SPORT and Brexit, that’s a combination that I haven’t heard too much about. The conversation, quite rightly, has focused on the many other areas and in particular the economic impact on Scotland.
However, there will be implications for sport on so many different levels and along with other countless areas that will be affected by this, it is a great unknown.
One of the amazing benefits that a lot of sports have utilised to their extreme advantage was the Erasmus Fund. This fund, which was originally a student exchange programme, was established in 1987 and further expanded in 2014 to Erasmus Plus, which is a programme that combined all EU schemes for education, training, youth and sport. The fund was estimated at €14.7 billion with around £226 million of it invested into sport over the past seven years.
I know of many sports that have benefited from this fund and also many young athletes who have been able to spend some time abroad learning from our European neighbours and sharing good practice. Not only befitting their sporting knowledge but allowing them a social experience from a different culture. Coaches have acquired new skills and sports governance also had a place in this fund. In fact to be honest this fund has been a lifeline for many sports, once they got over the extremely complicated application process to register their organisation!
As we come to the end of a seven year cycle in 2021 it is imperative that an agreement is reached to ensure this funding can still be accessed, particularly given talk that The European Commission has proposed doubling the funding of Erasmus for the next cycle to €30bn.
One of the other unknowns is the movement of athletes between the UK and Europe.
Within football, the male transfer window just closed at the end of January and it may be that the summer window could offer the last chance, in particular for youth male players, to be transferred under the EU exception under Art 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. This will also affect the female side of the game at a time where some of the bigger clubs are looking to strengthen squads for the new professional set-up.
I have no doubt that for all sports Brexit could spell disaster.
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