Everyone insists scrapping transfer fees would mean chaos. But, in the first of two articles, Pierre Lanfranchi and  Matthew Taylor argue it might finally bring the industry up to date

Imagine football without transfer fees. Journalists, financial analysts and sports lawyers – not to mention directors, managers and players – have apparently been doing little else since the European Commission’s “shock” announcement that the present system of clubs profiting from the movement of players must come to an end. In Britain at least, predictions have tended towards the catastrophic: take away transfer fees and small clubs would die, top players would earn even more and all manner of chaos would ensue.

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Doug Everitt is a typical grey-haired accountant – and the chairman of Grimsby Town. Ian Rodwell takes a deeper look at the man who looks odds-on to oversee another relegation

Distinguishing features A typical, grey-haired, middle-aged accountant. Vice-chairman Bryan Huxford, who seems to think of himself as a local celebrity, has most of the contact with the media.

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The dispute over the steamlining of non-League football is producing more bad blood than solutions, reports Gary Boswell

Observers of politics will be familiar with the ambiguous answer from a minister who has not been involved in the policy changes on which he is being questioned. There is a dis­tinct feeling of such woollyheadedness in the current dispute over streamlining the Conference and its feeder leagues.

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Sacked Chelsea coach Gianluca Vialli will most likely continue his managerial career in England, not Italy, reports Filippo Ricci

What does the future hold for Gianluca Vialli after his sacking by Chelsea? He didn’t need an official coaching licence to work in Eng­land, though it will be mandatory in the future, but it is already compulsory in Italy and Vialli doesn’t yet have one.

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Sam Hammam's desperate bid to create another crazy gang may not be changing Cardiff City for the better, says Grahame Lloyd

Is Sam Hammam the saviour of Cardiff City or just a showman with a flair for self-publicity? Post-Wimbledon, Hammam was desperate to become involved in football again. He picked up his new club for the bargain base­ment price of just over £3 million in August and was wel­comed with open arms by supporters. Eye­brows were raised, however, when Ham­­mam suggested City should change their colours from blue to green and their name to Cardiff Celts. The bluebird symbol would be replaced by a Celtic cross and the club would come to represent Wales.

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