$15,000 per goal. This info comes from SkySportsNews' piece on Stern 10/7/02. So that's why NF had to sell Stern to Birmingham for so little. Interesting info I think.
The base amount of the transfer was $2.5 million. The incentive amount I've read is $150,000 (not $15K) per goal after the 15th goal Stern John scores in a season for Nottingham Forest. When John reached 14 last year, Forest sat him on the bench until they could move him. I also seem to remember a clause in the contract requiring Forest to pay MLS a portion of any transfer fee rec'd by Forest for selling John. Stern John went to Birmingham on a free-transfer in February 2002. He could have scored, at most, another 10 goals if given proper playing time at Forest. MLS was "robbed" of $1.5 million dollars. I sure hope they filed a grievance with FIFA about this! Guess what, Ben Olsen won't be going to Nottingham Forest unless MLS gets a "full" (in John's case $4.0 million) transfer fee from them.
MLS was robbed, but let's not forget that (if your information is correct), as a result, Forest had to sacrifice their own promotion chances, which, had it been successful, would've helped their financial situation considerably (provided they didn't try to improve their squad).
Yes, but when your cashflow is as bad as theirs was (I believe they were losing roughly $150,000 per week), sometimes such measures are necessary.
You read wrong. NF had to pay MLS on the 15th goal, period, full stop. If you say it was $150K, I won't argue with you. But, my Lord, didn't your bulls*** detector at least wiggle? Why on earth would NF pay that much for EVERY GOAL? How on earth could that be worth it for NF? It's common for transfers to have balloon payments on appearances or goals. It may even happen for a team to pay per goal. But no way on God's green earth did NF promise $150K per goal after 15.
No, my bs detector didn't go crazy, because it is not to far fetched to believe. Back in 1999 when the transfer market was starting to peak, $150K per goal would've have been fine for Forest to agree upon. Forest never felt he would get a significant amount of goals past 15 to begin with. Come on, John was from "MLS", he'll develope into a fine striker, but not for another three or four years. After the first three years, when his contract expired, Forest wouldn't need to pay any incentives. John should have been worth $4-6 million back then, but MLS and an English First Division club couldn't come to terms on a transfer of that amount. For a First Division club to pay $4 million would be foolish, thus the incentives in the transfer deal. Remember this was the beginning (in 1999) of the inflated transfer market. Even First Division clubs felt they could handle high transfer fees, especially a club that wanted back in the EPL. However, Forest were so poorly managed, they almost went bust in 2000/2001. They were forced to sell Jermaine Jenas around the same time for, IIRC, $5 million and off-load other players at cut-rate prices to slash salaries. They had a lot of good players out on loan at the end of 2002, which could've helped the club get into the promotion playoff zone. If the amount was $15K per goal, after 15, or even a flat $150K once John reached 15, they could've have paid MLS those amounts easily with how they were cutting salaries at the time. That is was $150K per goal after 15 is what would've killed the club.
it was NOT NOT NOT $150K per goal. The payment was for the 15th goal. And even in that market, c'mon. $150K per GOAL?
In all fairness to NF they did sit Stern for two reasons. One was that Stern was going into international competition for T&T world cup qualifiers when he was on the verge of the 15 goal mark. Also when came back from qualifiers, John was injured and sat three games. Now I'm going to put good money on the fact the nottingham was sitting him so they could off load him and save the money as they were in a tough financial state.....however he did sit for what seemed to be reasonable exscuses.
That's not such an outrageous figure. A goal could easily be worth $150,000. Say he scored 35 goals. That isn't worth an extra $3 million? It might very well be worth it.