Jan. 10, 2007 – Clint Dempsey granted work permit by UK Home Office

Today in NE Soccer History

Jan. 10, 2007 – Clint Dempsey granted work permit by UK Home Office

The Revolution collected 62 percent of Dempsey’s transfer fee, and put the money to use to start its academy. This deal also seemed fated to be the first of many moves involving Revolution players. Shalrie Joseph was being recruited by Celtic. Taylor Twellman would receive offers, the best a $3.5 million deal from Preston North End.

Unfortunately, there would be no more monetary transfers. The Revolution reached the 2007 MLS Cup final but failed to capitalize on potential increased value of players. Andy Dorman and Pat Noonan went to Europe on free transfers, as did Michael Parkhurst a year later. Danny Hernandez left for Mexico. Joe Franchino and Avery John departed.

Joseph stayed put. Inevitably, though, Joseph and Twellman, plus Steve Ralston, declined due to injuries. The Revolution declined rapidly after finding it difficult to replace so many quality performers through the MLS draft, and also failing in the transfer market after Dempsey’s move.

In my story for 1/11/2007 editions of The Boston Globe (below), Steve Nicol seemed optimistic about replacing the Revolution’s stars. That Nicol was unable to do so explains much about the Revolution’s inability to continue to set standards for MLS:

Clint “Deuce” Dempsey has officially become Major League Soccer’s all-time most valuable player.

Fulham FC offered a $4 million transfer fee for Dempsey, pending the approval of a work permit, which was granted by the UK Home Office yesterday. Dempsey, 23, who played three seasons with the Revolution, will be eligible for his Premiership debut for Fulham against West Ham United Saturday.

“It is a fantastic move and a great opportunity for him,” Revolution coach Steve Nicol said. “He has to adjust, obviously. He is going somewhere where the level is as high as you can get in the world. It’s a question of fine-tuning the stuff he has. He has everything, and as much as he was consistent here, it is going to be harder to be consistent there.”

Players from outside the European Union are required to have played in 75 percent of their national team games, but Fulham won an appeal for Dempsey from a Home Office tribunal. Dempsey has played in 23 US games since his international debut against Jamaica in Columbus in November 2004. Last year, Dempsey tied with the Revolution’s Taylor Twellman for the US scoring lead with four goals in nine of the team’s 13 games.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman has opened the doors for US players. Former MLS stars Carlos Bocanegra, Simon Elliott, and Brian McBride are on the Fulham roster, and Coleman recently attempted to add US central defender Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege in Belgium.

“Hopefully, he settles in quickly,” Nicol said of Dempsey. “The fact other Americans are there will help him.”

Nicol selected Dempsey in the ’04 MLS draft and placed him in the starting lineup in the second game of the season. Dempsey’s ability to run at defenders and his scoring instincts helped the Revolution become one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the league.

“One of the things that happened is that he has matured since he came to the team,” Nicol said. “With more experience, with more games, he learned when to pass the ball, and that is one of the biggest improvements in his game. He has to concentrate on doing all the things he is good at. If he does that, he will be fine.”

Fulham is 12^th in the Premier League with 27 points in 22 games. Dempsey received interest from Charlton Athletic of the Premier League after the World Cup. MLS refused other offers as high as $2 million for Dempsey in late August. Dempsey then had to wait until the reopening of the transfer window this month, by which time Fulham had increased the offer to surpass the previous MLS record transfer of $3.5 million by Nottingham Forest for Trinidad & Tobago striker Stern John in 2000. The record transfer for a US player is for Claudio Reyna, 4 million pounds (more than $6 million at the time), paid by Sunderland to Rangers in December 2001. Reyna was also transferred for 2 million pounds from Wolfsburg to Rangers in 1999 and for 2.5 million pounds from Sunderland to Manchester City in 2003.

The Revolution, who begin training camp Feb. 2, might have to replace Shalrie Joseph, who has received a $1 million transfer bid from Celtic FC.

“It’s not done and dusted yet,” Nicol said of the Joseph deal. “I’m sure we can replace them. You always have to remember that when one player comes out, it’s a chance for somebody else. That’s the way the game is. We are disappointed when we lose good players, but we will replace them, by hook or crook.”