Why did Dunfermline Athletic earn four-figure Uefa cash boost?
When the European Club Association (ECA) announced its record-breaking £191 million payouts this week, Dunfermline looked like an outlier in the cash distributed in Scotland.
A total of 13 Scottish clubs were rewarded through the organisation's Club Benefits Programme.
It is a scheme agreed between the ECA and Uefa to compensate clubs for international call-ups.
The other 12 teams on the list for Scotland are currently, or have been previously in the case of Livingston, Premiership outfits.
So, for the Pars to be included had some – staff at East End Park amongst them – scratching their heads.
The money – around £6,275 – is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things at a club with a seven-figure turnover.
It was certainly vastly overshadowed by the £880,000 taken in by Celtic, the £441,000 by Rangers or the £353,500 earned by Hearts.
So, why were Dunfermline included in the payouts?
Well, in short, the answer is former goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams.
The cash is handed out on a four-year cycle to clubs based on international call-ups for Uefa Nations League games, EURO finals and, on this occasion, for 2020-2024, EURO qualifiers.
For the Nations League matches and EURO qualifiers, clubs get €3,609 per player per game in which they made the match-day squad.
The Pars have received their four-figure windfall thanks to Fon Williams being included by Wales in their squad for the Nations League games in November 2020.
The 38-year-old, who is now the goalkeeping coach for Fleetwood Town, was recalled for the first time in three years for the matches against Stephen Kenny's Republic of Ireland and Finland and sat on the bench for both ties.
The ECA also gives payouts as part of an agreement with FIFA.
But, unfortunately for Dunfermline, it only covers players appearing at World Cup finals and not those involved in qualifiers.
The Pars had defender Vytas Gasputis involved regularly with Lithuania during his 11 months with the club from February 2021.
But that came during a World Cup cycle and his seven qualifying matches were not earners.
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