Blog: The Bosman ruling: Good or bad?

It is hard to name a footballer who has had a more significant effect on the modern game of football than Jean Marc Bosman.

Unfortunately it isn't for his silky skills or mesmerising goals, it is due to the court case that brought the enforcement of the freedom of movement for workers act.

In 1995, EU law upheld his plea for the act to include professional football and members of the European Union.

But has it been good or bad for football?

Ask most professional footballers and you will receive a resounding yes.

Due to the Bosman ruling, players since 1995 have held all the power in football, not only are they paid vast amounts of money, but they have the ability to negotiate deals outside of their contracts.

If we take a recent situation at Albion as an example we can explore the effects.

Zoltan Gera's contract had come to an end. The club had offered him a new contract, however due to no transfer fee having to be paid by any new prospective club his value raises.

It allows the player to negotiate an improved contract, with signing on fees being paid to the player, rather than a transfer fee being paid to his previous club.

It means more and more money goes into the pockets of players rather into the coffers of clubs.

You could argue that the money will eventually end up with players anyway.

On the flip side, you could argue that if clubs still received transfer fees, the money would go towards a reduction in ticket prices or towards buying new players.

It has had an even more damaging effect on smaller clubs, their fears of losing players for nothing at the end of their contracts has seen them accepting smaller transfer fees for their best players.

These clubs may have developed a player, paid him and given him the opportunity or stage to improve his profile, only for him to run down his contract and move on to bigger things.

It is another reason why we have witnessed the gap between the leagues increasing, aided and abetted by agents and the power of SKY TV.

Players would argue they have only received the same benefits that any other employee has but football is a different world.

Is it feasible to compare a Premier League footballer with someone who sweeps the floor in a warehouse?

The Bosman ruling also prohibited domestic football leagues in EU member states and also UEFA from imposing quotas on foreign players.

Another can of worms opened!

This ruling has seen the increase of players outside of the EU attempting to gain nationality with a European country through family history or length of residency.

Players like Deco (who chose Portuguese nationality rather than Brazilian) have realised by becoming European, his freedom of employment opportunities opens up considerably.

My feeling is that the enforcement of the Bosman ruling has only served to benefit two parts of football, players and their agents.