Page:Association Football and How to Play It (1908) by John Cameron.djvu/67

of the day. I fought the matter out strenuously, because at that time the rules of the F.A. were contrary to the League. As secretary I appealed to the F.A., and expected great things, but instead of compelling the League to bring its laws into line, the Association altered its own to correspond with those of the League. Looking at this from a broad point of view, it is hard on a player who has cost his club nothing, but has signed on for a year. At the end of that season he is free, and his old club can put an astonishing large sum on his head. This is hardly in accordance with English love of fair play, and is probably one of the few blots on the game. I am looking forward to the day when this system shall be abolished, and the player shall be a man, not a slave. Of course, if a club gets a large transfer for a player, then in one way it should have some compensation if he leaves them, but in some cases a young fellow goes elsewhere and they get more out of his transfer fees than they ever paid him in wages. It must be admitted that things at the present day are infinitely better than they were some years ago. The player has the right of a special appeal to a Committee of the League, and the amount asked for players' transfers has been greatly reduced. Still, I think that his club should keep him until his transfer is settled. Talking about the old Players' Union, it reminds me that at one meeting we had, a player stated that if a club had a horse they wanted to part with, some one would have to find the horse in fodder until the negotiations were finished. A