Coronavirus and League 2

[AdamStag]

Seems like everybody's only interested in what happens to their team than anything so I'll do the same.

As nobody knows who's going up and who's coming down from L1, I'm going to go with this year's L2 sides. Here's what the South and North divisions would look like next season.

Number in brackets = current league position
Teams in bold = top 7 sides

South -
Swindon (2)
Plymouth (3)
Exeter (4)
Cheltenham (5)
Col U (6)
Northampton (7)
FGR (11)
Crawley (12)
Newport (15)
Cambridge (16)
Leyton O (17)
Stevenage (24)

North -
Crewe (1)
Port Vale (8)
Bradford (9)
Salford (10)
Grimsby (13)
Walsall (14)
Carlisle (18)
Oldham (19)
Scunthorpe (20)
Mansfield (21)
Morecambe (22)
Macc (23)

No to regionalised football. I want my lot to stay up. Cheers.

It’s only natural to look at for your club first, even if that’s only for a split second before correctly coming to the conclusion that we’re all in this together and should stick together in times like this.

I worry for sides like Macc and Oldham

 

[Greenacres]

I agree with AdamStag, the fear at present does go a bit beyond our own clubs, there are a few whose future was at best uncertain before everything shut down. We tend to focus on the teams in our own division but I am guessing that there are a few in League One and the Championship whose future may also be a bit shaky.

 

[Super_horns]

South Shields are already talking about legal action over an "appalling" decision".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52052351

So it's no wonder they aren't keen to cancel higher up yet - be even more legal cases due to the lost revenue.

 

[Indian Dan]

What about the fans? Pay your money for a ST or even just a Matchday ticket on the basis of a competition - not for a series of what would be meaningless friendlies.

 

[AdamStag]

What about the fans? Pay your money for a ST or even just a Matchday ticket on the basis of a competition - not for a series of what would be meaningless friendlies.

We’ve had that debate, but if your club offered you a quarter of your season ticket back I can’t imagine many would take that offer up, the only way I can see folk doing it is if they’re really hard up financially. If the season ended now and there was a hypothetical situation where Mansfield offered a quarter of my ST money back I wouldn’t take it

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

We had the hypothetical question on our message board, 90% said that they wouldn't request a refund although the 10% voted early and may have changed their mind since.

 

[Indian Dan]

So how long will it be before an owner decides his core business is more important than propping up his/her hobby club?

 

[Vanni]

It’s only natural to look at for your club first, even if that’s only for a split second before correctly coming to the conclusion that we’re all in this together and should stick together in times like this.

I worry for sides like Macc and Oldham

Oh I'm with you mate, football's really not that important right now. However I feel that some people aren't looking at the whole picture and are only focusing on the implications for their club when coming up with ideas on how to deal with this mess.

So I thought if I can't beat 'em then I'd join 'em I'm not against this 'split the league into two' idea but I sure can see that in L2
the southern section will be much tougher than the northern one. FFS six sides in the top seven are all southern based.

But perhaps you'd like to swap places?

 

[AdamStag]

So how long will it be before an owner decides his core business is more important than propping up his/her hobby club?

hopefully the £50m grant/loan (can’t recall which one it is) from the EFL should tide clubs over, our chairman didn’t state what league 2 clubs got but that it would cover us for several months.

 

[Vanni]

Re. the season ticket debate, I don't think I would be requesting a refund if I had a ST, but I certainly will not cast judgement on those that do seek a refund.

But the way Newcastle handled the whole ST issue was a bit rude wasn't it?

 

[AdamStag]

Re. the season ticket debate, I don't think I would be requesting a refund if I had a ST, but I certainly will not cast judgement on those that do seek a refund.

But the way Newcastle handled the whole ST issue was a bit rude wasn't it?

The reason I wouldn’t is that I would damage my club by doing it and well I’ve been working from home in the sun in the back garden drinking a beer, I’m fortunate enough that I’m lucky enough to be able to do that.

However, like you say if someone badly needed say £75 or whatever to help put food on the table then so be it, there’s more to things that folk kicking a bag of wind around a pitch

 

[valefan16]

April 30th now deemed unrealistic and new date TBC next week

 

[AdamStag]

April 30th now deemed unrealistic and new date TBC next week

Why keep picking dates when they’ve not a fucking clue what’s going to happen. How about a bit of common sense and see how things pan out before coming up with random dates.

 

[Chris FGR]

Pick a random date that the EFL will announce next..........
25th May?17th June? 35th July? Christmas Day? Pancake Day?

Who knows?

 

[dedwardp]

hopefully the £50m grant/loan (can’t recall which one it is) from the EFL should tide clubs over, our chairman didn’t state what league 2 clubs got but that it would cover us for several months.

I'm sure the figures worked out at circa £284,000 per League Two club. Considering most of us have effectively lost income from roughly four league games, that's £71,000 per game. Beyond that, well we wouldn't have had gate receipts until late July anyway so I don't think the shortfall ought to be excessively significant in all fairness.

Yes, that doesn't factor in other income like sponsorship or conferencing events and so on but it should go a reasonable way I'd have thought.

 

[Luke Imp]

^ As above and an interest free loan of £120k for L2 Clubs (figures differ on which league).

It solves a short term cash flow issue, but the first part is just an advance on what was owed anyway so the can has just been kicked further down the road. Loans are obviously repayable.

I can't see that sort of money keeping Mansfield going for several months?

 

[Blue Lion]

So how long will it be before an owner decides his core business is more important than propping up his/her hobby club?

Our owner did that years ago.... I dread to think what sort of position ourselves and others will end up in after months without income.

And the FL money is just an advance of the basic payment we'd have got at the end of the season isn't it? Just means the cash flow problem gets postponed momentarily.

 

[Chris FGR]

So how long will it be before an owner decides his core business is more important than propping up his/her hobby club?

We've already furloughed all our players and staff. Vince has said this scheme will allow us to get through this. Surprised more clubs aren’t doing the same.

 

[AdamStag]

We've already furloughed all our players and staff. Vince has said this scheme will allow us to get through this. Surprised more clubs aren’t doing the same.

So have we - there’s an article on the daily mail about us agreeing to be the first do so with the PFA (FGR were mentioned there to be following our example) - it makes sense to do so.

*may I point out the link in the daily mail was sent in a group chat and I wasn’t actually logged onto such a ridiculous paper

 

[Indian Dan]

Thought your owner could afford to keep on paying

 

[AdamStag]

Thought your owner could afford to keep on paying

He can.

But if the government is going to pay upto £2500 for each player - with a player being like any other employee for any other business why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?

 

[Indian Dan]

Cos you’re a cheapskate? How many of your players are on £2500 a month. Weekly more like.

 

[AdamStag]

Cos you’re a cheapskate? How many of your players are on £2500 a month. Weekly more like.

They’ll be quite a few on more than that a week - the rough figure is about £75k a month. If that’s a cheapskate I’m sure he’ll survive!

 

[Indian Dan]

That’s my point. He will. Not so sure about players.

 

[Laker]

Surely clubs can apply to defer VAT, furlough staff, get the advances from the FA and take on the loans as advertised? While the help is in bits there is cash available.

 

[Super_horns]

League to be scrapped?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52070969

 

[valefan16]

League to be scrapped?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52070969

It’s starting to look more inevitable I think. The fact the lower levels already have and other clubs even in the top flight now seem to be suggesting they’d back it im sure I saw earlier. The sticking point is the Premier League and their TV deal it would cost them about 3/4 of a billion pounds but surely this is where some compromise could possibly be found?

It’s unrealistic to think we will see football back in five weeks time at this stage and if Italy is the basis for what is to come then it’s highly unlikely to see anything happen for a couple of months longer than that... by which time next season will be close to starting.

 

[AdamStag]

There’s no chance that things will be back to normal by the back end of April. Even if they somehow managed to get things back to normal by the middle of may the players would need a fortnight or so to get back training with one another etc. Playing 2 games a week would still be taking you into the back end of July or early August.

Could be a pretty interesting few months once the much more important issue we’ve currently got to deal with has been resolved.

 

[Greenacres]

On our forum there is a bit of a debate about what should happen to the money people have spent on season tickets, and advanced ticket sales, if the season is scrapped.

Blimey folks, get over yourselves, I couldn't give a damn if I lose the money I have spent for games that might never take place...my concern is that my family, friends and colleagues...plus those they hold dear...are still around after the virus risk has subsided.

 

[valefan16]

On our forum there is a bit of a debate about what should happen to the money people have spent on season tickets, and advanced ticket sales, if the season is scrapped.

Blimey folks, get over yourselves, I couldn't give a damn if I lose the money I have spent for games that might never take place...my concern is that my family, friends and colleagues...plus those they hold dear...are still around after the virus risk has subsided.

I have a ten game ticket with five remaining including the couple already missed in Bradford and Crewe that I’d got the tickets for.

If it doesn’t happen I’d rather the club kept the money to help them out, £90 worth I can recover but if everyone demands that back it would impact the club so I’d rather keep the club afloat that potentially risk that (all be it we are probably in a more better position than most)