El-Hadji Diouf takes his spittoon to Doncaster

El-Hadji Diouf will take his spittal to the circus that is fast becoming Doncaster Rovers. The South Yorkshire team have performed miracles to stay in the English 2nd tier, especially under Sean O'Driscoll, who was sacked when he refused to buy into his chairman's new transfer vision.

Donny chairman John Ryan's transfer policy includes getting in bed with agent Willie McKay, who has promised a generation game type of conveyor belt stuffed with out of work footballers and probably the odd teasmade and cuddly toy.

Already Pascal Chimbonda, Herita Ilunga and Chris Kirkland have dusted off their A-Z of English football clubs and found Doncaster on the map as Dean Saunders (like a puppet with a hand up his bottom) keeps a straight face and is told what to say.

The deal that McKay has struck is said to involve very little in wage expenditure and also a sell-on fee if the player is moved on to a (bigger) club whilst on loan or on a short-term contract at the Keepmoat. Saunders used the example thus:

"Let’s say, for example, we take a player from Marseille who’s looking to get in the Premiership. He will play for us in the ‘shop window’ and (if sold) we will get a percentage of his transfer fee. While he is here, we are not paying much of his wages and if that player is sold for £3m, we might get 40 per cent of the transfer fee."

The FA have approved Doncaster's 2-year arrangement so it is all above board and McKay, who lives around the corner from the ground is said to be paid £100-a-week for his services. McKay also has his 14-year old twin son's in Rovers academy.

We, at Charlton, have had more than our fair share of football mercenaries in recent years, including a client of McKay's Amdy Faye, and it is finally a joy to see young committed players mostly on longer term deals play in the red shirt.

Maybe it will work for Doncaster and John Ryan will see improved gates and Donny will survive amongst the big boys in the Championship, where one look at the table will tell you that more than ever it has become a Premiership B league.

With Real Madrid's Mahamadou Diarra apparently next in line to join McKay and Ryan's circus, hopefully for their supporters it will end more Cirque du Soleil than Ringlings!