Robbie Fowler takes legal action against former club

Former England and Liverpool star Robbie Fowler has taken legal action against his former A League club the North Queensland Fury for damages over the termination of his contract.

Fowler, who has since signed a new deal with the Perth Glory, was one of seven former Fury players who had their contracts terminated following a corporate restructuring of the cash-strapped club earlier this year.

The legal action was launched by the players’ union, the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), on Fowler’s behalf against the Fury and Football Federation Australia (FFA).

The PFA said in a statement on Tuesday that the stance taken by the FFA and the Fury had left five players unemployed, three of whom were recovering from long-term injuries.

The PFA had negotiated settlements for six out of the seven sacked players, but was unable to reach an agreement for Fowler.

“The case is of fundamental importance to all A-League players, as it goes to the heart of the security of a player contract in the A-League,” PFA chief executive Brendan Schwab said.

The PFA has requested a hearing of the National Dispute Resolution Chamber.

Fowler said the A-League players felt strongly that all contracts needed to be protected whenever an A-League club was restructured.

“Players make career and lifestyle-changing decisions in reliance on the contracts they have signed,” Fowler said in a statement.

“Obviously, the game’s extensive efforts to attract the highest calibre of players into the competition are only as strong as the security of the contracts they sign.

“This case is not about the compensation, it is about ensuring contract security for all players in the A-League and more specifically for the players who have suffered from the way in which the FFA handled the player contracts.”