Quote Originally Posted by WTF11 View Post
"Club can't be stupid".......and if we examine our stellar performance over the last three seasons, we look like we know what we're doing? I think not. Let's decline offers and have yet another want-away warming the bench (or god forbid even worse, actually having to be played because we don't have any alternative)
Why you so critical of clubs relegation clause?

C'mon, it's now commonplace for all teams to protect themselves against the financial hit of relegation by inserting blanket wage cuts of around 50/60% into every contract.
So in return the Agent of the player tends to now ask for a much-reduced release clause as a makeweight.

Archie Gray ?
Nothing wrong with a minimum release clause. So if you make an offer of this amount it simply cannot be refused by the club, end of.

On the relegation release clause, if the club is relegated from its current division, you can make an offer for the player at this value, again it cannot be refused.

For sure, my point of view is 'objective' via verifiable information based on facts & evidence.
But i also fully understand the 'subjective' information or perspectives based on feelings, opinions & emotions of football fans too.

FWIW my younger brother opted for short term deal, to protect his career being stifled.
Ultimately he agreed to a "fee-structured" deal via a release clause that stipulated a pre determined transfer fee that any club would have to pay to acquire him.
This fee was set at an "agreed" discounted rate compared to his validated market value.

To counter that requirement his club added a specific clause to restrict him from joining another named club in the same Ligue, which in effect prevents him from directly moving to a local competitor.

The reality is Leeds are like many clubs who having spent heavily on players in past seasons who agreed to lower "release clauses" in the event they dropped into the Championship & likewise added the same option with loan-clauses too, which is also standard practice across Europe leagues too.

I don't have a problem with players & clubs inserting a provision in employment contracts with regards to potential relegations or promotions of a clubs future.
My employees have a health proviso within my work contract which is great for both parties including my assistance doggie too.

For clubs regularly operating in the lower regions of the league the relegation clause is an effective tool to protect themselves from very high salary burdens as a result of relegation whoever the player maybe.
So the inclusion of a relegation clause in a players contract can benefit the player & can protect his career by not being contractually obliged to play in a lower league on a reduced wage.

I loved the concept of one club footballers but do recall reading the Graham Souness autobiography where he said;
'I was mercenary as well, I was captain of Liverpool, we had just won the European Cup and the league and the league cup in 1984 and I went off to play in Italy because Italy was where all the best players in the world were and the thing that drove me there more than anything else, apart from that challenge was I was getting a lot more money,' said Souness.

So yeah, just saying