Soccer: Uncertainty over Douglas signing

By TERRY MADDAFORD

All Whites and Carlton defender Sean Douglas trained with the Football Kingz yesterday but the club will not know until later today whether he can join them, possibly in time for tomorrow night's game against Parramatta Power at Ericsson Stadium.

Kingz general manager Chris Turner spoke to the club administrator appointed to look after financially stricken Carlton's affairs yesterday and formally confirmed that the Kingz were interested in Douglas.

"We will know on Thursday whether the club can still hold the players for seven days - until next Tuesday - in the hope someone will step in and clear up the financial mess," said Turner.

Any switch of clubs by Douglas would, however, have to get by a Soccer Australia rule which says any player must be registered with a new club not less than 48 hours before the game.

Douglas, clearly, would be unable to meet that criteria but Turner says Soccer Australia's board can change that ruling in "exceptional circumstances."

He said there had been interest in former Kingz, now Carlton, player Robbie Middleby by Wollongong Wolves but the Kingz, already with one of the largest squads in the league, had rejected approaches from All Whites midfielder Mark Atkinson.