IFA approve new transfer rule — seven months late

THE Irish Football Association will today inform Irish League clubs that they have finally approved a new rule on transfers that Fifa introduced months ago!

In June of last year, Fifa announced that players could play for three rather than two clubs in one season but the Belfast Telegraph can reveal that the IFA only changed their ruling on the matter on Monday night following a meeting of their Player Registration Sub Committee.

Football’s world governing body declared in 2020 that a number of new temporary regulatory amendments arising from the Covid-19 pandemic had been approved by the Bureau of the Fifa Council in relation to the Status and Transfer of players.

One amendment stated: “In order to avoid any concerns regarding unemployed players, players are permitted to be registered with a maximum of three clubs and are eligible to play in official matches for three clubs during the same season.”

Fifa recommended that all member associations and football stakeholders carefully study the documents released about the changes but clearly there was an oversight at Windsor Park with the situation allowed to drag on without switches made.

There will be embarrassment at the IFA that such a scenario has been allowed to develop where they were out of sync with the most powerful body in the game for several months.

All the teams in the Irish Premiership will be contacted today about the new situation.

An IFA spokesperson told this newspaper: “The Irish FA Player Registration Sub Committee noted the amendments to the Fifa Regulations on the Status and Transfer of players including Covid-19 temporary amendments at its meeting on Monday evening and approved the amendment of the IFA Player Registrations regulations.

“This will be circulated clubs on Friday.”

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