LIKE the Sunderland greengrocer up before the beak this week for selling his apples and pears in pounds and ounces, football should also be able to blow a raspberry to the European Union bureacrats.

The on-going saga of a change in the transfer system is threatening to blight the game and now has FIFA and UEFA at loggerheads.

By all accounts world governing body FIFA were ready to let players leave their clubs regardless of contracts at just three months' notice.

Employment law governed by the EU suggestes similar freedom of movement for footballers in line with all other professions.

UEFA and the European Leagues have other ideas, however, and thought they would be working hand-in-hand with FIFA in persuading Brussels to see sense.

Compensation for clubs is a prime concern in the on-going wrangles -- but not the only one.

UEFA and the clubs rightly predict complete chaos if FIFA's plan is backed and players are free to leave on a whim.

And while the interests of players must always be paramount things have already swung far enough in their favour following the Bosman ruling to leave the present system alone.

The potential new rules would also leave players without a leg to stand on if clubs could cancel their contract following loss of form, injury or because someone better had just rolled up at the training ground.

In short, clubs, players and supporters, who wouldn't know who they'd be watching in their side from one month to the next, would all lose out.

Employment law might over-ride everything but European football and the Government has to do everything possible to retain the status quo -- and if that means severing links with UEFA so be it.

As it stands players under 24 command a fee to protect clubs who may have invested in their development. Beyond that out-of-contract players can go for nothing.

Everyone knows the score and plans accordingly and at various times clubs are winners and losers and plan their buying and selling strategies accordingly. In other words, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

FOR everything that's great about football some things defy belief.

And while every sympathy is due to cash-strapped Bury it sometimes makes you wonder whether some clubs deserve to survive.

How can a club that is reportedly losing £92,000 a week with debts of £4 million be allowed to buy a player for £3 million?

The only saving grace from the deal that Nottingham Forest completed in signing Ipswich's David Johnson is that the Shakers will get a windfall from a sell-on clause they included when selling the striker to Ipswich.

IS it just me or would anyone else like to see neither of the Williams sisters win the Australian Open title?

Winning with grace is as important as losing with dignity and it seems that neither of the supremely gifted pair currently have those traits in their game.

For a quality Sunday paper to describe their attitude when losing a recent doubles match to Martina Hingis and Monica Seles as "downright disgraceful," they must be doing something wrong.

If either Venus or Serena is to become a great champion they should take a leaf out of the book of another American superstar groomed for greatness from day one -- Tiger Woods.