LONDON, September 17- The Football Association has drawn up a proposal which would see the number of non-EU players within English football reduced by as much as 50 per cent.
The governing body have drawn up a list of proposed changes to the current system in a bid to increase the size and quality of the pool of talent in England.
The list has been sent to the Premier League, the Football League and the players’ and managers’ unions, with a view to implementing the changes in time for the 2015-16 season.
The FA believe the changes will greatly increase the country’s chances of success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Football Association’s suggested changes:
Restricting GBE visa applications to Premier League clubs only. Currently Football League clubs can also apply and, in the past four years, 23 applications from Football League clubs have been successful.
Preventing players brought to Britain through the GBE visa system from being loaned out to other clubs.
Reducing the list of countries from which players can apply for GBE visas based on international playing record, from the current 70 top Fifa-ranked countries to the top 50.
Easing – from 75% to 30% – the percentage of competitive international matches that players from countries with FIFA ranking in the top 30 must have played in the past two years.
Introducing a transfer fee exemption to deliver GBE for elite players from any country, irrespective of Fifa ranking, if the transfer fee exceeds a minimum indexed figure, initially proposed to be £10m or £15m.
Scaling back the appeals system so that clubs may only appeal on the basis of incorrect process.
In the past appeal tribunals have been required to make subjective judgments on ability, which, it has been claimed, has resulted in nearly 80% of all appeals being successful after failing to meet the initial criteria.