Short-term deals may be outlawed

FOOTBALL clubs who only offer short-term deals to older players could be breaking the law under new legislation.

It has become part of the culture within the modern game that players are considered to be nearing the end of their career once they pass 30.

Arsenal are one Premiership club who have long adopted a policy of not offering more than a 12-month deal to their senior squad members, such as Dennis Bergkamp, which is then reviewed on an annual basis.

That stance has left manager Arsene Wenger at loggerheads with French midfielder Robert Pires, aged 32, who wants the security of a two-year deal.

Age discrimination will become unlawful on October 1, when Britain’s Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 come into force. And Richard Linskell, employment partner at Dawsons Solicitors in London, believes it is likely to be a wake-up call for all football clubs.