Blackie called up for squad, confirmed.

Some people on here don't half like kidding themselves.

We are kind of forgetting that Black has agreed and formally signed a contract to play for another club next season.

Black hasn't formally signed anything to do with a contract with Hearts, he is not able to as he is still under contract with ICT. What he has done is said that he will sign a contract for Hearts when his current contract runs out with ICT. However, the pre-contract agreement is not actually legally binding, and he could re-sign for ICT if he wanted to.

"Ian Black today SIGNED a pre-contract agreement to join Heart of Midlothian Football Club at the end of this season."

Headline from the official site of Hearts at the time and he could have signed for whoever he wanted when he only has less than 6 months remaining on his ICT deal.

Edited May 9, 200917 yr by ajsict92

Butcher has said in an interview that the contract is not legally binding. We just don't know the text of it all.

Legal beagle Kingsmills, seems to think a pre-contract agreement is legally binding.

Meanwhile, Butcher has refused to rule out an 11th hour plea to keep Ian Black in Inverness - but only if and when SPL safety is assured.

Black has signed a precontract agreement to join Hearts in the summer but Butcher reckons nothing is written in stone.

Despite the midfielder insisting his future is at Tynecastle, Butcher said: "It's a fact that either the club or player can break pre-contract agreements.

"We've not really sat down with Ian and had a chat about it.

"That conversation will most likely be held later on, towards the end of the season, if and when we get our selves in to a safe position."

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/...86908-21191965/

whats the point in a pre-contract then? if the player can bin it, im sure the team probably could aswell?

its as good as a handshake probably!

They only exist so that people can raise the subject and argue it round in circles on football forums every couple of months.

I was told that Iain has been offered ?3000 a week at Hearts. He would stay for around ?2500 but the club couldn't commit to that before Butcher came along.

Is a pre-contract not an agreement that, if you leave your present club you will give us first option and not talk to others. I think you can change your mind and stay with your existing club. Not certain of that though.

Ok - pack it in - Gillian and I had a love child and we want him to stay. Shurely the older posters must have seen the likeness to my style when I was a top footballer?

I think I saw the exact likeness, you use the same basin to shape your haircut.

If it is not legally-binding then why is it referred-to as "a contract" ?

Look up the definition of a contract --basically it is an offer requiring an acceptance.If it is not in writing then there must be valid witnesses to the agreement validated by some form of attestation( e.g. Notarised); but if in writing the signatories to it must be witnessed by certain specifically designated types--e.g. a Citizen of the realm-- it must be dated and requires the signatures of the offerer and the acceptor and contain the terms offered, or these terms changed to suit either party but with the specific changes initialled by both parties signifying acceptance.

Maybe there is a "get-out" clause in this case allowing either party to be released from the Agreement at will but that would sem to be a rather pointless exercise so it would appear , at first sight, that both parties are legally bound by this typw of agreement . Need to read the Terms though.

Edited May 9, 200917 yr by themann4thejob
sorted smiley

If it is not legally-binding then why is it referred-to as "a contract" ?

Maybe there is a "get-out" clause in this case allowing either party to be released from the Agreement at will but that would sem to be a rather pointless exercise so it would appear , at first sight, that both parties are legally bound by this typw of agreement . Need to read the Terms though.

The terms on agreements such as these aren't particularly long or drawn out....

There's not all that much space on the back of a fag packet!