Frustration over permits

ILIE DUMITRESCU and Marc Hottiger face further frustration over their work permit appeals, as does Tottenham manager Gerry Francis who wants to strengthen his squad.

A meeting of football's top brass with British Department for Education, and Employment officials to discuss rule changes broke up at lunchtime yesterday.

The meeting at Lytham St Annes had been called by junior Education and Employment minister Cheryl Gillan and was attended by the Football League, the Professional Footballers Association, the Football Association and the Premier League.

The Department said: "The department today had a useful first meeting to begin discussions. Further meetings are to be held with the football bodies and it is hoped to complete the round of discussions shortly.

"This will enable the Minister to take a decision about the criteria to be applied in the future transfer of work permits between clubs."

West Ham are hoping their £1.5 million purchase of Romanian international Dumitrescu from Tottenham will eventually be cleared.

Francis is anxious to get his hands on some cash and has agreed to let midfielder Darren Caskey talk to Reading over a possible £700,000 move.

The Dumitrescu business continues to frustrate him, however, and Francis said yesterday: "We are still waiting to hear what is happening. We are always looking to strengthen and if I can do something within a price range I will. It would help if we knew what was happening about Dumitrescu.

Everton are waiting to complete a £700,000 deal with Newcastle for Swiss international Hottiger.

Both have been training with their new clubs but were originally refused new work permits. They had not appeared in 75 per cent of games, although they met the criteria of playing 75 per cent of matches for their countries. It is those aspects which were under discussion yesterday.

The PFA are in an awkward situation because they are determined to protect the emergence of young English players in the face a foreign `invasion'.

But Dumitrescu and Hottiger are both PFA members and Everton manager Joe Royle has already questioned whether they are being stopped from working by their own union.