BREAKING - George Hirst Gone

[Lichfield alien]

1 minute ago, vulva said:

Different subject, pointless argument. You are clearly now struggling. Anyone with half a brain can clearly see that this stinks. 

 

Maybe that's why you can't see it. 

It stinks..but there will have been a team of lawyers making sure everything is perfectly legal...Pearson and the hursts have done us over big time..but let’s not pretend it’s going to end up in court 

[@owlstalk]

18 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

Surely both parties are at fault for what it descended into.

Surely the Hirsts don't think the Belgian 2nd division is the best place for George to develop. Surely the fee that he would have cost to go direct to an English side would have been a relative drop in the ocean for Leicester so the need to screw us over wasn't really needed for them? Leaves a sour taste in the mouth. By not playing him all last season his potential tribunal fee had already decreased to our detriment. George had lost a year of competitive development and experience which would obviously have made their side feel staying with us was not an option but the PL clubs were still seemingly interested and would get him for a smaller cost, no need to put the boot in by doing it in this way.    

 

It's a right mess all around

If there's a personal issue between the chairman and the Hirst's then it explains why it's gone the way it has, but the chairman surely has a responsibility to not let this impact the club in the way it has?

[Sticky belly]

25 minutes ago, Animis said:

 

Here it is in full - fairly detailed in event's but not specific numbers as one would expect. It does appear that the relationship had broken down by the end of August 2017.I assume DC has been resigned to losing any value we had in GH for nearly a year. There was only compensation that we could have benefited from, but as people have said, even this was easily circumvented as has turned out to be the case.

 

4th December 2017

There is a lot of speculation about the situation of George Hirst. Could you provide supporters with an update from the club’s perspective?

 

My belief is that the majority of issues at a football club should be kept in-house but sometimes there is so much talk and speculation outside that we must tell our side of the story. A lot of rumour and continued untrue speculation can be damaging so we are left with no choice but to set the record straight. 

We have tried over and over again to negotiate to extend the contract of George Hirst but each offer has been turned down. We were categorically informed just before the closure of the transfer window in August 2017 that “George will not be signing a new deal at the club.”

Coincidentally, the notification that George would not be signing for SWFC came just over an hour after we had turned down an offer from a Premier League club for the permanent transfer of George’s registration. Of course, this made us wonder if there were talks taking place with regards to George’s future which we were not party to. Two other clubs had also showed an interest in the permanent transfer of George during the summer transfer window, one being a nearby rival in the Championship. 

Going right back to when George came through our academy, he did very well and fully earned his first professional contract which was arranged as soon as he was legally able to enter into a professional agreement. This contract runs until June 2018. Offering professional contracts to our young players not only recognises their achievements but also gives them an incentive to further progress on and off the pitch.

In George’s case, he signed and went on to do well for the Under-18s and Under-23s, scoring a lot of goals, so we wished to open discussions on a new, longer term contract prior to the transfer window in January 2017. Our offer broke our current salary structure for the Development Squad on a level never previously matched. We have policies in place to ensure continuity throughout the squad and fairness to all players at pre-first team level.

The reason we broke our structure was based on appreciation of the promising signs that George was showing and in recognition of his hard work and achievements for the Under-23s and England team at youth level. Our policy is based on basic salary but as with all development players is enhanced with bonuses subject to the player participating in first team matches. 

Our offer to George was declined by the player’s advisors and when we asked them to submit a proposal to us, we found they were requesting the basic salary of an established first team player at our club, plus completely unrealistic bonuses, clauses and add-ons. We therefore had no choice but to decline this proposal, not because of the money, but in the interests of fairness and squad morale.

Although negotiations were proving difficult I did not close the door because that is never my style as chairman. More discussions were held over a period of time and we increased our offer to make this contract by far the most lucrative of its kind in our club’s history. The decision was made that subject to George extending his contract with SWFC we would help source a loan move to a League One or League Two club to help him gain first team experience.

This is the best way that young players can develop and gain physical and mental strength, the gulf between Under-18s football and first team Championship football is enormous and such a jump could ultimately set a player back if they are not ready for the competition we face in the Championship. 

Of the numerous League One and Two clubs interested in potentially loaning George, even with our more realistic sums proposed in the contract offer, all but one were very quickly out of the running due to these clubs simply not being able to pay these levels of salary. The loan club remaining was itself willing to break their own wage structure to enable the temporary transfer but when George did not sign with SWFC the move could not materialise. We then received an unwelcome ultimatum from his agents insisting we sell George if a loan move was not forthcoming.

As a club, we respect every player’s right to choose his own career path, but I have to question the advice George has received from his agents and other advisors. I am not pleased with how they have conducted themselves throughout this process. Even now, we are still awaiting the courtesy of a reply to two separate communications, the second of which was sent over three weeks ago. We have simply asked for a meeting to discuss the situation and see if we can find some common ground to resolve this situation satisfactorily for all parties. Unfortunately, they are now unwilling to even talk.

We must channel our time, commitment and resource into those young players who want to prosper at Sheffield Wednesday. The whole situation involving George’s advisors has been disruptive, as was another party close to George who used unacceptable foul and abusive language to a senior member of our academy staff.

Regarding interest from other clubs in George, as previously stated, we did receive offers from the Premier League and another club nearby in the Championship in the most recent transfer windows. But these bids, on all levels, were not in the best interests of our club and were dismissed. In addition, agreeing to sell George, or any player, in these circumstances would send out the wrong message to all players in all age groups at Sheffield Wednesday.

As far as we are concerned, we have tried our best and we are disappointed but it seems there is little more we can do to keep George at Sheffield Wednesday. Ultimately, we are a team on and off the pitch, we all help each other. If we allow an agent or advisor to disturb what we have in place then they will be bigger than the club, which will never happen under my chairmanship.

We will provide a further update should there be any significant developments in due course.

 

Seems it was all about money, which is a shame. Looks like the young lad was badly advised by his agents and I dare say his dad, just chasing the cash and demanding unrealistic wages by the looks of it.

 

Compensation or no compensation I’m just pleased he’s gone now and good luck to trying to earn as much money as you can camp Hirst, even if it’s not in the best footballing interests of the player himself.

[BIG D]

2 minutes ago, Geoffrey said:

The subject is bending the rules. Those expressing the most outrage seem happy for us to do it.

Us?

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Sticky belly said:

 

Seems it was all about money, which is a shame. Looks like the young lad was badly advised by his agents

 

Depends how you look at it

Within 9 months George could have had a great experience in Belgium, a life changing time abroad, before moving to Leicester City on megabucks

[ChinaOwl]

2 minutes ago, Lichfield alien said:

It stinks..but there will have been a team of lawyers making sure everything is perfectly legal...Pearson and the hursts have done us over big time..but let’s not pretend it’s going to end up in court 

 

It could end up in court under one proviso. If it can be demonstrated that Leicester City deliberately manipulated the move to avoid payment of compensation and/or transfer fee, then the club could have a potential claim against LCFC. I am doubtful that will happen but there is always a possibility. 

[Lichfield alien]

Just now, @owlstalk said:

 

Depends how you look at it

Within 9 months George could have had a great experience in Belgium, a life changing time abroad, before moving to Leicester City on megabucks

Shacked up in ten bob provincial Belgium town is hardly ‘life changing’...Wundt surprise me if he’s at Leicester for pre season training...smug Pearson will be feeling really pleased with himself...has he always does

[Sonny]

1 minute ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Depends how you look at it

Within 9 months George could have had a great experience in Belgium, a life changing time abroad, before moving to Leicester City on megabucks

 

Or he could have just forgotten about shafting Wednesday, moved to Leicester on megabucks instead of the Belgian second division and got on with his career. What his priorities are and what they should be are gulfs apart.

[Guest Hillsborough Mole]

15 minutes ago, Ash76 said:

 

There’s still the question of who instigated the move, Leicester or the Hirst camp

 

Hirsty is persuasive but I doubt he can get a club to sign his lad if they don't want him

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Sonny said:

 

Or he could have just forgotten about shafting Wednesday, moved to Leicester on megabucks instead of the Belgian second division and got on with his career. What his priorities are and what they should be are gulfs apart.

 

 

Maybe they don't see it as shafting Wednesday but hitting the chairman with this one after freezing George out for almost a full season of youth games

[SiJ]

5 minutes ago, BIG D said:

Us?

Think he's withering on about the sponsorship thing again. 

[Lichfield alien]

1 minute ago, Sonny said:

 

Or he could have just forgotten about shafting Wednesday, moved to Leicester on megabucks instead of the Belgian second division and got on with his career. What his priorities are and what they should be are gulfs apart.

I’m sure it wasn’t George’s idea 

[SiJ]

Just now, Hillsborough Mole said:

 

Hirsty is persuasive but I doubt he can get a club to sign his lad if they don't want him

They want him; they just don't want to pay for him. 

[s73owl]

Is it acceptable to have a curry for Sunday dinner?

[@owlstalk]

Just now, SiJ said:

They want him; they just don't want to pay for him. 

 

Still don't agree that this was the case - especially when they placed a large bid for him in the first place

Don't think Leicester City conjured this one up to avoid paying for him

[Sonny]

Just now, @owlstalk said:

 

 

Maybe they don't see it as shafting Wednesday but hitting the chairman with this one after freezing George out for almost a full season of youth games

 

It’s the same thing - it’s a massive stretch to think that going to the Belgian second division is the best move for his career but that’s what George Hirst has chosen to do in order ‘hit the chairman’.

 

As I said, his priorities are so wide of what a footballer without any experience should be.

[@owlstalk]

Just now, Sonny said:

It’s the same thing - it’s a massive stretch to think that going to the Belgian second division is the best move for his career but that’s what George Hirst has chosen to do in order ‘hit the chairman’.

Either/Or
Potato/ Potaaaato

Surely the Chairman shouldn't have given the HIrst's any reason to do this in the first place?

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Depends how you look at it

Within 9 months George could have had a great experience in Belgium, a life changing time abroad, before moving to Leicester City on megabucks

 

Not so long ago he was being touted on here as the natural successor to his dad and his camp were bigging up the interest from Premier League clubs. It didn't look as though having a 'great experience' in the Belgian 2nd division would be part of his trajectory. 

[Sonny]

2 minutes ago, Lichfield alien said:

I’m sure it wasn’t George’s idea 

 

He’s an adult in an adults world. He can do what he likes and what he does is his decision. It’s all on him. His dad, his agents, moving to Belgium. It’s all on him.

[SiJ]

1 minute ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Still don't agree that this was the case - especially when they placed a large bid for him in the first place

Don't think Leicester City conjured this one up to avoid paying for him

Come on...

 

We all know what's going on here.

 

A situation has presented itself and they've worked out a beneficial situation for them.