Saturday 9 September 2017 10:58, UK
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has explained his reasons for voting against the early closure of next summer’s transfer window.
Fourteen Premier League clubs voted to close next summer's transfer window a day before the start of the 2018-19 season, with five - including both Manchester clubs and Crystal Palace - voting against the amendment.
Writing in The Times on Saturday, Parish raised a variety of concerns about closing the window early, including a potential over-reliance on agents if there is not much time left to do a deal and clubs' lack sufficient knowledge about a player.
Parish added: "The World Cup [in Russia next summer] will end four weeks before the start of the new season so that is a very short time to get your squad sorted out.
"I also like to be able to make decisions after watching the team play in a couple of matches, because it allows you to identify gaps and weaknesses.
"It could also put us at a disadvantage to the rest of Europe. If I was France I would deliberately make my window close a week later because I'd know we'd have a week where we can buy players but the clubs in England can't."
Watford and Swansea also voted against the amendment, while Burnley abstained from the vote.
Parish is happy to see how things pan out following the change but says clubs will not shy away from reopening the debate if the new system proves ineffective.
"The Premier League is a collective and 14 votes is a decent majority," Parish added.
"It may be in a year that I say it's a million times better, but if it doesn't work then we'll raise it again."
