Somehow stumbled across this, didn't know if anyone might find it interesting. I'm pretty sure 10years on a lot has changed since with how they deal with work permits.
Application by Southampton Football Club for a work permit for Imants Bleidilis
The Club submitted written evidence including testimonials from Gary Johnson, Latvian National Coach and Nils Johan Semb, National Coach of Norway. The Panel also considered oral evidence from Brian Truscott, Club Secretary, Dave Jones, Team Manager and Marian Pahars, current work permit player with Southampton and Latvian International.
Mr Truscott began by stating that, in the Club's view, the use of FIFA rankings to determine the quality of a player was flawed as there were a number of ways of interpreting the FIFA rankings which would give varying results in terms of an individual team's position. The Club had commissioned Leeds University to carry out a study of the way the FIFA rankings were collated and averaged out. A copy of this report was given to Panel members for information. The Club were informed that Overseas Labour Service would examine the information to ensure that the way the FIFA rankings are collated are fair and transparent. (We will seek expert opinion within the Department and advise the Minister of their recommendations.)
Dave Jones then explained the Club had originally sought to sign Mr Bleidilis last season when they signed his compatriot Marian Pahars but lacked the finance to do so. They judged Mr Bleidilis to be a player of similar quality to Mr Pahars who had been highly successful since his move to the UK and compared him to Andrei Kanchelskis who was a successful player with Manchester United, Everton and Rangers. Marian Pahars stated that Mr Bleidilis was a very skilful International colleague with more caps than himself. They felt they had to sign him now as other clubs in Europe had shown an interest. Marian Pahars' success had also proved to be a factor. Mr Jones explained that the Club had a comprehensive scouting system in place covering Clubs in all Divisions of the Football League in an effort to recognise talented players. He had attempted to sign a number of British players but the price had been prohibitive with many, in his opinion, grossly overpriced. This was a concern to the Panel members but John Bramall stated you could not control market forces. The Club were convinced that Mr Bleidilis was a skilful right winger who would be an immediate asset to a Club currently struggling near the foot of the Premier League.
John Bramall and John Young felt that Mr Bleidilis would not make a sufficient impact on the English game as he was, in their opinion, an addition to a squad rather than a genuinely gifted player in his own right. However, the rest of the Panel were convinced that Mr Bleidilis was a player of high quality, a regular Latvian International who at 28 was in his prime. Therefore on a majority decision it was recommended that a work permit be issued.
https://publications.parliament.uk/p...18/0021628.htm
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