New Ljungskile signing Colin Burns is now in the clear to suit up for the Allsvenskan risers after a regulation scrape nearly cost him his contract.

The netminder and his new club were able to convince the Swedish FA that he was working within the rules by signing up for the 2008 season.

While FIFA were in his corner on the matter, the domestic federation originally believed that Burns was not eligible to make the free transfer to Ljungskile because of a worldwide ban against playing for three teams in a single campaign.

"After I had negotiated my contract and signed, we discovered that there was a potential problem with my transfer," the former UMass keeper told American Soccer Daily. "FIFA has a rule that says you can only play for two clubs in one season. I had played for Sepsi 78 in Finland from March 'til August, and then was sold to KPV and played for them in September and October to finish out the season in Finland."

"Under the old FIFA rules, the word 'season' was defined as July 1st to June 30th, which would make me ineligible because I had already played for two clubs in that period."

"I consulted with my managers, Lavrentii Aniscenco and Marcel Moraru, former directors of my former club, Olimpia in Moldova. They explained to me the current FIFA regulations which were put into effect on January 1st, 2008, which changed the definition of 'season' to 'the first game of the country's national championship to the last game of the country's national championship'."

"Under the new FIFA regulations, I was be eligible because it would now be a new season and I would be free to play for a new two clubs if I really wanted to."

The matter may have seemed a closed matter at that point, but a tug-of-war over the rule change complicated things again.

"The problem was that the Swedish FA had already decided their new rules for the 2008 Allsvenskan season," recounted Burns.

"(They) had not adopted FIFA's new regulations and were going by the old FIFA regulations, so they were saying that I could not play until July 1st. This turned into a big problem as Sweden was saying one thing and FIFA was saying another."

Ljungskile then entered the fray on two fronts, and the case suddenly became a big story in Sweden for a spell. When the American's clearance was finally won, the mites and their fans took it as a good omen ahead of their second ever top flight experience.

"After we learned of all these problems, Ljungskile and my mangers consulted with lawyers which both parties sent legal documents to the Swedish FA to try and show them that under the new FIFA regulations I was clear to play," said Burns. 

"In addition to legal action, Ljungskile waged a public media campaign against the Swedish FA having newspapers, radio stations, websites and any other media outlet that they could get to write daily stories about what the Swedish FA was doing to me, not allowing me to make my living playing football."

"I think four or five radio stations in Sweden called the president of the Swedish FA daily to ask him why they were not complying with the new FIFA regulations. This all took place over a period of about 10 days before the Swedish FA finally called an emergency meeting of the executive committee to sit down and talk about changing the rule to comply with FIFA."

"They changed the rule to comply with FIFA, and I was finally officially registered last week. After they changed the rule, the FA told the media that we did not have anything to with them changing it, but Ljungskile felt it was big victory for them, and many in the city and club were celebrating my official registration."

All's well in the end, allowing Burns a new beginning. He can now happily sport his new #1 shirt on game days, but will probably still take pause for a while when the subject of his registration ordeal arises.

"It was an absolute nightmare that after all my hard work, my move was potentially cancelled by bureaucracy," admitted Burns. "It was out of my hands at that point, but through my club and managers help we were able to show that I was within my rights to play this season."

Ljungskile open the new Allsvenskan season with a March 31st visit from Charlie Davies and Hammarby.