City will find out on Monday if they have to pay £217,000 to Falkirk as the Mark Stewart saga reaches D-Day.
Director of operations David Baldwin and the club’s legal team fly out to Switzerland tomorrow for the appeal ruling that will end two years of wrangling.
Representatives from both clubs will attend the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne when a three-man judging panel deliver the final verdict.
It is the result of City’s appeal against FIFA’s order to award Falkirk 250,000 euros – approximately £217,000 – in training compensation for the striker, who made little impression during his short spell at Valley Parade.
It is unclear how the case CAS 2013/A/3303 will pan out but the hearing is expected to be dealt with in a day.
City have already shelled out significant legal costs in their bid to quash the Scottish club’s cash claim. They have always felt privately that the case for a challenge was strong.
Falkirk launched their compensation fight after City refused point blank to meet their £300,000 demand for Stewart in the summer of 2011. The Bantams claimed that he was a free agent and therefore they did not owe his former employers anything.
But Stewart, who was 23 at the time, was a product of Falkirk’s academy. According to FIFA regulations, that meant the Bairns were entitled to a fee for his development.
But the differing registration procedures in Scotland and England, coupled with Stewart’s birth date falling towards the end of June, created the confusion as to whether his contract was still valid at that point.
Stewart was signed by Peter Jackson on a two-year deal and came with a big reputation after topping the goal charts in the Scottish First Division.
Former chief scout Archie Christie raved about the capture and said at the time: “I’m confident Mark will be up there among the top scorers in the division.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he was in the top three.”
But Stewart failed to find the net once with City and started only eight times in 15 appearances. His stay, which was hampered by a broken toe, ended five months later when Phil Parkinson sent him back to Scotland on loan at Hamilton.
Stewart spent last season with Dundee and then went on trial with non-league Luton before joining Kilmarnock three months ago. He has played five games so far without getting off the mark.
Simon Csoka QC of Carmelite Chambers and Bradford firm Petherbridge Bassra, who have been representing City, are the same legal team that got them restored to last season’s FA Cup after being kicked out for fielding an ineligible player.
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