Heartening transfer news from Derry

The way things have been going recently you might think it's reasonable to assume that the meeting scheduled for the start of next month between 14 of Europe's richest clubs and FIFA is intended to present football's global authority with an opportunity to tell one continent's most prominent chairmen to catch themselves on. It is, of course, quite the opposite.

Clubs in Britain, Italy and elsewhere are unhappy with Sepp Blatter on a number of scores and intend telling him so. Friendly internationals, transfer rules and even under-age competitions are all expected to figure on the agenda.

The biggest clubs, however, aren't limiting themselves to changing the way the game is run at the top level. At grass roots there are deals struck almost every day of the week involving some world famous outfit and some virtually unheard of league or club.

Like UEFA, the minor leagues increasingly settle for whatever crumbs they can grab from the table while the weakness and ignorance of parents and teenagers is readily exploited by clubs whose interests increasingly revolve around ensuring that major shareholders, pension companies and the like, are well served and profits are maximised.

In the face of all this and the constant stream of young talent that crosses the water usually to be eaten up and spat out by the English clubs' youth development sections it was heartening to see news of Gerard Doherty's move last week from Derry City to Derby County.

Derry have been one of those National League clubs to most clearly identify their problems and one of those to most aggressively reorganise themselves in order to cope with them. Since winning the league a couple of seasons ago the club has released many of its more expensive players, primarily those who were travelling from the South and were therefore handing in hefty expenses bills.

Already the changes have meant opportunities for local youngsters.

The prospect of first team football has made them more likely to sign for the club, a positive approach towards their dealings with local junior clubs has helped gain their co-operation and the fact, in turn, that they are bringing through the best of the local players has meant that the Brandywell has become a place for the English to keep an eye on.

Three weeks ago manager Kevin Mahon confirmed his intention of building a new team around new talent when he signed Darren McCaul, Darren McCreadie and Doherty for the club on five-year professional deals and last week Doherty, a 17-year-old goalkeeper whose promise had long been recognised, was on his way again.

Doherty, like countless other teenagers around the country had had his fill of trials across the water, his most recent experience at a first division club had, he said, destroyed his confidence completely and as a result of that trip Mahon decided that City would no longer allow their younger players to go to English clubs for trial matches. If the clubs wanted to see the young lads play, he announced, let them come to the Brandywell and if there's no match, we'll stick one on for their benefit.

Derby came, watched and were impressed and after being refused permission to bring Doherty back for a game offered him a chance to take part in some coaching with them. Mahon and the player both agreed and Jim Smith was so impressed that he took the former Trojan Boys Club player along with the first team to Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago.

By the time Doherty returned home the bones of a deal had been agreed. Doherty, who actually saved a penalty on his debut for County's under-19s last Saturday, skips the nonsense of being a YTS trainee and arrives at County as a full-time professional while City get £30,000 up front with another £65,000 depending on how his career progresses.

The money is still small beer to a Premiership outfit but the fact remains that Grimsby Town's recent offer to Coleraine's 16-year-old Michael Rogan of £49.50 less £10 for digs with next to no fee to the club remains closer to the norm. Even so City, while they should have received more, have achieved something that clubs here find increasingly difficult to achieve from clubs across the water - a hint of fairness for themselves, the junior club they have links with (Trojan will get a percentage of the fee) and the player.

There are lessons here and not only for the league's other clubs, because if clubs here are to stand any real chance against organisations capable of pushing the likes of FIFA and UEFA around then the leadership is going to have to come from somewhere.

The appointment of Eoin Hand as Careers Guidance Officer by the FAI is a step in the right direction - although it is aimed primarily at tackling just one aspect of a difficult problem. But there is a good deal more fighting to be done and in the meantime fewer and fewer stories have the relatively happy outcomes, so far at least, of young Gerard Doherty's.