IT may be a case of horses and bolted doors but at least the Football League are looking at dealing with the ludicrous loophole exploited so shamelessly by Leeds United and Boston United.

IT may be a case of horses and bolted doors but at least the Football League are looking at dealing with the ludicrous loophole exploited so shamelessly by Leeds United and Boston United.

The 10-point penalty, designed to stop clubs deliberately overspending to achieve success and then going into administration if they fail, is fundamentally a good idea but as I suggested earlier it should be put into effect at the end of March, when the transfer window is closed, and not after the last game of the season.

It would be all the sweeter if the league, and Leeds United's creditors, showed Ken Bates a red card too in his attempts to buy back the club he put into administration.

Although perfectly legal it seems reprehensible that so many people will lose out financially while Bates suns himself in Monaco or the Virgin Islands.

While few will be worried about HM Customs losing out on £5million, although we all should as taxpayers, it will once again be the small-businessmen like the butchers, bakers and booze merchants who get hurt the most. Hopefully a planned ambush by former Leeds director Simon Morris, who has launched a £10million bid to buy the club and build a new 50,000-seater stadium as part of a £400million “world-class leisure venue”, comes off.

The 29-year-old property entrepreneur was recently named among the top 10 richest people under 30 in Britain with a fortune estimated at £69m. He has tabled a £10m bid for the club and, if successful, says he will provide a further £25m to bring financial stability to Elland Road.

Moreover, Morris' lavish plans involve developing the land around Elland Road and building a new stadium as part of a multi-million pound entertainment complex.

SR Morris Group, who claim to be one of the fastest-growing property companies in the UK, say they plan to invest £400m in the scheme.

IT has been a busy day for the watchdogs of the game as the Premier League look to change their rules in the wake of Tim Howard's omission from the Everton side when beaten by Manchester United due to a gentlemen's agreement and replacement Iain Turner was responsible for at least one goal in the 4-2 defeat.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is considering a new rule to make it official that when players go on loan to another club and then sign a permanent deal they cannot play against their original club for the rest of that season.

Manchester United tried to insert a clause into the sale of Howard preventing the United States international playing against them but were blocked by the Premier League, who were furious but powerless when it was later revealed Everton had made an unwritten agreement not to pick him.

THE ever-popular Kevin Beattie could at last get the UEFA Cup medal he richly deserved with an on-line petition leading the way.

Beattie broke his arm in an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City the month before, which meant although he had played a big part in Ipswich reaching the final against AZ Alkmaar in 1981, he never received a medal.

That will change if Rob Finch, who wrote the latest Beattie life story, The Greatest Player England Never Had, gets his way. See the web address below.

Internet link: http://www.cultfigurepublishing.com/cult.html