SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Not stealing Billy's thunder...
Looking through some legal cases for an unrelated work thing (rock-'n'-roll Sunday I know) and I stumbled across this, which I've never heard of before.
Man United appealled to the Court of Appeal over a previous decision to award AFCB part of a top-up fee from the Ted MacDougall transfer - spoiler alert: cherries win 2-1 - Obviously an omen for Wednesday.
Before my time - was this court case widely known at the time?
I can't link it because it's a paywall site but the decision is public record and is quite a funny discussion when legal people talk football.
Warning: long read so may only interest people who are already bored of reading leagal cases all day. There's apparently a 1,000 word limit so I'll have to do it in parts.
Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club and Co Ltd v Manchester United Football Club Ltd
1980 Court of Appeal
LORD DENNING MR
Football is a great industry in this country. Football clubs are like traders. They buy and sell their players. In this particular case, The Bournemouth Football Club sold one of their best players, Mr. Edward MacDougall, to Manchester United Football Club for about £200,000.£175,000 was paid. The remaining £25,000 was to be paid when Mr. MacDougall had scored 20 goals for Manchester United.
Mr. MacDougall did not score 20 goals for Manchester United. Yet the Bournemouth club claims to be entitled to the extre £25,000. Can they get it?
Mr. Edward MacDougall was a first-class player. Bournemouth were in the third division when he played for them. He scored 126 goals in 166 matches for them. In 1972Mr. O'Farrell, the manager of Manchester United, had his eye on Mr. MacDougall. As Manchester United were rather in the doldrums - they were in danger of being relagated to the second division - Mr. O'Farrell wanted to strengthen the Manchester United team. So he approached the Bournemouth club with a view to obtaining the services of Mr. Edward MacDougall. A round sum of £200,000 was agreed for the transfer, but Manchester United wanted to be sure of Mr. MacDougall's performance with them. So they put in a special clause under which they would pay £175,000 straight away but the extra £25,000 would only be paid after Mr. MacDougall had scored 20 goals.
I will not go into the oral conversations. A great deal of this case depends on he written contract dated the 27th September, 1972, which was signed both by the Bournemouth and the Manchester United clubs. It said:
"We hereby agree to the transfer of EDWARD JOHN MACDOUGALL from Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club to Manchester United Football Club for the gross fee of £194,445... the financial arrangements to be as follows:- 5% Levy to the Football League to be paid by Manchester United 5% Levy to the Player to be paid by Manchester United £100,000 to be paid to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. on completion of the registration of the Player £75,000 to be paid to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. on the 1st June 1973".
This is the important clause:
"It is further agreed that Manchester United F.C. will pay a further sum of £27,777 to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. when Edward MacDougall has scored 20 goals in first team competitive football for Manchester United, of which 5% will be paid to the Football League and 5% to the player by Manchester United F.C.". The extra 10% accounts for the excess over £25,000.
Mr. O'Farrell was the manager of the Manchester United Football Club at that time. He negotiated the agreement for Manchester United. Mr. MacDougall started playing for the club. All went well from October until December. He scored four goals in 11 matches. That was quite good going. He was what is called a "striker". He worked in parallel with Wyn Davies. They were the two "strikers". They both did quite well during the time that Mr. O'Farrell was the manager.
...
Looking through some legal cases for an unrelated work thing (rock-'n'-roll Sunday I know) and I stumbled across this, which I've never heard of before.
Man United appealled to the Court of Appeal over a previous decision to award AFCB part of a top-up fee from the Ted MacDougall transfer - spoiler alert: cherries win 2-1 - Obviously an omen for Wednesday.
Before my time - was this court case widely known at the time?
I can't link it because it's a paywall site but the decision is public record and is quite a funny discussion when legal people talk football.
Warning: long read so may only interest people who are already bored of reading leagal cases all day. There's apparently a 1,000 word limit so I'll have to do it in parts.
Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club and Co Ltd v Manchester United Football Club Ltd
1980 Court of Appeal
LORD DENNING MR
Football is a great industry in this country. Football clubs are like traders. They buy and sell their players. In this particular case, The Bournemouth Football Club sold one of their best players, Mr. Edward MacDougall, to Manchester United Football Club for about £200,000.£175,000 was paid. The remaining £25,000 was to be paid when Mr. MacDougall had scored 20 goals for Manchester United.
Mr. MacDougall did not score 20 goals for Manchester United. Yet the Bournemouth club claims to be entitled to the extre £25,000. Can they get it?
Mr. Edward MacDougall was a first-class player. Bournemouth were in the third division when he played for them. He scored 126 goals in 166 matches for them. In 1972Mr. O'Farrell, the manager of Manchester United, had his eye on Mr. MacDougall. As Manchester United were rather in the doldrums - they were in danger of being relagated to the second division - Mr. O'Farrell wanted to strengthen the Manchester United team. So he approached the Bournemouth club with a view to obtaining the services of Mr. Edward MacDougall. A round sum of £200,000 was agreed for the transfer, but Manchester United wanted to be sure of Mr. MacDougall's performance with them. So they put in a special clause under which they would pay £175,000 straight away but the extra £25,000 would only be paid after Mr. MacDougall had scored 20 goals.
I will not go into the oral conversations. A great deal of this case depends on he written contract dated the 27th September, 1972, which was signed both by the Bournemouth and the Manchester United clubs. It said:
"We hereby agree to the transfer of EDWARD JOHN MACDOUGALL from Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club to Manchester United Football Club for the gross fee of £194,445... the financial arrangements to be as follows:- 5% Levy to the Football League to be paid by Manchester United 5% Levy to the Player to be paid by Manchester United £100,000 to be paid to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. on completion of the registration of the Player £75,000 to be paid to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. on the 1st June 1973".
This is the important clause:
"It is further agreed that Manchester United F.C. will pay a further sum of £27,777 to Bournemouth & Boscombe F.C. when Edward MacDougall has scored 20 goals in first team competitive football for Manchester United, of which 5% will be paid to the Football League and 5% to the player by Manchester United F.C.". The extra 10% accounts for the excess over £25,000.
Mr. O'Farrell was the manager of the Manchester United Football Club at that time. He negotiated the agreement for Manchester United. Mr. MacDougall started playing for the club. All went well from October until December. He scored four goals in 11 matches. That was quite good going. He was what is called a "striker". He worked in parallel with Wyn Davies. They were the two "strikers". They both did quite well during the time that Mr. O'Farrell was the manager.
...