There is no doubt that football nurseries play an important part in the formation of thousands of children. As much as they can provide a place for children to mix in a fun and safe atmosphere, nurseries can also be a powerful educational tool. If properly run, they have the potential of instilling crucial values of sportsmanship, teamwork and discipline.
Having a thriving child football sector is also good for the sport, especially if nurseries up their game, provide qualified coaches and good facilities. Having such a set-up costs money and, with football clubs in this country hardly able to sustain themselves, it is understandable that administrators cling on to any source of income. This is the main reason why football nursery administrators are opposed to the removal of the compensation fee for the transfer of young players.
This fee represents the compensation a club has to pay when it poaches players. The fee applies to children aged 12 and older who are on the playing list of the club and the sum can run into several hundreds of euros. Unless the fee is paid, the departing youngster will not be able to play for any other club.
The problem is that receiving clubs are more often than not reluctant to pay the fee themselves and it is parents who end up footing the bill if they want to see their children continue playing football.
This situation was placed on the agenda again a few days ago when the Malta Football Players Association launched a petition calling for an end to what it has described as the “exploitation of children”. It argued that children were treated as financial commodities and this should stop.
The MFPA’s stand enjoys the support of Children’s Commissioner Pauline Miceli, who insisted such fees went against the children’s right to engage in recreational activities. It was symptomatic of a mindset that saw children as a means to an end, Ms Miceli argued.
Football administrators, especially of the smaller clubs, may argue that the fee represents just compensation for the resources devoted to nurturing the young footballers. But this argument seems to be missing the point that football nurseries already charge parents an annual fee.
Admittedly, the annual fees may not be enough to cover coaching salaries, investment in equipment and upgrading and maintenance of facilities. But, surely, a transfer compensation fee will not make such a difference… unless it is a substantial amount.
As football takes on a more professional mantra with growing aspirations for international success, nurseries must never lose sight of the fact that they are dealing with children. Denying children the opportunity to play with another club – for whatever reason – goes against the very spirit of the values they should be nurturing. That is why calls to eliminate the compensation fee structure for minors are justified.
Still, given the invaluable contribution of football nurseries, the Malta Football Association should step in with an aggressive funding programme to help clubs sustain their nurseries.
Over the years, the MFA has done a lot to improve facilities at club level and offered training courses for coaches. The efforts are commendable but it is evident that more has to be done.
In this respect, the MFA could set up a specific fund to part-finance the salary of nursery coaches and provide grants for continued investment in child development. In this way, child transfer fees would no longer need to be part of the equation of sustainability that clubs often find themselves juggling with.