After Coronavirus - What next for league football? (poll)

[Chris FGR]

That isn't right Greenacres, Vince is actually very much against regionalisation.

https://sports.yahoo.com/forest-green-chairman-dale-vince-114927011.html

 

[northstandexile]

and Barrow - Gillingham had fun getting here once many years ago... 09/10/1961 to be exact - in the years before we had floodlights.

"Due to travel problems, Gillingham arrived at the stadium at 5.30 pm - the time the game was due to kick-off. They had to change hurriedly, and due to their rushed preparation, were losing 7-0 when the game was abandoned due to poor light. The Football League declared that the result should stand.

Billy Jervis played his one and only Football League game for Gillingham. If the match had been declared null and void due to the abandonment his one league appearance would have been deleted from the record books."

A very detailed report on this Barrow-Gillingham match on this link, just scroll down the thread on the link.

https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?post=231333

 

[Greenacres]

That isn't right Greenacres, Vince is actually very much against regionalisation.

https://sports.yahoo.com/forest-green-chairman-dale-vince-114927011.html

Didn't know he was taking that view...which on reflection surprises me a little...he seems a bit more in favour of a salary cap though.

 

[Vanni]

Yeah I get you, relegation under that scenario would be a nightmare. Some sort of play offs scenario would be required to ensure the right sides were relegated - maybe the bottom two sides of each section play off against the other two (home and away) and the two with the least points go down.

I’m not saying it’s ideal at all, just trying to find a way of getting games to be played for a potential half season as opposed to trying to cram 46 games and cups into 6 months.

Honestly, I'm not that big on playoffs, and I fully get the reason why some fans think the whole thing is more or less a 'lottery'. Do you honestly think we should have made Wembley at Burton''s expense back in 2008? Luck was on our side in both ties if you ask me.

I wouldn't be against splitting the league into two sections but certainly not by location: for ex, a better way would be to rank the sides on this season's table.

Greenacres but the logic behind it all is for clubs to only have to worry about fitting in 22 league games rather than the usual 46. Your idea of merging the two divisions would still mean playing a full season.

 

[Chris FGR]

How about regionalising all top 4 divisions into 4 regional leagues of 23 for 1 season and splitting the Prem's TV deal equally between all 92 clubs? That would help keep most club's alive if it's behind closed doors.

Go back to normal in 21-22.

 

[Greenacres]

Greenacres but the logic behind it all is for clubs to only have to worry about fitting in 22 league games rather than the usual 46. Your idea of merging the two divisions would still mean playing a full season.

I'm thinking long term, about reducing the impact on the environment and avoiding the farcical situation during this (suspended) season where we had games against Morecambe and Carlisle, home and away, on a Tuesday evening. This might result in greater numbers of away fans traveling to games, when they are allowed, with the added benefit of cheaper travel for them and greater income for teams from away supporters.

I have to admit that the idea of playing half a season hadn't really entered my head, but I guess you could do that with full divisions and just take the hit of it being down to chance whether your game against a particular team was either home or away.

 

[Vanni]

How about regionalising all top 4 divisions into 4 regional leagues of 23 for 1 season and splitting the Prem's TV deal equally between all 92 clubs?

Go back to normal in 21-22.

That's a brilliant idea Chris! In the 6 years we've been back in the league we've managed to lose at Luton 7-0 and 6-0 at MK so I can't wait to see us take on the likes of Spurs and Chelsea. Should be fun.

 

[Chris FGR]

That's a brilliant idea Chris! In the 6 years we've been back in the league we've managed to lose at Luton 7-0 and 6-0 at MK so I can't wait to see us take on the likes of Spurs and Chelsea. Should be fun.

Spurs lost to Colchester this season. Who knows, maybe your lot would grab a shock win v Chelsea or something. Football is unpredictable.

And if not at least there'd be lots of goals and you wouldn't go bust which is the main thing.

 

[Boletus Edulis]

Will a team like Macclesfield survive this if they were already not paying staff before hand!?

Completely agree. It could be a long time before the teams are playing in front of crowds again. I think, without help, a lot of sides simply won’t be able to function.

 

[Indian Dan]

Whitty has said this evening he reckons social distancing should last until the end of the year.

Where does that put the idiotic idea of restarting football.

 

[Chris FGR]

Meanwhile 0 new cases in Greece. Why can't we be more like Greece....

Bet they start up long before we do.

 

[Indian Dan]

Lockdown restrictions lifted May 4th (hopefully). Been no cases at all on the island where I live. Still need a permit to leave the house.

Not sure we’ll see tourists this year, though. They’re all Panathanaikos fans here. I’ve been invited to a game although from the little I understand the weekend really surrounds going to a knocking shop.

 

[chipmunx]

Lockdown restrictions lifted May 4th (hopefully). Been no cases at all on the island where I live. Still need a permit to leave the house.

Not sure we’ll see tourists this year, though. They’re all Panathanaikos fans here. I’ve been invited to a game although from the little I understand the weekend really surrounds going to a knocking shop.

do you have a big enough garden for Swindon to play their home matches there?

 

[Laker]

Honestly, I'm not that big on playoffs, and I fully get the reason why some fans think the whole thing is more or less a 'lottery'. Do you honestly think we should have made Wembley at Burton''s expense back in 2008? Luck was on our side in both ties if you ask me.

I wouldn't be against splitting the league into two sections but certainly not by location: for ex, a better way would be to rank the sides on this season's table.

I’d happily go for two leagues of 12 clubs based on current league placings for a season. My only criticism is that you can’t promote 4 teams from one of the 12 team leagues - that’s ludicrous.

And I’ve no problem with splitting into a League 2a and a League 2b with a having teams who finished in odd numbered positions and b being even numbered positions. It doesn’t matter how it’s split really (we can do east and west, alphabetical etc), but as you say it’s about having a 22 game season as opposed to a 46 game one.

 

[Spanishstag]

I see the Conference have finished the season then.

PPG for all the other 4 leagues for me to decide Promotions/Relegations. Scrap the play offs so 2 down from the Prem, 2 from the Championship, only 2 from League 1 but 3 up from league 2 and then 1 down from our league then the top 2 in the Conference so all leagues run with the correct amount of teams whenever it does restart.

Thankx for being s stupid twat

 

[Spanishstag]

Ok a tad optimistic ,but it was just a thought

Still being a dipshit then

 

[Super_horns]

Meanwhile 0 new cases in Greece. Why can't we be more like Greece....

Bet they start up long before we do.

What have they done that every other country hasn't?

Whitty has said this evening he reckons social distancing should last until the end of the year.

Where does that put the idiotic idea of restarting football.

Surely won't be allowed to happen.

I mean I know we all say football is becoming a non contact sport but surely they cannot play until its lifted.

And I doubt the Government will back down just for football - which most of them probably don't care about or like so I wouldn't expect any favours.

 

[KeithH]

Any chance you can get hold of Gigg Lane?

I very much doubt it any time soon but some interesting developments there.
The cowboys who provided Day with all the dodgy loans have gone into administration
However, the Maltese pension fund who actually provided Capital bridge with the money appear to still have a charge on the ground (how is WAY beyond me)
The ground was supposedly almost sold to the consortium of Bury businessmen only for the local Bolton based rag the Bury times to splash it and the pension guys picked up the story and jacked the price (the local council was alleged to be the source of the funds)
As per the whole thing ended up as nowt but hot air.
Will we get Gigg back, I hope so but I think it will take a few years at Radcliffe first and the old ground is not getting any younger and will need considerable tarting up before she receives a safety certificate.

 

[Indian Dan]

I see Jolly John Radford is pressing the EFL to bring in a wage cap.

Times be hard!

 

[AdamStag]

I see Jolly John Radford is pressing the EFL to bring in a wage cap.

Times be hard!

He is pressing for it specifically for the 20/21 season as its likely a full season won’t take place, which makes common sense, so why would players expect to be paid a full seasons earnings. when clubs won’t make a full seasons earnings

Makes perfect sense and a pretty standard view really. If there is any club in league 2 who can afford to pay all their players full wage when next season might well be changed and there won’t be fans at games again this season then fair enough to them! I’d certainly be interested to see who they are!

That he was chaired meetings and been chosen by other football clubs for him to write to rick parry on their behalf must show what high regard he’s shown in by other chairman.

 

[Indian Dan]

Wage cap based on % turnover and excluding owners ‘gifts’ or other financial chicanery to get round it.

Points deduction for falling foul and all clubs’ accounts to be independently audited every season.

Of course, there is already, in effect, a wage cap in L2 but certain clubs have ‘got around it’ - as Radford knows all about.

It’s strange that the calls for a wage cap come from a couple of clubs who have flouted such measures by throwing excessive wages at their players.

 

[Chris FGR]

Doesn't affect us, but what if a clubs committed wage bill for next season already exceeds 2k based on players already contracted? Won't be easy to shift players out and they aren't necessarily going to accept a wage cut.

 

[AdamStag]

Doesn't affect us, but what if a clubs committed wage bill for next season already exceeds 2k based on players already contracted? Won't be easy to shift players out and they aren't necessarily going to accept a wage cut.

I can’t imagine it would do, those already on bigger contracts would be presumably exempt or asked to take a pay cut

 

[Conker]

End of the day it gets dark, and if you have a hard on for Radford or not, he runs Mansfield by the book. We don’t spend more than 55% of income on wages, which despite the obvious (legal) loophole which is used to make that 55% greater, it’s still within the rulebook. Is selling your stadium at a greatly increased value to essentially the same person legal ie Derby? That’s a more difficult question that I genuinely don’t know.

The current system Is more about stopping owners using interest free loans to fund the club, a regular practice in non-league, and yes I do wish clubs like Mansfield spent less on wages.

How many clubs in this division have no external funding? A handful? Seriously, there’s not many morale high grounds here, it’s part of a wider problem that’s within football.

 

[Conker]

Another matter is how this is implemented, who’s gunna decide if One Call Insurance are paying too much to sponsor the corner flags

 

[Indian Dan]

I’d imagine any wage cap would be by way of an overall amount - say £2m maximum at L2 level. Any existing players on relatively high wages would come out of that. So, if you have a player on £5k a week (as we do) one eighth of a club’s entire budget would go on 1 player.

I still reckon certain clubs would circumvent any financial rules to gain an advantage. Brown envelopes anyone?

 

[Conker]

I’d imagine any wage cap would be by way of an overall amount - say £2m maximum at L2 level. Any existing players on relatively high wages would come out of that. So, if you have a player on £5k a week (as we do) one eighth of a club’s entire budget would go on 1 player.

I still reckon certain clubs would circumvent any financial rules to gain an advantage. Brown envelopes anyone?

That’s definitely gunna happen, Crawley did that under Evans without any wage caps

 

[Chris FGR]

£5k a week is obscene. No way should a fourth tier player be earning £2.5m a year.

 

[Indian Dan]

Tbh, I’m all for letting clubs spend what their owners can afford to lose without jeopardising the club.

What boils my piss is when certain owners - I’m looking at you, Vince - who can no longer gain an advantage by pumping money in suddenly want everyone else to financially dumb down so they can compete.

 

[Indian Dan]

£5k a week is obscene. No way should a fourth tier player be earning £2.5m a year.

It’s not. It’s £250,000 a year.