‘Tapping up’ creeping into the local game

It is safe to assume that some of the ‘football’ people around Gibraltar’s clubs aren’t well versed in post-war British cinema. If they were, they might be familiar with the 1953 classic ‘The Great Game’, starring James Hayter and Thora Hird. It’s the tale of fictional top-flight club Burnville Utd, whose chairman makes an illegal approach to the star of a rival team. The authorities discover this wrongdoing and the chairman is suspended in the ensuing scandal.

It’s a cautionary tale against the practice of “tapping up,” the act of persuading a player to join another team without his current employer’s knowledge or blessing. While tapping up can take the form of direct player approaches or secret meetings with agents, the rules are also violated when representatives of a rival club publicly express their admiration of a rival player.

In international football we see this happen constantly. To a point where many people involved in football describe it as “being part and parcel of the game”. Probably the most notorious culprits of ‘tapping up’ in the professional game are the Spanish giants Real Madrid. Thanks to the way in which it’s presidency is essentially a popularity contest, it has always been Los Blancos’ modus operandi to promise the arrival of players they have not yet negotiated contracts for. It happened with David Beckham, Luis Figo, Gareth Bale and will probably happen with Luis Suarez in the not too distant future.

Short of landing a helicopter on his roof and kidnapping a player, how much more do Real Madrid need to do to be found guilty of tapping up? Why haven’t clubs reported the Spanish giants for blatantly trying to unsettle a players? Of course, this article isn’t intended as a tirade against Real Madrid’s practices—they are by no means the only club tapping up. It is rife at this time of year, with many clubs doing it every day.

Further down the football food chain in Gibraltar, we are already seeing this happen in our game. The acceptance of Gibraltar into UEFA was accepted by everyone in a state of Euphoria, and rightly so. However, amongst the scenes of jubilation on the 24^th May 2013, the football purists amongst us knew that with the positives, negatives would also creep into the local game.

With the carrot of competing in European football competitions, in addition to the substantial ‘pot of gold’ which will deposited into their coffers now dangling over the heads of all of Gibraltar’s top 8 clubs, there have been varied approaches adopted to attempt to reach that promised land. A few clubs, namely GibPhoenix, Glacis Utd, Manchester 62, Lions Gibraltar and St Josephs have stuck to their principles and attempted to develop their squads focusing on the local talent, establishing their youth setups, in addition to the odd foreign player adding an element of ‘professional’ experience into their squads. There has been very little in terms of financial investment pumped into these clubs. The pulling power these clubs have to attempt to attract top talent via financial means is slim to none.

Champions Lincoln, have had some investment in their club. This has seen players now being paid on an ‘appearance’ basis. This in turn leads to a fully committed squad where everyone is fighting for the 16 spots available on match days. In addition to this, their recent success in hauling 11 straight league titles, their extremely competent back room staff, and an improving youth setup is an attraction most players find extremely difficult to ignore.

Now come the 2 clubs who have stolen the limelight in terms of their rise from Division 2 clubs, to being powerhouses in the local game. Lynx and College Europa have transformed themselves into 2 of the most professional looking teams in Gibraltar. Board room investment, Foreign signings, sponsorship deals,   daily training sessions, training gear for the whole team, increased supporters at matches have seen these clubs transform themselves from relative nobodies to serious challengers to Lincolns crown.

We have already heard these clubs in the centre of ‘tapping up’ scandals throughout the summer and continuing presently. College offered established Gibraltar International players a substantial financial package to sign for them. Whether approaches were made to the players’ clubs through the appropriate channels during preseason is not known. During the season however, there have been clear indications of ‘tapping up’ offences taking place. Whether it be face to face meetings, phone calls, or conversations on whatsapp, it is now becoming part and parcel of our game.

St Josephs were a side who were considered strong challengers to Lincoln’s crown once again. However, in a blink of an eye, their best players were snatched away from them. It is far to coincidental that so many players having left one club in such a short space of time. The power 3, Lincoln, Lynx and College have profited from St Josephs, taking their best talent. How official these ‘contract talks’ were anybody’s guess.

Recently, it has come to light, that Joseph Chipol, a Glacis Utd icon, who in the twilight of his career has switched codes into Futsal, was approached by College Europa. Chipol has been a tremendous player in the local game. Quick feet and tremendous skill, Chipol was once a lethal striker in his heyday. In the last few seasons, his legs went and was assigned a new centre back role where he not only read the opposing striker perfectly having been one for so many years, but was also great and launching attacks from the back.  It is rumoured that he was allegedly offered £500 a month to sign for the club. Chipol earns a modest living working in a construction company. The enticement of some extra money to play the game he loves surely outweighs the love for this club Glacis. He has no choice but to accept this supposed offer.

This approach to speak to the player was allegedly made legitimately by College Europa via an email correspondence to those at board room level at Glacis. However, it appears that contact between College Europa and Chipol occurred prior to this email to the Glacis board. This is just one of the instances that are happening in the local game. Unfortunately with the increased pressure of getting into Europe, means that achieving that success must come through whatever means necessary.

On Friday 13^th December, saw the Premier Division match between College Europa and Lions Gibraltar. 2 days after this game, news broke that Lions Gibraltar player, Jared Buhagiar had expressed an interest via email to join College Europa. Some insiders within Gibraltar football believe College Europa are communicating to potential targets to send them an email with their wish to transfer to their club in order for College to communicate this news to the player current club and hence, avoid any ‘tapping up’ issues. It is a strong allegation against the greens, and so far we are unable to verify whether this is true or not. Nevertheless he still played for Lions Gibraltar against his proposed suitors. This questions the players desire to give it all for his club if he is aware that a potential deal with the opponents could be imminent.

Our final piece of transfer news this weekend again involved College Europa. This time it included St Josephs player, Naufal El Andaloussi. Sources close to the player reveal that he also issued St Josephs with a transfer request to join College, a request which was apparently rejected by St Josephs. A few days later, reports suggested that the player was spotted training with College, despite his current club St Josephs having categorically refused to accept his transfer request. It is believed that the player will be internally disciplined by the club.

Is it all to coincidental that all these news of supposed ‘tapping up’ only involves College Europa? or is the league plotting against them to disrupt the process they intend to make in order to challenge at the top of the table? I guess only time will tell. One thing is for sure, the GFA should take a look to make sure everything is being done above board.

Clubs, especially those, who have seen heavy investment into their teams, will stop at nothing to guarantee success and see their team walk out at the Holy Grail that is European Competition. Granted, publicly stating interest in a rival player is not a crime on the scale of surreptitiously organising a transfer, but it is definitely tapping up. It has become customary for the bigger clubs to behave like this, unfairly influencing and unsettling players who do not belong to them.

Another thing that is currently being called for by some sections of football in Gibraltar is for the GFA to introduce transfer windows. Considering that the league season is only made up of 2 rounds of 7 games, a transfer window closing before the 1^st game is kicked and re-opening ounce the seasons closes may be considered fair. Far too many teams are seeing their teams being disrupted mid season by other clubs poaching their players. Coaches are fearful that by the next training session or match, they will be unable to call on their prized star players as they have been unsettled or targeted by other clubs.

Either we accept that this is part of the modern game, or the GFA needs to wake up and start enforcing its own rules to protect those clubs without the financial clout.