I really can't wait for all newspapers to go extinct

Today the Sun published an outrageous article about the Alejandro Faurlin affair - absolutely ridiculous, claiming to have come from a source within the FA that completely flies in the face of every suggestion and speculation that has come from sensible football-aware people, as well as pantomime pundit Steve Claridge who has a reputation for criticising QPR often.

I'm inclined to speculate that the Sun had no source at all, and I'm pretty sure that the FA will deny that the quote came from them. There are so many logical reasons to expect no points deduction, and even if that weren't the case, it's been established that neither the FA or the Club will comment so as not to harm the legal process. The club today released a statement restating that no comment position from both themselves and the FA.

I've just seen on the BBC a report saying the club have asked the FA to do the same to underline that the Sun in fact has no official source. I've pasted below this BBC article (and the link) as well as the Sun's story and link. I believe this sums up exactly what is wrong with the media these days.

Interestingly I was having a conversation with a pianist I played with the other day who reckons the papers are dying out, and that even Murdoch won't be powerful to keep them alive for ever. It's as though they're like wasps in September. They know they're dying so they're trying to sting as many people as possible hoping to take a few with them. I will not be sorry if they do go extinct. I've already promised myself that I will never buy another newspaper again.

For those of you not familiar with the story it's as follows:

QPR signed Alejandro Faurlin from Instituto (in Argentina) in the summer of 2009. He was at the time part owned by some third party or other. QPR bought that part of his ownership separately I think, before the rules about third party ownership had been brought in. The disclosed the information fully to the FA and the Football League at the time, but it seems they sent back the wrong form in triplicate or some silly paperwork thing like that. There was also an agent involved who was registerd with FIFA but not the FA. However he is Italian so I believe EU rules mean he cannot be prevented from working in England, and as FIFA are the big brothers of the FA there should be no major issue there.

Also Alejandro Faurlin was officially declared an eligible player and has continued to play even after the charges were announced, so it has never been a case of fielding an ineligible player or gaining any unfair advantage on the pitch through breaking of rules. Just a few months ago the FA decided to answer that the club were being charged with breaches of regulations. The club contested the charges and a hearing date was to be scheduled. More recently that date was set to be 3-6th of may with the outcome being announced on the 6th, the day before the final match of the league season. All along there's been no comment from the club or the FA about the details of the case, and only the media stirring things has brought any talk of points deduction. There's never been a source from the FA suggesting it may be a possibility at any stage, and it's only come from journalists looking at a list the FA have of all the punishments available for various offences and leaping to conclusions leading a large proportion of the general public along with them.

The implications of a points deduction are massive. First of all it's the timing. If the FA thought a deduction were likely they would have rushed it through - they've known about the whole affair since last October and could have dealt with it there and then if they thought it serious. The club would have the right to appeal against any punishment if found guilty, meanwhile the playoffs have to take place and fixtures arranged for next season. All football clubs involved have access to the best lawyers that money can buy, probably more so than the FA, and thanks to the fixture list knock on effect that's every premier league club and especially any club involved in automatic promotion or the playoffs at the end of this season in the championship.

Furthermore there are precedents set with Bristol City and West Ham, both of whom paid fines, the former a mere £30k. On the whole a points deduction looks extremely unlikely.

And yet the Sun have tried to cause trouble. I believe the FA will shoot them down over this.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13244531.stm

QPR ask FA to investigate newspaper claims




Queens Park Rangers have asked the Football Association to investigate a newspaper report suggesting they face a hefty points deduction.


The club, who lead the Championship by five points, could be in trouble over the 2009 signing of Alejandro Faurlin.


QPR's lawyers will seek clarification the FA source quoted in The Sun does not represent the views of the FA.


The club also want to clarify that the FA's policy is not to comment until after the 3 May hearing.


The Sun claims Neil Warnock's side could be docked up to 15 points if they are found guilty of breaking third-party ownership rules. As the table stands, QPR need only a point to secure promotion but a sizeable points penalty would see them plummet into the play-off places.


The FA has been investigating the case since September, when QPR asked for permission to buy out a third party that owned Faurlin's economic rights.


The club was prompted to do this by the Football League's introduction of rules prohibiting the third-party ownership of players.


The league told QPR they would have to notify the FA of their plans and it then became apparent the club may have been in breach of FA regulations for more than a year.


Those rules were brought in following the Carlos Tevez saga. That case dragged on for two years after Tevez helped West Ham beat relegation from the Premier League in 2007 despite being owned by a third party.


Sheffield United went down instead and lodged a legal challenge that ended with the Hammers owing the Premier League £5.5m for breaking the rules and the Blades £20m in compensation.


West Ham, however, avoided any points deduction that would have taken them down in Sheffield United's place.


The hearing into the signing of the Argentine midfielder begins next Tuesday and a verdict is set to be delivered three days later.


The Sun quotes an FA source as saying: "There's no question QPR have broken the rules. They know it as well. The only debate is what to do about it.


"If they aren't found guilty you might as well scrap the rules about third-party owners."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3553711/The-FA-are-set-to-strip-QPR-of-promotion-to-the-Premier-League.html

QPR'S automatic promotion into the Premier League is set to be blocked by the FA.
SunSport understands the runaway Championship leaders are likely to face a big points deduction - possibly up to 15 - if they are found guilty of breaking strict third-party ownership rules over the signing of Alejandro Faurlin.


The evidence against the West London club is said to be damning and they could now end up in the play-offs.


The only winners would be Cardiff and Norwich who could then go up automatically.


The hearing into the signing of the Argentine midfielder two years ago begins next Tuesday and a verdict will be delivered three days later.


A four-man panel will comprise an independent QC, two from the FA's disciplinary panel and a football expert who will be either a former player or boss.


In theory, they should begin with a blank sheet of paper but many at the FA are openly discussing the case and reckon QPR - five points clear at the top of the table - are in big trouble. Those who have seen the evidence say Rangers are defending the indefensible.


An FA source said: "There's no question QPR have broken the rules. They know it as well. The only debate is what to do about it.


"If they aren't found guilty you might as well scrap the rules about third-party owners."


Some within the corridors of power believe QPR should be hit hard because they were well aware they were acting outside the regulations.


When West Ham were punished over the Carlos Tevez affair they were actually found guilty of failure to disclose information - not of breaking third-party ownership rules because such legislation did not exist.


Since then the FA have made third-party ownership illegal so the argument is QPR were worse offenders because they were well aware they were committing an offence.


If Neil Warnock's side are found guilty they will have seven days to appeal.


However, if QPR take legal action or other clubs decide to seek legal avenues because of points they lost when Faurlin played against them, the whole issue could drag on throughout the summer.


The nightmare scenario could even be that the Championship promotion play-offs do not take place at all until the issue is resolved.

The Sun have also been very devious - rather like the Evening Standard were towards me. They've taken fact and mixed in speculation to make the facts appear much bigger at first glance. The quotes on their own are just suggestion of the likelihood of QPR being found guilty. The possible punishment mentioned is pure speculation and does not come from the quoted source.

And as I discovered this is NOT a breach of the Press Complaints Commission's Editors code. Something needs to be done about this.