Now that would be justice.

They should ban them from promotion.


That would be a just punishment.

First, the new owners went to the league when they realised what happened, we had a transfer embargo place in pre season which was lifted. We had a crook in charge before who passed the fit and proper person test when taking over the club, I believe it's right to punish the crook and not the club.

We can still sign players , see line 5.

First, the new owners went to the league when they realised what happened, we had a transfer embargo place in pre season which was lifted. We had a crook in charge before who passed the fit and proper person test when taking over the club, I believe it's right to punish the crook and not the club.

We can still sign players , see line 5.

Either way the club still benefited from the arrangement.

Realistically any game which those players were played in should be recorded as a 3-0 loss.

Aside from this can anyone tell me how is it possible for Watford to get promoted on ground criteria ? 1 side of the ground is closed to safety reasons (to the left as the away fans look)

Aside from this can anyone tell me how is it possible for Watford to get promoted on ground criteria ? 1 side of the ground is closed to safety reasons (to the left as the away fans look)

Is there a rule you must have seats on all sides of the ground?

a lot of ill-informed people on this thread.

regarding the transfer embargo we can still sign players. regarding the punishment, our club was being run by a man who very nearly drove us into the ground. the pozzos saved us and i firmly believe they did not know about any problems when buying the club. hell, they even reported the problem to the football league themselves.

we can still sign our loanees, although for footballing reasons i expect we will lose a few of them including vydra.

i honestly dont understand why you think there would be a problem with our stadium if we went up? that stand is shut for good reason, we don't have the money to do anything with it at the moment.

a lot of ill-informed people on this thread.

regarding the transfer embargo we can still sign players. regarding the punishment, our club was being run by a man who very nearly drove us into the ground. the pozzos saved us and i firmly believe they did not know about any problems when buying the club. hell, they even reported the problem to the football league themselves.

we can still sign our loanees, although for footballing reasons i expect we will lose a few of them including vydra.

i honestly dont understand why you think there would be a problem with our stadium if we went up? that stand is shut for good reason, we don't have the money to do anything with it at the moment.

I questioned the ground cos after Blackpools stint in the Premiership, im sure they was looking at ground criteria rules to be put in place. Im unsure if they did or not hence why i asked the question. As for not having no money for it, then surely you would have to prioritse your money. Your loan signing players must be on a pretty good wage. This money should really go to ground improvements if you want to move on up a level

a lot of ill-informed people on this thread.

regarding the transfer embargo we can still sign players. regarding the punishment, our club was being run by a man who very nearly drove us into the ground. the pozzos saved us and i firmly believe they did not know about any problems when buying the club. hell, they even reported the problem to the football league themselves.

we can still sign our loanees, although for footballing reasons i expect we will lose a few of them including vydra.

i honestly dont understand why you think there would be a problem with our stadium if we went up? that stand is shut for good reason, we don't have the money to do anything with it at the moment.

The problem with grounds now is there all to a like, souless bowls. I would hate to move from away from The Vic.

Briggsy the Vic atmosphere has been awfull recently, isnt that the reason behind the new ticket policy for the Cardiff game ?
I do agree with you tho with regards to new Stadiums, bloody awfull design especially ours. I honestly believe with ours tho if we swap the Canton and Grange end around then that would improve the atmosphere drastically for the proverbial banter with away fans

Briggsy the Vic atmosphere has been awfull recently, isnt that the reason behind the new ticket policy for the Cardiff game ?
I do agree with you tho with regards to new Stadiums, bloody awfull design especially ours. I honestly believe with ours tho if we swap the Canton and Grange end around then that would improve the atmosphere drastically for the proverbial banter with away fans

The atmosphere here has been awful for years hence the clubs decision to try out unreserved seating next to the away end on request of the fans.

a lot of ill-informed people on this thread.

regarding the transfer embargo we can still sign players. regarding the punishment, our club was being run by a man who very nearly drove us into the ground. the pozzos saved us and i firmly believe they did not know about any problems when buying the club. hell, they even reported the problem to the football league themselves.

we can still sign our loanees, although for footballing reasons i expect we will lose a few of them including vydra.

i honestly dont understand why you think there would be a problem with our stadium if we went up? that stand is shut for good reason, we don't have the money to do anything with it at the moment.

I questioned the ground cos after Blackpools stint in the Premiership, im sure they was looking at ground criteria rules to be put in place. Im unsure if they did or not hence why i asked the question. As for not having no money for it, then surely you would have to prioritse your money. Your loan signing players must be on a pretty good wage. This money should really go to ground improvements if you want to move on up a level

I think Blackpool didn't have enough seats before the scaffold stand was built. I wouldn't say the loans are that much money, Pozzos are very shrewd with money!

I can only say im delighted, also thought we would be o.k as the f.a charged our former owner which is very rare for an invidual to be charged and the fact that the new owners were the ones who informed the f.a.
As for all these clubs whining about our loans, grow up! There is nothing to stop any other team from loaning overseas players as we have done, the only difference is ours came from one club and other team would have to go 3/4 teams.
Also Cardiff are hardly saints, your dodgy old chairman and having loans from the pfa and not forgetting the playoff final when your chairman payed one of his heavies to set the fire alarm off at the hotel QPR were staying at, maybe that game should of been replayed? As your all for being "fair"? Or how aboun you had bellamy on loan and were'nt paying any of his wages? Or the fact that you have spent millions on wages and the debt is just written off by your owners, while smaller clubs try and live within there means

I can only say im delighted, also thought we would be o.k as the f.a charged our former owner which is very rare for an invidual to be charged and the fact that the new owners were the ones who informed the f.a.
As for all these clubs whining about our loans, grow up! There is nothing to stop any other team from loaning overseas players as we have done, the only difference is ours came from one club and other team would have to go 3/4 teams.
Also Cardiff are hardly saints, your dodgy old chairman and having loans from the pfa and not forgetting the playoff final when your chairman payed one of his heavies to set the fire alarm off at the hotel QPR were staying at, maybe that game should of been replayed? As your all for being "fair"? Or how aboun you had bellamy on loan and were'nt paying any of his wages? Or the fact that you have spent millions on wages and the debt is just written off by your owners, while smaller clubs try and live within there means

Dodgy chairman isn't against the rules.

there's no actual proof that the fire alarm was set off by anyone related to the club.

Loans from PFA are allowed aslong as you have embargos when you take them out.

We paid a percentage of Bellamy's wages. I wonder how much of your loanees wages are being paid by Watford?

What about Leicester? Blackburn? Forest?

I think everyone knows he was clearly instructed to set the fire alarm off, your chairman was his boss....maybe he never met or spoke to his boss lol. I agree that there are plenty of other clubs that spend far more than they can afford, butit doesnt alter the fact its unfair some clubs try and balance the books and others dont bother. As for our ground it will be fine for the premier league ( if we get promoted ) And those who say were bad for football, i think you will find the premiership is to blame, whats the difference to us getting a load of loans...who we may sign permantly or a club who sign a load of players pre season? Did'nt you only have 10 signed players when mcpie took over? So you must of signed a load of players.
And how many championship clubs have played 7 home grown players this season?