Fulham row over £2m van der Sar payment
Fulham were today set for another long-running transfer row over a player bought by previous manager Jean Tigana.
The club have withheld £2million of a £7m fee agreed with Juventus for goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in August 2001 because they believe the price was too high.
Chairman Mohamed Fayed is also suspicious about other aspects of the deal but has been told to pay up by FIFA.
Fulham face an appeal hearing with world football's governing body as a result which is likely to be held on 29 February.
Earlier this month Fulham were ordered to pay the final £3.2m instalment plus around £1m in interest and legal costs over the £11.5m signing of Steve Marlet.
Fayed is set for a bitter High Court battle with Tigana. The club are suing the Frenchman, who was in charge at the club for almost three years from summer 2000, for allegedly persuading them to pay excessive transfer fees.
Tigana has issued a writ against them for £2.1m in share options he claims he is owed after being sacked last April and has already won an industrial tribunal case for unpaid wages.
Meanwhile, Fulham have called in a motivation expert once likened to a bow-tied nutty professor to inspire players and staff. Watt Nicoll, who has previously worked with the England team, Manchester City and Everton, was brought in by assistant manager Steve Kean and has worked with academy players, club staff and the first team this season. He has been described as being an eccentric cross between Billy Connolly and Santa Claus.
The Scot received a mixed reception when he worked for England under Kevin Keegan in 1999. Even though he helped in the build-up to a 3-1 win against Poland, he was ditched after one game. But the Fulham players have found him useful to have around.
Captain Lee Clark said: "He has been working with the younger players in the academy for a while, helping them try to make the step up."
Watt uses a range of methods, including jokes, to help people focus on their goals. He picked up his techniques in the US and has released several records and a book about his work called Twisted Knickers And Stolen Scones.
