Top Stories

Red Bulls target has work permit denied

Long-rumored New York Red Bulls transfer target Luke Rodgers appeared set to join the Red Bulls before the April 15 close of the MLS transfer window, but now the move for the striker is in serious jeopardy.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Rogers had his application for a work permit denied because of a conviction for affray (fighting in public). The failed work permit application could kill a transfer move that seemed a foregone conclusion. Now it appears Rodgers may not be able to reunite with his former head coach, Hans Backe, before the close of the MLS transfer window.

Comments

  1. Isn’t there some provision of immigration law where athletes, artists etc, need to display special skill?

    Maybe the immigration people looked at his resume and simply decided he wasn’t good enough to come to the US 🙂

    Reply
  2. Hans Backe seems to know what he’s doing so far. If I was a Red Bull fan and heard that he wants this guy, I’d give him the benefit of the doubt…especially considering the lack of offense through the first two wins.

    Reply
  3. The fact that this young man can’t get a work permit is an true injustice.

    What’s the big deal? We all make mistakes.

    Who’s perfect?

    It’s like some of the people putting the guy down here never had multiple run ins with the law or haven’t caused serious physical injury to someone else.

    We all “hit some bumps” in the road.

    In the words of Two Live Crew’s Luke Skyywalker aka Uncle Luke (government name, Luther Campbell): These incidents seem like they were more “misunderstandments” than anything else.

    Reply
  4. Everything I read says that RBNY are in the market for a LM, but they aren’t pursuing Van den Berg and Pires apparently won’t come to NY if he does come. It makes me wonder if they have a trick up their sleeve or if they are just missing out completely on some no-brainer signings. If Rodgers did arrive with the club, as it stands he’d probably be working behind JPA, Mac, and Ibrahim…

    Reply
  5. I’m pretty sure Fischy is kidding. Mixing and matching “socialist” and “fascist” is below his pay grade. Plus he’s a DCU fan so I think he’s just mocking the Red Bulls.

    Reply
  6. “They get arrested and usually get a slap on the wrist.”

    Reminds me of Steven Gerrard’s affray charge. I’m a fan of the player, but still can’t there weren’t any consequences for that.

    You’re right: it’s a violent culture, no matter what the stats say.

    Reply
  7. Im glad the move fell through, maybe now the Red Bulls will finally bring van den berg back. A move that they should have made a long time ago.

    Reply
  8. I’m pretty happy about this. Not for football reasons. I’m an American living in the UK. Brawls break out in pubs here all the time. A large portion end up with a trip to the hospital with serious injuries. They get arrested and usually get a slap on the wrist. Now, he has consequences for his actions.

    Reply
  9. Here is his “rap” sheet (from Wiki):

    Rodgers was arrested in January 2002 after allegedly assaulting Hartlepool United defender Chris Westwood, having confronting the player in the Victoria Park car park.

    In April 2003, Rodgers was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service and pay £5,000 in compensation by Warwick Crown Court after a firework set by Rodgers misfired and hit a 16-year-old girl, causing significant damage to the girl’s face. The incident occurred outside the Spitfire Inn pub, Castle Bromwich in October 2002.

    Rodgers was given an ‘adult caution for a public order offence’ by the Somerset Police Force, after an incident in April 2009. On 1 October 2009, Rodgers was arrested and bailed in connection with a disturbance in the Nottingham city centre, following a drinking session with his Notts County teammates.

    Reply
  10. Yea I agree with Tokyo…which MLS players in League 2…I consider myself a pretty big soccer nerd and don’t read about players in League 2 haha…and comparing Blackburn a Premier League club to Notts County is pretty ridiculous.

    Reply
  11. Care to remind us of all of those players who left MLS to go to league 2 that we are considering for the national team?

    Even Notts County’s own fans weren’t happy with Rodgers and were happy to see him gone since he wasn’t good enough for the standard in league 1 when they get promoted. Everyone was always supportive and sorry to see Jozy/Howard/Bradley etc go.

    Its not about him being a League 2 player, its about him being a player that isn’t anything special and unneeded surplus at the forward position.

    Reply
  12. i agree John, i’d like to hear Blackburn fan’s reaction after signing Ryan Nelson from DC a while back. They chuckle at MLS not i can imagine what they thought of it back then

    Reply
  13. Just read up on him. Seems like it’s best if we don’t sing. Not a great strike rate and he makes Joey Barton look like an angel.

    Reply
  14. Everyone is hating on this guy for playing in League 2 but when MLS players go to League 2 we still have to read about them in Yanks Abroad and everyone follows them as possible national team players. I see a double standard. You think Villareal fans where excited that they spent 10 mil on a nobody like Jozy? Holden? Cooper? etc etc etc etc.

    Reply
  15. Nothing says he won’t be signed. I’m just hoping that since his move here before the 15th is in jeopardy that the interest in signing him will subside by the time the summer transfer window opens up. Hopefully by then the team is playing well, we’ve brought Agudelo/Chinn into the fold as forwards, and a DP forward is brought on.

    I think Rodgers was more of a stop gap, we can fit him in now so why don’t we give him a try kinda guy. I think by the time the summer comes around we will be on to bigger and better things (hopefully).

    Reply
  16. Fischy, you were kidding, right? Most developed countries, including England and the US, require work permits for foreign citizens and very few countries extend jobs to convicts from other lands. Perhaps Rogers should have applied for a starting pitcher position with Washington Nationals, didn’t they previously sign a Dominican player who had a fake identity and age records?

    Reply
  17. It’s meant to make sure that residents of said country get the first crack at jobs. It protects the citizens AND the economy at the same time. It’s not socialist at all, if anything it’s the opposite. Been a basic tenet of employment law and economics for decades, if not longer.

    Reply
  18. Rodgers not being able to be signed is the best news for the Redbulls since the new stadium was announced. This guy would have been a waste.

    Crossing my fingers that Redbull don’t have a good lawyer that can find a way around it.

    Reply
  19. What kind of fascist/socialist totalitarian lefty pinko state are we becoming where you need a permit to get a job, and you can’t even get it if you’ve been convicted of a crime??? No wonder all the illegal aliens here work illegally or in illegal enterprises.

    Too bad the Bulls don’t still play in Giants Stadium. They could probably have sneaked him in the country to play games there, and no one would have noticed…

    Reply
  20. I’m actually happy about this, we don’t need to sign a mediocre player from England’s fourth tier who is always getting arrested for violent criminal behavior.

    Reply
  21. He’s English so he needs no permit there, and another government has no say over a work permit here. He has a pretty extensive criminal record so this is no surprise.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Michael F. SBI Mafia Original Cancel reply