Premier League general secretary Mike Foster gives a behind the scenes look at transfer deadline day.
The deadline day deals for Robinho and Dimitar Berbatov generated huge excitement - and nowhere more than in the offices of the Premier League.
General secretary Mike Foster and his team were as much on tenterhooks as any of the supporters as midnight approached, waiting anxiously for the fax machine to burst into life with the two biggest deals ever done in this country.
Berbatov's signing for Manchester United may have been widely predicted in the press but Manchester City's capture of Robinho took the football world by surprise.
Both deals were believed to have topped the previous British transfer record paid for Rio Ferdinand and the dramatic transfers set fans talking across the globe - and especially in the Premier League offices.
intense workload
Staff there worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth registration of the two superstars along with a series of other signings which received equal care and attention in the frantic final minutes.
It meant an intense workload for the team but Foster admitted it was a huge thrill to be at the hub of such a major news story. He said: "I and four staff stayed in the office until around one o'clock in the morning which is fairly typical for a transfer deadline day.
"In terms of volume of work, this was not particularly different to any previous year. But certainly the value of the transfers was significantly up!
"And my own perception is that the amount of deals between 11.30pm and midnight was greater than I can remember. Normally you have one or two going through at the last minute but this time there were six or seven queuing up to send documents through.
"Most of the day was relatively quiet until the last couple of hours when both the workload and the excitement increased.
"The clubs are very good at keeping us in touch with what they are doing and how things are progressing so often we will have slightly more information than the media.
"But we still have Sky Sports News on - and sometimes they are telling us what is going on which all adds to the excitement. And there is a real buzz about the place.
"You do feel in the thick of things and there is an adrenaline rush when you see deals reportedly being done and then waiting for the fax machine to start up. You know you are playing a pivotal part in something which everyone is talking about.
"I don't think the Berbatov deal came as a big surprise to most fans - but it is fair to say when I woke up on Monday morning, I was not expecting Manchester City to be signing Robinho!
"With Sky following every move, there is a real air of excitement which demonstrates what a fantastic product we have at the moment and the volume of interest in the Barclays Premier League."
