NL Financial Rules (Embargo)

[Exiled Shrimper]

Since our triple signing before pre-season, and before announcing Wes today, we have had a period in a “transfer restriction” or embargo.

Although that journalist said three times this year, I’m led to believe it’s twice in the last 12 months. The well publicised one last December time (I think it was December, not that long after the three amigos were appointed) and this brief one. This one is the same as the last one, and has nothing to do with non-payment/late wages of non-playing staff (again, I stay out of that, so can’t confirm where we are at that, other than the playing side is up to date). I believe, NL rules state that it doesn’t matter about non/late payment of wages from “non-playing or management staff” but it does for the playing staff. So, if the ticket office/groundsmen/media team haven’t been paid, that won’t put us in an embargo, but if Arnold, Dalby or Mooney (This three players I could think off) are in the same boat then that’s when the restrictions are put in place.

That isn’t the reason Mussa ended up at Daggers, and we didn’t miss out on other targets because of this either.

During this spell, we have still been speaking to clubs, players, agents, representatives etc about additional incomings.

Glad this one is out in the open. We are almost there on our transfer dealings I’d suggest. I’d imagine that midfield is now sorted, and the loanee, that played at this level last season, is on the back burner.

Just on this point, and it may be for the other thread on this subject (so mods, feel free to move if you feel it more relevant there), National League Rule 11 states: “Where a Club defaults in making any payments to any Football Creditor, the Club shall be subject to such penalty as the Board may decide, including, but not limited to, an Embargo; a points deduction; a Bond; a suspension; or any combination thereof.”

The definition of a Football Creditor is: any one of the following:

• The Football Association Limited.
• Any Club affiliated with an Affiliated Association.
• Any League sanctioned by The Association or an Affiliated Association.
• Any full time or part time employee of a Club, or former full time or part time employee of a Club, in respect of sums due to such person by way of arrears of remuneration or expenses. This excludes for these purposes all and any claims for redundancy, unfair or wrongful dismissal or other claims arising out of the termination of the contract or in respect of any period after the actual date of termination.
• The Professional Footballers’ Association Limited.
• The Football Foundation.
• Any Affiliated Association.
• Any pension scheme or plan administered by or on behalf of the Competition.”

That definition doesn’t define playing or non-playing staff.

Appendix H then lists other reasons an embargo may be imposed:
“(a) where a Club has undergone an Insolvency Event
(b) where a Club has been served with a winding-up petition which has not been satisfied in full or to the
satisfaction of the petitioning creditors as evidenced by written agreement or
(c) where a Club has either defaulted on such an agreement or has omitted or incorrectly reported its
failure to adhere to the terms of any agreement.”

Another reason referenced in Appendix H is a failure to comply with The National League’s Financial Reporting Initiative. This includes a time to pay arrangement with HMRC, which was referenced as the reason for last December’s embargo.

The National League Rules are available on their website here.

 

[Smiffy]

Thanks for this @Exiled Shrimper very useful for future reference no doubt and as such this has been made a sticky.

 

[londonblue]

Thanks for this @Exiled Shrimper very useful for future reference no doubt and as such this has been made a sticky.

No it won't. Hopefully after this season we'll need the EFL rules!

 

[rigsby]

No it won't. Hopefully after this season we'll need the EFL rules!

They have been broken so often we should know them by now