"Shut The Window!!" A familiar cry in offices throughout the country at this time of year. Some people are too hot, others too cold. Colleagues are falling out, harrassment cases are being brought. But who benefits from the window being there in the first place?
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The analogy works well for the Transfer Window in the Football League. The window is about to be shut, people are falling out over why it hasn't been used, what players have we signed, not enough, too many? Managers are watching the arguments and the gatherings of people around heaters and open windows and wondering why do we have a window in the first place. Without it there would be far less disruption in the workplace.
The Bristol City manager, Gary Johnson, has been outspoken in his criticism of the system and has been widely reported as an opponent of transfer windows in both local and national press. It doesn't take much imagination to have a quick look on Google and find Johnson quoted time and time again. But then the journalism is hardly the most imaginative: -
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FORMER Yeovil Town boss Gary Johnson has described the January transfer window as a 'joke' - Yeovil Express
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson has slammed the transfer window system and the January madness pointing the finger of blame firmly in one direction - Rivals.net
An angry Bristol City manager Gary Johnson has branded the transfer window "ridiculous" and "a farce" - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
TRANSFER WINDOW IS A JOKE - GARY - bcfc.co.uk
Gary Johnson has labelled the transfer window a 'joke' following reports linking him with a move for Libor Dosek. - Sky Sports
Johnson slams transfer window -TeamTalk
Johnson said: "I don't dread the window but I think it is ridiculous because I have never ever spoken to one person who can tell me why it is any good or who it helps. - The Bristol Evening Post
"If you rounded up all the names of players being linked with clubs in the papers throughout January and looked at the end of the month at how many had gone through, it wouldn't be very many - Soccer365
Johnson rubbishes Dosek talk - itv.com
JOHNSON SLAMS TRANSFER WINDOW - sportinglife.com
He himself has been linked with many clubs as they have sacked their manager just to allow a new man a bit of time in the January sales to knock together a team.
So who does benefit? Well for a start, the same journalists that provide a voice for those opposed to it also add fuel to the fire with rumour and speculation about who is going where. Many a newspaper is sold on the strength of a back page headline. But they are not the only ones. The fans benefit because it keeps the debate fresh and intense. Nothing we like more than a bit of banter eh lads? But the key beneficiaries are the players representatives. The dreaded Agents.
A player can stand to make a fortune by picking to move to the right club at the right time. But the agents take their cut and many will represent several players. Taking their fee at every meeting and their slice of any deal, they must be raking in the cash at this time of year. Or (to get back to my analogy and make it an even more tenuous one) standing outside the office window collecting free stationery as it gets thrown out in the heat of the argument and then profiteering from the sale of their ill-gotten gains.
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Four years ago head of the PFA Gordon Taylor is quoted as saying "The Football League is rightly concerned that the present transfer arrangements have a detrimental effect on their income, while the Premier League believe they have had a stabilising effect on the game and are willing to abide by FIFA's rules. "The Football League is rightly concerned that the present transfer arrangements have a detrimental effect on their income, while the Premier League believe they have had a stabilising effect on the game and are willing to abide by FIFA's rules. Taylor showed he had no clout within FIFA, because here we are four years later and no further forward.
Perhaps I should use Gary Johnsons words to sum up. Quoted on the clubs official website bcfc.co.uk. Gary says the following: -
"It's why the transfer window is a joke. If you rounded up all the names of players being linked with clubs in the papers throughout January and looked at the end of the month at how many have gone through, it wouldn't be very many. Fans should realise that agents and clubs are using the media to drum up interest in their players."
"This can be unsettling for the players involved, but also for those at clubs who read the speculation and are worried when their team is linked to a player in their position. That kind of concern isn't conducive to playing good football, but that's unfortunately what the January transfer window does."
Read the official club article by clicking here
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