Wigan Guilty of Breaking Rule U18 (Summary)

West Ham were found guilty of breaking Rule U18 because clauses existed in Tevez and Mascherano's contracts that allowed Joorabchian and partners to sell the players to other clubs in the January transfer window.

Wigan signed ex-Hearts player Andy Webster on September 4th and then loaned the player to Rangers in January.

Our contention is that Wigan signed Webster on a contract that had a clause in it allowing Rangers to take the player on loan in January. Wigan therefore broke Rule U18 and should be fined at least £5.5 million and/or have points deducted.

How do we know this? Well follow this sequence of events and make up your own mind.

1. Rangers kept trying to sign Hearts player Andy Webster

2. Hearts kept refusing to sell Webster to Rangers

3. Webster becomes the first player to invoke a FIFA-adopted EU law, enabling him to cancel his contract with Hearts in the third year of a four-year deal, with the proviso that he join a club in a foreign country.

4. In September Webster joins a team in another country - Wigan

5. Suddenly in January Webster is no longer good enough to play for a team struggling to avoid relegation and is loaned out by Wigan to Rangers (and we are betting never to return).

Clearly Wigan signed a player with a clause in his contract allowing him to then move on loan in January to another club.

Wigan therefore broke Rule U18.