Cullen sticks with cautious transfer style

FOR Andy Cullen, Ian Crook represents a cautionary tale which he continues to heed more than 25 years later.

Indeed, he regards the 1996 controversy as a powerful reminder of the dangers of announcing a signing before registering the paperwork.

Pompey’s chief executive is adamant no fresh arrivals will be unveiled before tomorrow’s launch of the summer transfer window.

Of course, some fellow League One clubs have gone public on signings, despite relevant paperwork not permitted to be lodged.

But Cullen rolls out Crook’s aborted move from Norwich to rivals Ipswich in the summer of 1996 as a prime example behind his own reticence.

He told The News: ‘You cannot register any paperwork until the day the transfer window opens, which is a new dynamic in the EFL this year.

‘A deal is never a deal until it is registered with the Football League – and you cannot register those deals until the transfer window opens.

‘As a Norwich fan, I’ll always remember Ian Crook signing for Ipswich in the summer of 1996, with them parading him as their new player.

‘However, they never got the deal done, they couldn’t register it – and then he had a change of heart.

‘Days later he returned to Norwich after Mike Walker came back to the club, so was never an Ipswich player.

‘You can have all the paperwork in the book, but it can't be dated until that particular point, so the contract is not really valid and has no legal standing until that date.

‘There may be deals already done, but I think if you disclose it then all you’re doing is alerting potential competitors to hijack your deals.

‘If you have a deal done at the table, all you would do is heighten the risk of that deal potentially not going through.’