[tricey]

When the Archipelago League was first conceived it was by no means certain that the country would take to the concept. The players were signed mostly to deals that would pay as they played, with no guarantees at all. Initially there was a gentleman's agreement in place that a player could not be bought with a promise of a higher salary by another team unless the original team gave up their interest in the player. However, free agency and clubs rights to the players were by no means established by the rules of the league.

However, once the first season was over and some clubs could demonstrate a return to their investors, new investment came in to many of the teams. The aim of the new money was to bring an ever more attractive playing squad to the fans in their city and, naturally enough, to win.

There was no great surprise when jealous owners with the banks' cash in their pockets immediately began to raid the top clubs. Farnborough were particularly vulnerable. Josh Ambrogiani's tirades and angry reaction to the Aviators' final defeat meant that many players were glad of the opportunity to play in another city. All Star and Silver Slugger Louis Stanworth was the major off-season signing, agreeing a 6 year contract with the Finsbury Park Metropolitans to move to the northern St Georges League.

Ambrogiani called out Stanworth in the press the very next day, accusing him of treachery and casting doubt on Stanworth's professionalism during the closing days, without foundation.

If it was intended to discourage other stars from leaving, it failed. Responding to their neighbours in Finsbury Park, Highbury signed third baseman Aidan Scobie to a 4 year contract right from under the nose of Ambrogiani.

The Farnborough owner again called in the newspapers, naming the owners of the St Georges League team as 'pirates and thieves', later denouncing them as 'damn fools, gambling with money they may never earn'. As for Stanworth and Scobie he simply called them the 'dumbest players on the team, dumb enough to believe those pirates will ever pay them a penny'.

Two weeks later Ambrogiani changed his tune, embracing the piracy movement himself as he introduced former Reading Royals' first baseman Jonathan Lacroix to the journalists gathered at Cherry Wood Road. The All Star, Silver Slugger and Golden Glove winner was a pivotal player in tormenting the Aviators in the final series and throughout the season. In June he had hit a grand slam in Farnborough.

There was a problem with the Aviators owner's plan. Lacroix was 33, had bad knees despite a great eye and power, and the high salary he was being paid perhaps owed as much to Ambrogiani's competitive desire as it did to his true value on the baseball diamond.

In turn the Royals upgraded their rotation by signing All Star Finley Broomfield from the Ealing Stars. He was the major signing amongst pitchers, and came in response to the Stars' having signed former Royal Josh Crosby to a 5 year deal, despite his 30 years of age. Crosby was undoubtedly an ace, but only Gareth Pengilly's own Star newspaper believed he was what was needed to put the Lammas County team over the edge and make them competitive.