Question about players we will sign on pre-contracts and pre-season etc

[StornowayBlue 630]

Did not realise this. Good to know.

Story from a few weeks back m8

RANGERS could play their new signings in FOUR matches before the club’s transfer embargo is lifted.

The Ibrox side are banned from bringing in new players until September 1.

But SunSport can reveal they would be allowed to use them as trialists before then.

A long-standing SFL rule allows a club to use a maximum of two unregistered players in league games. Each of those players can play no more than three games without being registered.

Rangers would also be allowed to field two trialists in the first round of the Ramsdens Cup after a rule was introduced for that competition last season.

Boss Ally McCoist has been trying to land players on pre-contracts ahead of the club’s ban ending, with Kilmarnock goalie Cammy Bell the only player to have penned such a deal.

McCoist had admitted he may have to sacrifice the first month of the season by playing kids while he waited for the ban to be lifted.

But this latest development means he would be able to call on some of his bigger names in the opening weeks of the Division Two campaign.

In a further twist, Gers could also give their new faces more game time by allowing them to play for other SFL clubs as trialists before September 1.

Rule 122 and 122.1 of the SFL’s constitution states: “No more than two trialists from any grade of football may be allowed to play, or be listed as a substitute for any club in any championship match up to and including March 31st.

“Each trialist may be allowed to play in, or be listed as a substitute for, a maximum of three games for any one club, provided he is otherwise eligible to do so.”

[CalvinC 1,414]

Interesting.

[folkestoneger 8,256]

We cant register them. We do not need to register them to play them as trialists under SFL and Ramsdens Cup rules.

I only say July 1st as I'd personally keep it all open and above board in terms of when we start paying them. Is it frowned upon to reward a trialist or a player who trains with the club with a salary. We will play our new signings albeit a couple at a time for a couple of times, and they will IMO be paid from Day 1.

It's not as simple as that. We cannot register anyone who is not out of contract on September 1st. If we pay them a "salary" rather than say expenses we risk it being ruled they were contracted to us

It's not worth it

It must be easy to get round by for example a signing bonus of 3 months wages or similar

[Bothwellbear 1,392]

They won't get paid as players before September 1st but as employees of the club.

[Spectre 1,663]

They won't get paid as players before September 1st but as employees of the club.

That would take us back to the idea of players requiring a contract from x date to 1st September of a non-playing type and a second pre contract as a player to start from the 1st September.

Until looking into it my position would have been the common sense one, a player could sign a contract from say June, get paid and then be registered to play from 1st September, however, having read the rules now that arrangement would seem to fall foul of rule 1.1 of the registration procedures:

"To those Clubs to which Registration Periods apply, a professional Player may only be registered to play for such a Club during one of two Registration Periods per year as determined by the Board from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision, a professional Player who has failed to find employment during a registration period may sign and be registered for a Club outwith the Registration Periods."

If it was just their normal playing contract from June then they could be deemed to have found employment during the registration period, just not registered (a very odd situation)

It's down to interpretation but perhaps the safest bet would be a pre - contract that starts on 1st September with a signing bonus propped up with the equivalent of 2-3 months wages, maybe that could even be paid at the date of signing if that is allowed.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

They won't get paid as players before September 1st but as employees of the club.

That's what I suggested earlier and got shot down lol

[CalvinC 1,414]

That would take us back to the idea of players requiring a contract from x date to 1st September of a non-playing type and a second pre contract as a player to start from the 1st September.

Until looking into it my position would have been the common sense one, a player could sign a contract from say June, get paid and then be registered to play from 1st September, however, having read the rules now that arrangement would seem to fall foul of rule 1.1 of the registration procedures:

"To those Clubs to which Registration Periods apply, a professional Player may only be registered to play for such a Club during one of two Registration Periods per year as determined by the Board from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision, a professional Player who has failed to find employment during a registration period may sign and be registered for a Club outwith the Registration Periods."

If it was just their normal playing contract from June then they could be deemed to have found employment during the registration period, just not registered (a very odd situation)

It's down to interpretation but perhaps the safest bet would be a pre - contract that starts on 1st September with a signing bonus propped up with the equivalent of 2-3 months wages, maybe that could even be paid at the date of signing if that is allowed.

A lot of good points. The last bit is what I was thinking as well as the players wouldn't technically earn any money until September 1st. So I guess we would make up the 'wages' in a signing on fee type thing, that would make sense.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

A lot of people are getting this wrong.

The players MUST BE FREE AGENTS ON SEPT 1ST for us to be able to register them.

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

A lot of people are getting this wrong.

The players MUST BE FREE AGENTS ON SEPT 1ST for us to be able to register them.

That brings me back to my question lol so would we back date their wages or give them a lump sum or take them on as a non playing employee ?

Or would it depend on the player?

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

Just can't see our signings happy to go 2 months without pay that's all

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Could queens park maybe do us a favour and let a few of our "new players" play against our first team in friendlies?

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Just can't see our signings happy to go 2 months without pay that's all

Sign them as "chefs" on contracts that end on aug 31st

[1st_Jan_1994 4,868]

Aye I think we'd have to do something like that but need to be careful

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Aye I think we'd have to do something like that but need to be careful

I honestly don't think they could do anything about it. They can't stop us signing chefs.

It's not our fault if they wanted to join our new summer chef training scheme.

[ayrshireger 523]

They'll be entitled to play any pre season game we have, as there isn't any rules against teams fielding trialists in friendly matches.

They'll also be able to play in games as a trialist. It's only 3 games they are entitled to, but they can turn out for us. I'm sure for the first game of this season, Little and Black were trialists, although I may be remembering that wrongly.

As for the pay, that may be an issue, although I suppose any wages they would have earned from signing two months earlier could be used as a signing on fee.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,684]

What you can be sure of is none of them will be playin in the CL this up and comin season but what you must make sure of is that you keep turnin up every week home and away and ensure that they know the importance of playin for The Rangers because at the moment there are one or two who don't seem to grasp this !

[CalvinC 1,414]

A lot of people are getting this wrong.

The players MUST BE FREE AGENTS ON SEPT 1ST for us to be able to register them.

So what about a pre contract though, aren't they still 'free agents'? If you're right, then the whole Cammy Bell signing a pre contract is bollocks.

[sprotson11 147]

The following is my understanding of the situation.

We are are under a registration embargo, which means we can sign any player who is out of contract on or before September 1st but cannot register them before that date.

Anyone we sign will paid from the date they sign their contract and this date cannot be before the date their old contract ends.

Most contracts end at sometime between middle of may and end of may as that is generally when leagues finish and there is no point paying players over the summer who are not coming back to the club.

Once signed i believe we can play any of these players in friendly matches as trialists as often as we want, and 2 at a time as trialists in league and Ramadan cup matches, with each player playing no more than 3 league games and 1 cup game.

We could also technically buy players who are not put of contract before September 1st but as we can't register them until the next transfer window in January then that would be a waste of money.

[sprotson11 147]

So what about a pre contract though, aren't they still 'free agents'? If you're right, then the whole Cammy Bell signing a pre contract is bollocks.

Cammy Bell will be a free agent from the day hid Kilmarnock contract ends. It does not matter that he has signed a pre contract with us, he will still be a free agent.

There is some doubts as to whether pre contracts need to be honoured since the Ross county, st Johnstone situation, but since st Johnstone were looking for compensation for a breech of the pre contract, then I guess it needs to be honoured.

I am sure if the club breeched the pre contract then the player would be looking for some form of compensation

[BearInBodrum 2]

Is everything done n dusted I think not

This is just to get the loyal fans to cough up again while the people at the top manipulate us and the club

[folkestoneger 8,256]

Cammy Bell will be a free agent from the day hid Kilmarnock contract ends. It does not matter that he has signed a pre contract with us, he will still bea free agent.

I'm pretty sure if he signed a pre contract that started say July 1st then he would not be a free agent on September 1st and could not be registered

[sprotson11 147]

The players that we sign do not need to be free agents on 1st September, just on the date they sign for us.

[simplythebest 11,453]

The players that we sign do not need to be free agents on 1st September, just on the date they sign for us.

I'm not so sure about that.

[Spectre 1,663]

The players that we sign do not need to be free agents on 1st September, just on the date they sign for us.

See my quote from the SFA rules on registration. Taken literally a player must not be employed when the window shuts to be able to be registered with us the next day. I suspect all our pre contract signings will have a start date of 1st September.

[Garnock Blue 316]

SFL rules that a club can field up to 2 unregistered players. There is also a similar rule for the Ramsdens Cup which would apply to Us before the 1st September. Ally will need to rotate but we will see the new signings feature, unregistered, before the September deadline.

SFL rules tho...no wit a mean...