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Select Committee on Education and Employment Minutes of Evidence
Scottish Panel held on 21 December 1999 in Glasgow
SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE REVIEW PANEL
PANEL MEMBERS :
- Pat Stanton—Independent expert;
- Alex Taylor—Scottish Professional Footballers Association;
- Bob Crampsey—Independent expert;
- Iain Blair—Scottish Premier League Limited;
- Peter Donald—Scottish Football League;
- Willie Miller was scheduled to attend as an independent expert but was unable to do so due to illness.
(Celtic were represented by Kenny Dalglish and Jim Hone)
The Panel considered a wide range of evidence from the Club including a detailed written submission and a testimonial from the Brazilian National Coach.The Panel watched a video supplied by Celtic Football Club detailing the player's technical ability and took oral evidence from Kenny Dalglish, Director of Football and Jim Hone, a Club Director.
After watching the video the Panel were of the opinion that Rafael was a high quality player with a commanding presence, a good passer of the ball who could play equally well with either foot.
Taking evidence from the Club, the Panel asked the Celtic Manager to explain the background to the Club's efforts in securing Rafael's services. Mr Dalglish explained that Rafael would be the first Brazilian, the highest rated team in the world, to play in Scotland. This was seen as a major coup for the Club. He also stated that the player was keen to play for Celtic despite interest shown from a number of major European Clubs such as Bayern Munich, Juventus and Fiorentina. Rafael is seeking to establish himself as a regular in Brazil's National team prior to the next World Cup and sees the exposure he will get in Scotland as a major factor in these plans.
Mr Dalglish and Mr Hone then went on to explain in detail Celtic's youth policy, in particular the difficulties their Youth Academy was having in attracting and retaining young players with the qualities necessary to make a career in Professional Football at the highest level.
Celtic, even though they are a major force in Scotland, cannot compete with Clubs in England who have similar Youth Academies. This is a great concern to the Club. They need to be able to nurture home grown talent as it is not financially viable to continue to compete for players such as Rafael.
Despite these efforts it was noted that of the current Celtic squad of players only one had come through the Academy. The Club hoped that buying top quality international players in the short term would allow the Club to establish a position as a force in European Football which would then encourage youngsters to the Club.
The Club also explained that Rafael had German ancestry and had applied for a German passport which was expected to be issued within the next six months.
After considering all of the evidence the Panel unanimously agreed that Rafael was a player of the highest calibre and would make a significant contribution to the Scottish game.
Accordingly, they recommended that a work permit be issued.