Kid Contracts: Bain wants to defend the rights of children Pic: ©STV
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain has hit out at Scottish clubs for taking the first steps to creating a professional transfer market for children as young as 10. The Ibrox chief raised his concerns over the issue which he feels has a detrimental effect on the rights of children and nurturing of talent in Scotland.
The dispute arose following a vote of SPL clubs in which a 10-2 majority voted to increase the compensation payments dished out to clubs for the move of youth players. In 2006 a compensatory formula was introduced for clubs in the Youth Initiative programme after teams felt hard done by when they invested time and money into young players only to see them snatched up by other clubs.
Bain spoke of the increased compensatory measures: “We are now seeing that the system is working against the rights of children and their parents and that cannot be the right direction for Scottish football.
“We support the principle of compensating clubs for development costs, but what is now happening is the creation of a professional transfer market for children.”
The original payments were set at £3000 a year for 12 to 14-year-olds, £6000 for 15-year-olds and £9000 for 16 to 17-year-olds. However, the figures increased in January and are understood to be £5000 for 11 to 14-year-olds and £10,000 for 15 to 17-year-olds.
The new numbers would mean a 14-year-old who had been a club since he was 11 would have to find a club willing to pay £20,000 for him to move, which can only be detrimental to the progression of youth football.
“We made strong objections to the SPL regarding their latest decision to increase development contribution compensation payments,” said Bain.
“No doubt other clubs believe we are acting solely out of self interest, but that is not our motivation. We’re thinking about the rights of kids and also the development of Scottish talent.”
