DETAILS OF CLUB CONFERENCE AT CAFE ROYAL?LONDON, 27th March, 1950.
1. Major Keys having spoken, it seemed that the proposed Federation of Dir-
ectors had been discarded in favour of the present Conference, which Mr.
Drewry promised would be held at least once a year.
2. F.L. having weighed this, their suggestion was 2 extra in each division
of the 3rd, with the bottom club of each to be left out for one season.
Messrs Campbell and Pilkington (reps of the 2 sections) as were Ply {opposed}
mouth, Tottenham and Cardiff.
W. B. A. were against the number being increased at all.
3. Withdrawn by Tottenham.
4. After Sunderland; Everton; Barnsley and Wolves had spoken on this, the
wholesale feeling of the Clubs appeared to be against the alteration.
5. M/c City suggested (a) that a paragraph be added to Regulation 59, which
would enable a players wages and benefit service to be so arranged that s
service as a pro with non-League clubs should be reckoned. West Ham Utd.
added to this by suggesting the date of his registration with the F. A.
as a pro. This was favourably met with in general.
M/c City (b) asked for an amnesty as a remedy and continued
with the question of the acquiring; letting and even gifts of houses as
means of getting over the meaning of "Illegal Payments". On this subject,
W. B. A. spoke of a flying squad of accountants; W. H. U. of a standard book-
keeping system; Bradford P. A. of increased payments to loyal players;
Chelsea re bonuses paid on big matches; Wednesday, also on houses; Palace
on Directors signing covenants, and Wolves on the inducements offered of
jobs outside the game.
6. (a) Newcastle and Sunderland spoke on this and the suggestion was made
that seats should be increased to 1st Div - 35; 2nd division- 25 and
3rd Div - 10 each.
(b) Newcastle spoke on this whilst not being concerned over their treat-
ment this season. The President explained that Rio would be 4 weeks, and
each player was insured for £10,000 and not £6,000. All told this season
had claimed a total of 64 players from 32 different clubs.
? 7. General feeling rather favoured this.
8. Bradford elicited the fact from Mr. Drewry that this was being given
thought by the Management Committee.
9. President rather killed the idea that the League could form this Fund
which would need far more capital than they had at theuir disposal. He
referred to the extension of the League staff.
10. Noted that it was not legal to deduct from players' wages, amounts
granted to them by the National Insurance, but next season the Union, had
agreed to have a clause in agreements whereby these amounts would be
handed over to Clubs.
11. Liverpool brought up the allocation of Semi-final tickets; Everton the
idea of Semi-finals being played at Wembley; and Wolves the quality of refer-
eeing.
