Just hearing about big Sam's thing got me thinking.

The FA outlawed this in 2008 with FIFA following suit in 2015.

Going back, a couple of signings spring to mind that raised eyebrows at the time compared to where we were at financially, funnily enough it's probably only since 2008 that we see so much of the 'undisclosed fee' for a transfer.  Surely a 3rd party would want it known of the sums they paid to show their buying power?

Remember signings like Tony Cunningham, was it for £150k and 80k for Don Page in more or less in the same hit - how long ago was that!?

Also didn't we equal that and pay £150k for Lee Glover?

Maybe the 3rd party ban has really hit us, and other clubs hard - maybe that's the reason why we struggle even now in the transfer market.  Maybe R.Hull et al acted as 3rd Party Owners?, maybe Booth did? or other undisclosed people / entities? - it's all very interesting - a right old can of worms has been opened.  Maybe that's the reason when Booth put us up for sale, we were more expensive than QPR at the time, not only did we have club loans to the Booth family, but prospective owners would also have had to buy out the 3rd party ownership too?

Maybe one for the guys at the 'Tiser and Star to get digging around in?