Angle Shooting In Football

I'm not happy about Cardiff City's "move" last week. They brought two players in on free transfers, decent players for this level (Neil Ardley and Michael Boulding). The following day they secured a loan from the PFA to pay the players' wages. That's all the players, not just the two new ones ! When this happens, the club in question is usually subject to a transfer embargo until the loan is paid back (as I understand it). But hey presto, "the following day" also happened to be transfer deadline day. After which no one can bring in any more players.

None of which is against the rules per se, but it leaves an unpleasant taste. I'm only personally aggravated because I tipped them to go down on here (but at least now I have an excuse if they stay up). Gillingham and Nottingham Forest, their main relegation rivals, are not happy at all and I don't blame them. Poker or football, I have no respect for those who shoot the angles. I'd be ashamed of myself if I made these moves in poker, and I'd be embarrassed if QPR pulled such a blatant moody in football.

31/3/05 Update Having had a skim through some message boards, there is another side to this. Cardiff are claiming that the loan is only for the previous month's wages (which don't include the two new players), and also that even with the two new players their overall wage bill has been decreased with the sale of Kavanagh. I might downgrade their actions from moody to cynical, if only in the timing. It still seems a bit sly though.