Iain Duncan Smith raises concerns about impact of overseas players on English game

Highlights of Iain Duncan Smith's speech at a Westminster Hall Debate he initiated on overseas footballers in British football.

This isn't about changing the law, but about initiating a debate:
"I asked for this debate not to demand that politicians and the Government get directly involved in running UK football, or any sport for that matter, but because, like many hon. Members, I take an interest in football. I care that the national games of England, Scotland and the other home countries are in good health, and when they are not, I want to ask key questions and initiate a debate."

Young British players with potential appear to be discarded too early: "The first issue that I want to address is the effect of training on the development of new, young English players coming through to the top sides. The balance of overseas players in the premiership seems to be out of kilter with almost everybody else. On training, the premiership declares:  “Young players must fight for first team places against some of the best players in the world. Those who succeed can be confident that they have been tested against the best, and deserve their places on merit”.  I worry about such statements, because they sometimes miss the point. Making youngsters from possibly every nation in the world compete at that age begins to limit the number of places available for young English national players.  The different attitudes on training are interesting. Alfie Apps, the European scout for West Ham has said that, in England, our clubs have put money into training and demanded that players develop quickly. Many clubs discard players at a very early age if they do not think they are up to the job—18 is normally the limit. Many overseas coaches are concerned that, on the continent for the most part, they persist with the development of young players until they are 22. Ironically, that is often the age at which English clubs pick up overseas players, having discarded their own at an earlier age."

Overseas players are squeezing out UK talent at academies: "What is happening about the lack of premiership academies? It is staggering that more and more of them are taking overseas players at younger and younger ages, thus squeezing opportunities for young English players. Currently, 15 per cent. of youngsters attending academies are from overseas, and that number is increasing. Arsenal now has an academy in Africa, and Liverpool has forged links with MTK in Budapest. No less a person than Sir Trevor Brooking, for whom I have huge respect, has said that “in five years’ time we are going to have a far more serious problem: can our English youngsters even get into the academies at Premiership clubs?”"

Sir Alex Ferguson's way: "I am not a supporter of Manchester United—indeed, I gloried in Tottenham Hotspur’s great result last night, which will go down in the history books, I am sure—but one has to respect Alex Ferguson and Manchester United enormously, because the club’s player participation ratios are among the best in the premiership. Also, Alex Ferguson’s ability to bring on young players is worth considering. He criticised the rule that prevents English clubs from signing under-12s who do not live within an hour of the club’s academy and under-16s who live more than 90 minutes away, and he should have been listened to. Such matters could and should have been dealt with, but they have not been dealt with early enough."

English boys receive far less training: "On the pressure of training, Damian Comolli, the sporting director at Tottenham Hotspur, who knows something about this, said: “Over four years between the ages of 12 and 16 a French boy would receive 2,304 hours of training”, whereas in England, the amount would be 1,152 hours on average. The point that he is making is that the French seem to take training much more seriously, and theirs is much more skills-based. How much do we complain about watching a side that cannot keep the ball when it plays other international sides? That starts with training."

English leagues are increasingly dominated by foreign players: "Only 37 per cent. of first-team squad players in the premier league hail from England. We are told that this is a competition, so what is the percentage in the other leagues? In La Liga, 61 per cent. of players are Spanish; in Serie A, 63 per cent. are Italian; in the Bundesliga, more than 50 per cent. are German; and in the French league, 62 per cent. are French. Those leagues seem to be competing on a different set of criteria. They seem to think that it is possible to have a successful league and national involvement."

Some questions for those running the English game: "The big questions are for those charged with running the game. Why have we not done an in-depth analysis of what is going peculiarly wrong with the game in England and even in some of the home countries, although, as I said earlier, some of that is being put right? Why is it that we simply do not study the facts and ask questions about training? Why have we not asked about the quality of training in England? Why have we allowed ourselves just to bumble along like Mr. Micawber, believing that something will turn up?"

The full debate can be read in Hansard.

Comments

[Tony Makara]

The English game, in terms of structure, has suffered since the influx of foreign players. These players have come to Britain because of the money and are now so dominant that our own players are now mostly found in the lower leagues. Its not that these foreign players are better, but they are on average cheaper. In fact we are seeing the the 'cheap imports knocking out home produce' scenario being played out in the premier league in the same way that it is played out in the high street.

The English game is now not producing home grown talent at the higher level. I'm sure those of us who follow the game can think of many examples down the years of players who came from smaller clubs and achieved great success at the top clubs, Alan Ball, Kevin Keegan, Ian Rush, Dennis Law etc. Now it is practically unheard of for a premier league club to sign a player from the lower leagues. Instead they sign a foreign player. So any talent that could come through, doesn't come through. I for one do not accept that the vast majority of the players coming into the English game from abroad are any better than the skillful players in the lower leagues. The situation is so bad that most premier league managers are signing foreign players based on a recommendation and after seeing a few video clip. In effect they are paying for a player they haven't even seen play.

It has been shown clearly that nations who allow their domestic league to be overrun with foreign players go on to struggle at national team level. England being the quintessential example. The players are not coming through from the lower leagues and talent remains untapped, youngsters at the top clubs are not getting through either, so in the end the England manager only has a few players to chose from. This problem has been particularly apparent in goalkeeping, where England have literally no quality keepers. This from a nation that produced world class goalies such as Gordon Banks, Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton.

As a very keen football supporter I am very pleased that IDS has raised this point. Our game is dying and it is dying because the natural domestic talent that is there isn't getting a chance to play and be nurtured by the top clubs. Unless this changes the situation will only worsen.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

Iain Duncan Smith is clearly tackling the issues at the fore-front of everyone's minds: how do we get the England football team to qualify for tournaments ?

Clearly he's really earning his money as an MP. Well done !

[Syed]

There should be a restriction on EU footballers plying their trade in the English Premiership. There are no restrictions whatsoever for EU-based players and they do not need any work permits to come to play here.England qualify in the World Cup and Euro by playing other European nations, so therefore they are helping the European nations to get more experience in playing first-team football in one of the premier leagues in world football. The number of African (or Asian) players is not a huge concern for the England national team, and most of these players have to come through by applying in work permit and there is a relatively strict code as to the fact that these players need to represent their country before obtaining a work permit. One can also argue that the African players do not change the style and system of the "English" game - they just fit into it, whereas quite a considerable number of Europeans change a lot of things - e.g. diving (Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Claudio Pizarro) and a foreign language being the main languge of an English football club (Arsenal)!

[Tony Makara]

Syed, the football association could help by stating that only a set number of non English players can be on the pitch at any one time. This would mean that clubs would have to recruit English players. There are many fine players in the championship and lower leagues but their talent doesn't get an opportunity to develop. Once these players move up a level their game will greatly improve. It is my opinion that the football association no longer run the game and that television sponsorship calls all the shots. The TV channels want the foreign stars to glamourize the league, the TV money coming into the game is the problem.

[David Belchamber]

IDS, could you please start a similar debate about the state of cricket in the UK? And perhaps also to get the government to stop being so wimpish about Zimbabwe's projected tour to England in 1009.

[Michael Davidson]

I don't like politicians interfering in football at all.

If Premiership managers think foreign players are better then so be it.

We don't need bureaucratic restrictions on player choices thank you very much.

[Paul Johnston]

IDS is right to draw attention to one of the most serious weaknesses in British football. But he doesn't go far enough. We cause ourselves further weakness by - uniquely in the world - dividing what talents we have by four by fielding FOUR national teams instead of one British one. Every other country in the world, however large and however politically structured, has one national team.

[William]

This is a red herring from IDS, I'm afraid. The reason the England football team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 was not because there are lots of foreign players in the Premier League; it was because Steve McLaren is not a very good manager. Simple.

Foreign players make the football matches we watch week in, week out more exciting and entertaining, and I have no idea why so many people think that's a bad thing.

A decent manager and a proper youth facility at Burton and the England team will be fine.