Walter Smith suffered a double blow to his rebuilding plans when he learnt yesterday that Rangers have been banned from fielding Andy Webster while Falkirk have placed a £500,000 asking price on the head of Alan Gow.
Webster could face an investigation from Fifa over his loan move to the Ibrox club from Wigan Athletic after Heart of Midlothian reported their former player to the world governing body and the Scottish Football Association, claiming that Webster’s return to the Bank of Scotland Premierleague breaks regulations.
The 24-year-old Scotland defender used a loophole last summer to get out of his acrimonious situation at Tynecastle. He exploited a rare Fifa ruling allowing him to quit Hearts even though he had one year left on his contract, to move to another country. Wigan took Webster in and were told by Fifa they only had to pay £200,000 for him but Hearts insist the player should not be able to return to Scotland within 12 months and say he is still registered with them.
Vladimir Romanov, the Hearts owner, responded after Webster arrived at Ibrox last week on loan from the Barclays Premiership side. Hearts valued Webster at £1 million and turned down a bid from Rangers over a year ago before the player’s dispute with Romanov at the end of last season. Webster’s misfortune is compounded by the fact that he damaged his knee ligament last Saturday during his first training session and is out injured for six weeks anyway.
Smith would have been eager to take advantage of Webster’s availability, especially after the departure on Wednesday of Julien Rodriguez, the defender, to Marseilles on a free transfer. However, Webster could find himself frozen out of the game until Fifa rule on his case.
“The whole issue is now with Fifa, they will decide what happens next,” an SFA spokesman said yesterday. Hearts had contested Webster’s right to move to Wigan and cut short his four-year contract by a year. Fifa allowed him to sign for Wigan pending a ruling on a compensation fee but he has failed to win a regular first-team place under Paul Jewell, the manager, which prompted his six-month loan to Rangers.
Romanov is refusing to cancel Webster’s registration and is prepared to fight to prevent Webster playing for one of Hearts’ rivals. The SFA has been forced to put the move to Ibrox on hold after Hearts’ complaint and Smith could now be denied the services Webster until next season.
Webster’s relationship with Romanov soured a year ago when he refused to sign a new contract at Tynecastle. He then utilised a Fifa ruling to sign for Wigan, a move which Fifa eventually agreed to clear on an International Transfer Certificate but, after Webster was loaned to Rangers earlier this month, Hearts petitioned that, under the terms of the article, the defender is not permitted to return to play in Scotland within a year of leaving.
Those complaints have been formally dispatched to Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich and the SFA registration department at Hampden Park. The player’s agent, Charles Duddy, said that he and his client have acted within the regulations. “I haven’t heard of that rule. The cancellation of Andy’s contract at Wigan and his loan are appropriate,” Duddy said.
Fifa’s judgment on whether Webster is permitted to play for the Ibrox club is now eagerly awaited, with the SFA unable to adjudicate until it receives guidance from Zurich on the matter.
His Hearts contract was due to expire on June 30 this year and, with Romanov in defiant mood, Webster may be forced to wait until after that date to play competitively for Rangers should Fifa rule in Hearts’ favour.
World football’s governing body has also yet to set the amount of financial compensation Wigan are due Hearts following Webster’s move to England. Under Fifa rules, the Edinburgh club are due to receive payment for the remaining year of Webster’s contract, which would secure them around £200,000. To date, no compensation has been paid.
Falkirk are equally determined that Gow will remain with them until the end of the season, even if costs them a fee for the 24-year-old striker, whose contract expires in June. Hughes has already rejected £100,000 offers from Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers and feels that his goals are more valuable in the short-term than a minimal fee for letting him go now.
That is why the Falkirk manager has put a £500,000 valuation on Gow, who also had offers to move to Hibernian and Aberdeen. Hughes is hopeful of persuading the player to remain with the side for another season.
“This season is vital for the club and it’s crucial we have at our disposal all our current resources, including Alan,” a statement from Falkirk said. “Supporters should realise that there are a large number of clubs who appear to be interested in securing Alan’s services and there will no doubt be further discussions during the transfer window.”
Hearts will not be signing Cherif Toure Maman, the former Livingston forward, who played for Togo in last summer’s World Cup finals. Maman has been training with the Tynecastle side this week and featured in a game at Riccarton yesterday afternoon.
However, his representative, George Wright, insisted reports that Cherif was on trial with Hearts were inaccurate and that the player is simply using the facilities at Riccarton to improve his fitness. “I’m sure that while he is using their facilities Hearts will take a look at him, but a move to Scotland is not something we’ve discussed,” Wright said.
