Football Dynasty-Chapter 62: Hectic transfer window

The 1992–93 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.

This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League, which replaced Division One of the Football League as the top league in England.

The competition format remained the same: every team in the Premier League played each other twice during the season, once away and once at home, earning three points for a win and one for a draw.

Only the pyramid competition structure changed. The Premier League was formed as a limited company, with its clubs resigning from the English Football League to create a new entity.

As a result, the English Football League no longer governed the top tier. The old Division Two was now called the First Division, the old Division Three became the Second Division, and the old Division Four was now the Third Division.

League Structure After the Change:

FA Premier League → 1st tier

First Division → 2nd tier

Second Division → 3rd tier

Third Division → 4th tier

At the start of the 1992/93 season, Richard was very busy.

Almost all the players under him were making waves—either requesting transfers or attracting massive bids from other clubs.

Blackburn Rovers made a bid for Alan Shearer, offering Southampton a record-breaking £3.5 million for an English player, plus David Speedie as part of the exchange.

This transfer also marked the first time Richard's third-party ownership scheme was put into action.

This was possible because, from the beginning, Richard had invested in Alan Shearer, covering expenses like training and accommodation. In return, Alan agreed that Richard would be entitled to a percentage of the his future transfer fee.

After the deal was completed, Richard hugged Alan and whispered, "Good luck on your journey."

"Thank you," Alan replied gratefully.

After Alan Shearer's transfer was completed, Richard's focus shifted to the duo of Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino from Millwall.

In the previous season, even though people doubted their ability to replicate their record-breaking goal tally from the Second Division, they managed to silence the skeptics. Cascarino still scored 12 goals, while Sheringham impressed with 21 goals.

Aston Villa made a £1.1 million bid for Tony Cascarino, while Nottingham Forest offered £2 million for Teddy Sheringham.

By this point, Cascarino had already proven himself as a capable top-flight striker, showing that he could compete at the highest level. Eager for a new challenge, he readily accepted the move.

At the same time, Richard's third-party ownership for Tony Cascarino was activated.

While Alan Shearer's case was based on an early investment, Cascarino's case was different—Richard had purchased his club contract when he was still a player at Gillingham, securing a stake in his future transfers.

The concept of "parking a player" came into effect in this scheme. Owning the contract allowed Richard, as the third-party owner, to maximize profits by placing Cascarino at Millwall until his value appreciated, enabling him to earn a percentage of the transfer fee.

As for Sheringham, just as Millwall was about to accept Nottingham Forest's £2 million bid, Tottenham Hotspur swooped in with a surprise counteroffer, outbidding Forest with a £2.1 million bid.

This last-minute move secured Sheringham's signature, making him a Spurs player instead. Tottenham wanted to fill the gap left in attack by Gary Lineker's departure during the close season.

Finally, the last player to request a transfer was Andy Cole.

After signing his first professional contract in 1989, Cole made just one league appearance for Arsenal, coming on as a substitute against Sheffield United. He also featured as a substitute in the 1991 Charity Shield against Tottenham Hotspur.

Two seasons, two appearances—both as a substitute. In that same season, anticipating Ian Wright's arrival, Arsenal loaned Cole to Fulham in the Third Division, where he managed to score three goals in 13 matches.

Now, if Richard followed the same trajectory, Cole would soon be loaned to a Second Division side, Bristol City. This was why he requested a transfer from Richard—he wanted more playing time and stability rather than staying at Arsenal.

Richard found himself in a difficult position until he decided to call Arsenal's George Graham and David Dein. He was already familiar with them from previous discussions regarding Ian Wright's transfer.

At first, Arsenal was reluctant to let a promising young talent leave so easily. However, Richard argued that Cole had very limited playing time, and with Ian Wright as Arsenal's current spearhead, his chances of breaking into the first team were even slimmer.

Of course, Richard also used his leverage with Ian Wright. During previous contract discussions, he had made a bet to change the contract duration from four years to two.

Now, he knew his decision was correct. It was time to discuss Ian Wright's contract extension with Arsenal.

After an impressive season where he became the league's top scorer, there was no way Arsenal would let him go, especially considering the fact that they only managed to finish fourth last season.

Right there on the spot, Ian Wright—initially surprised by the sudden contract talks—quickly realized that his contract was set to expire next season and hurriedly joined the discussion.

Richard successfully negotiated an increase from around £20,000 per year to £40,000 per year with a four-year duration, keeping the same terms and conditions. Ian was absolutely delighted with this..

Once Wright's deal was secured, the focus shifted to Andy Cole.

"I will buy out his contract. Name your price," Richard stated directly, catching Graham and Dein off guard.

"Are you sure?" Dein asked again, his brows slightly raised.

Richard nodded without hesitation. The discussion about Andy Cole continued, with both sides negotiating back and forth.

Arsenal knew they couldn't promise Cole regular playing time, but they also didn't want to let a talented young striker go for cheap. After some deliberation, they finally settled on a fee of £500,000.

After the discussion was complete, Richard shook hands with Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and manager George Graham.

Cole was soon notified by Richard that the deal had been finalized, and he quickly bid farewell to his teammates at Arsenal before following Richard to Bristol City.

Vroom-vroom... click, the gear shift followed by a deep whoooosh as the car surged forward, effortlessly devouring the road beneath it.

The whiiiiine of the turbocharged engine echoed in the morning air, while the deep rummmmble of the exhaust reverberated through the streets.

Inside Richard's new Porsche, Cole couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he watched the buildings blur by. He couldn't help but think, 'I wish I had a car like this.'

The high-pitched whine of the RPMs climbing was like music to their ears as the car sliced through the empty streets—crisp, raw, and exhilarating.

The engine's powerful hum seemed to be the only thing that mattered, propelling Richard closer to his destination: Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City.

Finally, they approached Bristol, Richard gradually slowed the car. He glanced at his watch and smiled with satisfaction.

"How was it? Two hours and ten minutes. This is my first time driving this car out of London, you know?"

As they neared a red light, Richard eased off the accelerator, and the car settled into a steady rhythmic thrum-thrum, a sound that almost made Richard feel a rush of excitement, a sensation as intense as an orgasm.

'When will I be able to get a car like this?'

Cole didn't answer, but from the moment they started the drive, he couldn't help but grip the leather dashboard, rubbing it gently like it was some kind of rare artifact. It was almost as if he didn't want to reach Bristol at all; he just wanted to stay in the car forever.

"Hahaha, don't worry. Just be patient. Probably in a year or two, you'll have your own Porsche."

"Really?"

"Of course," Richard said with a confident smile. 'You're kidding me, right?' Richard laughed inwardly.

This is Andy Cole we're talking about—the player famous for his trademark Cole turn, a quick change of direction that leaves defenders flat-footed. How could he not believe in him?

"I'm willing to accept your offer, then." Cole said decisively.

"You sure?" Richard asked once again, but he already saw Cole picking up the pen and signing the new contract he had given him.

This was no ordinary contract—it was part of the Third-party ownership agreement, where Richard would own 20% of Cole's economic rights.

Cole believed in himself, but he also trusted Richard. Richard had decisively purchased his contract for £500,000 and, without hesitation, took him all the way from Highbury, London, to Bristol.

In fact, Bristol City had already contacted Arsenal regarding Andy Cole's availability and were prepared to accept him. However, Richard's decision to purchase Andy Cole's contract came as a surprise.

Without further notice, Bristol City was left in the dark. Richard knew that making a strong first impression was crucial, so he decided to head there personally and take control of the situation.

Michael Dennis Mills was the owner of Bristol City Football Club since 1985. However, the key operations and day-to-day activities were overseen by the club's Chief Executive, Colin Sexstone.

Sexston was shocked when he heard that Andy Cole's contract had been baught, but soon, a sense of relief followed because it meant they wouldn't have to pay a transfer fee.

Richard shook his head. "£25,000 if Bristol City manage to reach the Premier League next season and an extra £25,000 if he manages to become the top scorer. Also, if Cole manages to reach a total of 20 goals this season in all competitions, then an extra £25,000. As for the salary, we'll do the standard. How is it?"

Cole was shocked, as were Sexston and the club directors. "Ridiculous!" they wanted to reject it, but Sexton raised his hand to stop them from speaking.

"We will discuss it first," he said.

"Understood. We will stay here for a day. I hope that after two days, there will be some clarity," Richard said.

Bristol was really interested in Andy Cole, and Richard knew it, but he also knew that Arsenal wouldn't let him go cheaply, which is why they wanted a loan. His intervention here worked in their favor, as they didn't have to spend money to recruit him.

"£100,000?! Impossible. A young player like him, we don't even know his real capabilities!"

"But if he succeeds—"

"Impossible!"

Seeing the discussion was about to get heated, Sexston finally waved his hand. "First, it's a contribution-based payment, so there's still a way to avoid it. Plus, who would have thought a 22-year-old player would consistently play with an average rating above 7 per match?"

Another clause that Richard requested was, as long as Andy Cole's average rating is above 7, he must get more than 50 minutes of playing time at least, so there would be no reason for Bristol not to play Cole to avoid the contract.

"Moreover, there are still injuries and other factors. Actually, I think this deal is beneficial for us. What do you think?"

Only after Sexton explained did they suddenly realize there was some truth to what he said.

Back to Richard and any cool scenes.

In the hotel room, Cole pulled Richard aside and couldn't help but ask, "Why are there so many incentives you're asking for? The salary alone is already good enough."

Richard countered with a smile, "Didn't you say you wanted to buy a Porsche like mine?"

Cole finally realized and was touched by Richard's words. He promised himself that he would score as many goals as possible to make it happen.

The next day, the deal was finalized, and finally, Richard's busy day in this transfer market came to an end.

Alan Shearer – Blackburn Rovers moved from Southampton for £3.5 million.

Teddy Sheringham – Tottenham Hotspur moved from Millwall for £2.1 million.

Tony Cascarino – Aston Villa moved from Millwall for £1.1 million.

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Andy Cole – Newcastle moved from Arsenal for £1.75 million.