ALBION chairman Dick Knight is "puzzled" by the transfer fee for the club's former schoolboy star Michael Standing.

He has also attacked the year-long delay in resolving his great nephew's case.

The Argus exclusively revealed yesterday that the Seagulls will receive £250,000 if Standing plays 40 first-team games for Villa.

They will also rake in £25,000 if he wins an England under 21 cap, £100,000 for a full England cap plus 15 per cent of any sell-on.

The figures, decided by a Football League Appeals Committee, are much lower than the award for Villa's other ex-Albion schoolboy Gareth Barry.

The Seagulls pocketed a total of £550,000 once Barry made his 40th first team appearance earlier this season.

They will receive another £250,000 when Barry has played 60 games, £25,000 for an England under 21 cap, £200,000 for a full cap and 15 per cent of a sell-on.

Knight said: "I am puzzled that the tribunal have valued Michael's potential appearances in Villa's first team, and any future England caps, at only half those of Gareth Barry, when the players had the same period of coaching and youth development at Brighton.

"This case has proved that the football authorities must be more consistent and decisive in resolving compensation issues between clubs over young players, because of the unsettling effect on their careers.

"A year's delay before a verdict is announced is unacceptable. Premier League chairman Dave Richards shares my views on this and we will be involved in further top level talks.

"However, I'm delighted that we've at last got a decision on Michael. After watching England's lack of midfield creativity at Wembley on Wednesday I hope the settlement will give him the career boost to go on and fulfil his tremendous potential."

Barry's case provoked a bitter feud between Albion and Villa who refused to pay the £200,000 due when he made his 20th appearance last December, so the Premier League intervened by diverting their TV cash to the Seagulls.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.