WARRINGTON Town manager Paul Carden says it’s “absolutely scandalous” that two of his new signings have as yet been unable to play for their new club.
David Raven, a 33-year-old veteran of more than 300 games in the English and Scottish Football Leagues, and 26-year-old winger Jack Mackreth, both signed from Wrexham, have been forced to watch the Yellows’ opening two games as they wait for international clearance.
Despite Wrexham playing in the English football pyramid, their registrations must be passed and cleared from the Welsh FA to the English FA, and as yet, that has not all gone through.
After watching his team beat Lancaster 3-1 without them, Carden said: “I think it’s absolutely scandalous. How can it take so long?
“Dave’s clearance went in on July 30, how it can take so long to email one FA to the other and back to say there’s nothing outstanding is an absolute joke.
“We’ve been on the phone every single day, emailing every day to see where they’re up and all they say is we’re shifting through it.
“I believe the FA had two people off in the registration department which in the August window just shouldn’t happen, so the organisation of it is clearly the let down and what’s causing the issues.
“It’s affecting lads earning wages and it’s where it’s massively wrong.
“It’s clearly something that needs looking at. The Bosman ruling was a lot more complicated than this and it went to court. This is a restriction of people working and it’s wrong and something that needs sorting out quickly.
“It’s not just us, there are other clubs suffering from it, you get your lads working in pre-season and we’re still waiting for clearances, it’s just a joke.”
Carden was forced to name goalkeeping coach James Speare on the bench on Tuesday night to cover the absence of two players who he said would have more than likely started both games had they been available.
He added: “If their clearance was through, they’d start Saturday and I guarantee that’s a different outcome because we’ve had them for four or five games in pre-season.
“They don’t understand the importance of having players available, but not only that they don’t appreciate what lads are having to do because they’ve not been paid since May. That side of the issue is massively overlooked.
“Dave’s been on to them today and said listen I haven’t paid, is there any way you can rush it through for me because I won’t get paid this week if I’m not involved.
“It shouldn’t come to a lad pleading to clear himself to play football at any level.”
