Archived News from June 2008
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HASLAM EMBARRASSES MANSFIELD IN COURT YET AGAIN
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Judge orders Stags to stump up Barker agents' bill
CHAD.co.uk, 19Jun2008, by Stephen Thirkill MANSFIELD Town have been ordered by a court to pay £8,000 to a licensed football agency. The Field Mill club was told to stump up the cash to the World in Motion organisation after a judge declared that it had defaulted on two agreements in August 2006 and January 2007. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Judge-orders-Stags-to-stump.4205258.jp At Derby County Court on Thursday, the hearing was told that the Blue Square Premier Club had failed to pay £4,000 to the agency during a deal to extend the contract of former fans' favourite Richie Barker in August 2006. The club also failed to cough up an £8,000 fee to World in Motion for its role in a transfer of prolific striker, Barker, to Hartlepool for £100,000 during the January 2007 transfer window. The fee, which was agreed ahead of the contract signing, was then cut to £4,000 following an agreement between Stags' owner Keith Haslam and Andy Evans, a director of World in Motion. Rupert Bowers, acting on behalf of World in Motion, told the court that Mansfield Town was trying to wriggle out of its debt. He said: "You knew they were due a fee for their work and you simply tried to escape this payment, these fees were agreed with Mr Evans. The transfer of football players are fast deals, done orally and based on trust. "There is no doubt World in Motion were involved in both August 2006 and January 2007 negotiations. "Mansfield wanted the deal to go through and they agreed to pay this fee. "Keith Haslam gave oral confirmation that the deal had been done, written conformation was given the following day and then the player signed the contracts. "All parties agreed to this deal and my client cannot understand why they have not been paid. It is inconceivable that World in Motion would do this work for nothing." He also told the court how Mansfield Town had swindled his client out of a £4,000 fee for negotiations carried out between the club and Barker in 2006. Giving evidence, Andy Evans, a director at World in Motion –– which had represented Barker for more than eight years –– told the court he had never agreed to the deal. "There is no way I would agree to a deal which meant I would only get paid if Richie Barker was still at the club," he said. "I knew Mansfield Town would be in a much stronger negotiating position if the player was on a longer contract. I knew they would try to sell him and that is exactly what happened two months later." But Mark Diggle, representing Stags, told the hearing the contract for the 2006 contract negotiations clearly stated the agency would not be paid if the striker was no longer at the club on set dates. He said: "The contract said he would take £2,000 on 1st June 2007 followed by another £2,000 on 1st October 2007, if he was still a Mansfield Town player. "You entered a legally binding contract which you agreed to. You trained as a lawyer and you know what signing a contract means. "When the transfer of Barker was first suggested in October 2006, Mansfield Town refused to pay the fee and this was a stumbling block in the deal. "This was also the case when the deal went through in January 2007. "You knew in April 2007 that you had contract documents in your possesssion and that they had not been sent to Mansfield Town. "Mansfield Town had no agreement with you. You did no work for them during this deal and you were not acting as an agent on their behalf." Stags owner Haslam took to the witness stand and told the court he had never paid a fee to sell a player. "We have never paid a fee to sell a player from Mansfield Town during my time at the club," he said. "Every time I have paid a fee to an agent it has been to make a purchase. "The deal to sell Richie Barker fell through in October 2006 because we did not have a replacement player and we refused to pay a fee to the agency. "Mr Evans was involved with doing a deal for the player and not Mansfield Town. "We would not pay £8,000 for something that did not benefit us. The negotiations were done between the two clubs and I did not agree to pay in January also." Barker told the court how he had received a phone call on the day of his transfer informing him Mansfield Town had come to an agreement with Andy Evans to pay the fee. He then revealed how he would not have signed for the North East club if the deal had not been agreed. -------------- Stags in dock over Barker agents' bill CHAD.co.uk, 19Jun2008 MANSFIELD Town allegedly failed to pay a licensed football agency £8,000 in fees for transfer negotiations, a court was told. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Stags-in-dock-over-Barker.4203946.jp The World in Motion agency claimed it is owed £4,000 from the Field Mill club for negotiations to extend the contract of client Richie Barker in August 2006. Agency bosses also say the Stags still owe them an £4,000 fee for their role in the £100,000 transfer of former fans favourite Richie Barker to Hartlepool United in January 2007. Rupert Bower, acting on behalf of World in Motion, told the hearing at Derby County Court on Thursday how the club had agreed to pay the £8,000 fee to push the deal through. "Mansfield wanted the deal to go through and they agreed to pay this fee," he said. "Keith Haslam gave oral confirmation that the deal had been done, written conformation was given the following day and then the player signed the contracts. "All parties agreed to this deal and my client cannot understand why they have not been paid. It is inconceivable that World in Motion would do this work for nothing." He also told the court how Mansfield Town had swindled his client out of a £4,000 fee for negotiations carried about between the club and Barker in 2006. Giving evidence, Andy Evans, a director at World in Motion –– which had represented Barker for more than eight years –– told the court he had never agreed to the deal. "There is no way I would agree to a deal which meant I would only get paid if Richie Barker was still at the club," he said. "I knew Mansfield Town would be in a much stronger negotiating position if the player was on a longer contract. I knew they would try to sell him and that is exactly what happened two months later." But Mark Diggle, representing Stags, told the hearing the contract for the 2006 contract negotiations clearly stated the agency would not be paid if the striker was no longer at the club on set dates. He said: "The contract said he would take £2,000 on 1st June 2007 followed by another £2,000 on 1st October 2007, if he was still a Mansfield Town player. "You entered a legally binding contract which you agreed to. You trained as a lawyer and you know what signing a contract means. "When the transfer of Barker was first suggested in October 2006, Mansfield Town refused to pay the fee and this was a stumbling block in the deal. This was also the case when the deal went through in January 2007." The case continues. --------------- Barker issues rallying call to Stags fans CHAD.co.uk, by Stephen Thirkill, 20 Jun 2008 FORMER Stags' favourite Richie Barker is calling on the club's fans to get behind their side as they prepare for their first season outside the Football League. Prolific Barker, who was transferred to Hartlepool United for £100,000 in January 2007, still takes a keen interest in the goings on at Field Mill and says the club's supporters have a key role to play as they adjust to life in the Blue Square Premier. http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Barker-issues-rallying-call-to.4206370.jp Speaking exclusively to Chad, the goal-king said: "I still keep an eye out on the club and their result is the first one that I look for. I still keep in touch with players like Jake Buxton and Matt Hamshaw. "It was very disappointing to see them go down. I think it was something that was going to happen in the long-term because the club had been on a downward spiral. "It is hard to say just why relegation happened. Over the last few years they have had a 20 goal a season striker in myself and Mickey Boulding so that cannot be a factor. Something is just not right at the club and they paid the price." And Barker, who was the leading scorer and club captain at the time of his transfer, is now urging the Field Mill faithful to rally behind their team. Said Barker: "The Blue Square is a hard division to get out of and the first season is the best chance to get promoted. It took Exeter a long time and teams like Oxford and Cambridge are still finding it hard. "Mansfield will be an attractive proposition to the smaller clubs in the division, the lesser clubs will fancy playing at a good ground like Field Mill and Mansfield will need to battle and be competitive. "It is important that the rot stops and that Mansfield Town move forward. The fans have a key part to play and it is really important that they turn up in big numbers to cheer the side on and help take their team forward. "More fans will mean more money for the club and allow them to attract better players and pay more in wages." --------- Former Stags midfielder John Doolan has been appointed assistant-manager at Southport. --------- |
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