Ollie Slams FIFA Ruling

Last updated : 09 November 2004 By Mark O' Haire

Rangers manager Ian Holloway is furious with FIFA for plans to reform and restrict transfer movements for Football League clubs to parallel that of the Premiership transfer window- adopted last season for the first time.

Football League sides currently operate in the normal manner, enabling them to buy, sell or loan players at any point of the year until March (the transfer deadline).

But under new plans by the world's governing body, the Football League will adopt the same system as the Premiership, whereby clubs are allowed to conduct transfers only during the summer and in the January transfer window- from next season.

Ollie said:

"I think it's an absolutely crazy rule.

"I think they sit in their little glass houses and throw stones everywhere else.

"The rule as it stands now is killing us. Every time I ring a Premiership club, they are unwilling to loan players because they are trading in a market place that closes down for much of the season.

"I think it is ridiculous, and whoever invented it should have nothing to do with football."

Having been affected by the current transfer window, Ollie is also fearful of smaller clubs surviving in what would be a new financial era.

He added: "It will make smaller clubs suffer. What size of squad will you be able to have?

"It's absolutely ludicrous."