On Dec 7, 2008, at 4:21 PM, Thomas Dalton wrote:
Being signed for a big team isn't a big deal if you never play for them - there are plenty of players that are just there because they need someone as backup to the backups if lots of people end up injured. Those players aren't particularly notable. The "must have played competitively" clause is there to stop those players being included. So, the player in question isn't automatically notable by virtue of having been signed by Man U. However, he probably is notable independently of that due to the media coverage he has got. The specific notability guidelines for certain professions, etc., say "X is notable if ..." they do not say "X is notable if and only if ...". You can be an athlete and qualify for notability for some reason other than those mentioned on WP:ATHLETE.
I agree, but we have so Taylorized our deletion process that such subtleties are fantastically lost on the regulars. Have a look at the relevant DRV - it's a completely shocking mess of ignoring the specifics in favor of an automatic hard line.
-Phil