At last the real explanation for fierce transfer market activity in political science. Nothing to do with research assessment, but a more traditional provoker of big-money transfers - football. The latest issue of PSA News reports that a Birmingham University departmental XI containing at least three recent signings have beaten Sheffield 3-2, fancy their chances of taking Sheffield's PSA 5-a-side crown in Glasgow next month and are expected to buy again before the return meeting after Easter. Any reports of visiting professors named Shearer should probably be taken extremely seriously.