Premiership - Transfer Talk: Heinze close to treacherous switch
There are a number of unwritten rules that should be respected in the modern game; give the ball back to the opposition if they have kicked it out; never refer to pre-Premiership football (it did not exist); and never criticise England captain John Terry, to name but a few.
But, as a cheeky, scamp-like Transfer Talk would have told you a few years ago, rules are there to be broken.
And Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze, with his touted move to Liverpool, is on the verge of breaking the biggest one of them all, which reads: if you are a Manchester United player, you do not sign directly for Liverpool. Simple.
Of course it has been done before, but not since 1964 when Phil Chisnall quit United and hopped on a bus to make the short journey down the East Lancs Road.
No doubt that even back then, Chisnall's actions were met with outcry at Old Trafford, and more widely across the city of Manchester. Not only is there a huge rivalry on the pitch between the two clubs, but the history between the two cities is acrimonious to say the least (Liverpool, a port city, have never got over the fact that Manchester stole all its trade with the development of the Manchester Ship Canal). That Chisnall was Manchester-born only made his defection worse.
At least Heinze has the excuse of not being Mancunian, and perhaps he can be forgiven for not realising the true significance of any potential move to Merseyside. But he should.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is thought to be willing to part with £5 million for the Argentine defender, who may have to buy out the rest of his contract with United to make the move to Anfield, as Alex Ferguson is reluctant to let him go to a Premiership rival.
Eurosport - Tue, 03 Jul 12:50:00 2007