Richard Cramer gives his thoughts on Ossett United

Ossett United; it's not very often a non-league club will grab the headlines but a press statement was released on Sunday which has now found itself in the national news: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11864254/league-warns-clubs-about-historical-claims-from-injured-players . Clearly this is a worrying case for semi-professional players and clubs. I personally have been involved in a similar type of case involving a Rugby Union player, it eventually found its way to the Court Of Appeal: https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2008/689.html. The position is that an employer can be found what's known as vicariously liable for the acts of its players. Although I do not know the intricacies of this particular matter involving Ossett United, it would appear something is amiss by the fact that there are question marks on the appropriate insurance policy. There ought to be protection for all parties. The other danger is that if clubs do not have the appropriate insurance cover their overall existence comes into question. It could also leave players personally liable with their own assets and income open to enforcement. Clearly this case has highlighted a deficiency which needs addressing. __________________________________________________ Front Row Legal are a boutique law firm that specialises in Sport, Media and Business Law in England and Wales. They have specialist knowledge in these areas of law, which means they can help where many law firms won’t have the experience. They are based in Leeds with a national client base. frontrowlegal.com