In the mid nineties, as a very mature University student, my research for an assignment on the implications of European law on British life led me to a forthcoming hearing before the European Court of Justice of the case of Belgian footballer Jean-Marc Bosman. The case eventually led to an important decision on the free movement of labour and had a profound effect on the transfer of footballers within the EU. In 2003 the European Court of Justice ruling in favour of the Slovak handball player Maros Kolpak effectively extended the freedom of labour to any player from any nation which has an associate trading relationship with the EU. This has had a wide-ranging effect, especially in regard to English county cricket and British professional rugby.

Sport and the law used to be strangers, with sports being run according to their own rules and regulations. Problems and disputes, on or off the playing field, were settled by the appropriate governing body. This is no longer always so, as many disputes are resolved by court cases, affecting those who participate in or administer sport. Ian Hewitt, a sports law barrister and former Freshfields partner, as well as being a member of the management committee of the Wimbledon Championships and helping in the formation of the Premier League, has brought together some of the most important and readable cases in Sporting Justice — 101 Sporting Encounters with the Law (Sportsbooks). There is a star-studded cast. Eric Cantona’s kung-fu kick against the Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons, for example, led to a charge of criminal assault and a jail sentence of two weeks (later reduced to 120 hours of community service). Other on field reckless tackles and punches have resulted in convictions. Bruce Grobbelaar’s occasionally eccentric performance in goal for Liverpool resulted in an eight-week trial for match fixing. He was acquitted but the judge was less than complimentary about his behaviour. Elsewhere champion jockey Kieren Fallon was acquitted of corruption, and South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje found guilty of it. An amateur rugby referee who was successfully sued for allowing a scrum to collapse, injuring a player, and an upset Leicester soccer fan who sued a referee for shock suffered as a result of the official’s penalty decision in the last minute of extra time in an FA Cup tie, are examples of the not so famous involved when sport has rubbed up against the law.

Sport in civilised societies should be about playing by the rules and it is a shame that so many sports have been forced into the legal arena. Nevertheless the temptation to go down the legal route is fraught with danger. As the illustrious trio of Ian Botham, Allan Lamb and JPR Williams would ruefully agree, suing for libel is ruinously expensive if you don’t win.