Coronavirus

[B2TF]

Fans who back it now will soon hate it when they realise one team runs away with it at the top and there's no more scrapping for promotion, it's scrapping for a playoff spot, and you have a 75% chance of doing it all over again next year, and the year after.

For a club like Crewe, Hartlepool or Rochdale it's useless. We just don't do league titles. And Hartlepool and Rochdale don't do playoffs either!

So what even is the point?

The point, while you're busy being shit, is that you might as well cut travel costs, for clubs and fans, and boost crowds. The further the fans have to travel, the fewer bother- especially if we're talking about a 400 mile round trip and you know you're going to lose: who's going to give up a day and 60 quid for that? If we're talking 20 miles down the road, 30 quid and an afternoon, they'll at least think about it if they know there'll be a decent atmosphere and if they lose there'll be 500 to 1000 others to share the misery with.

When Divisions 3 North and South were merged into Divisions 3 and 4 in 1958, we lost York (40 ml) , Oldham (20) Bradford Park Avenue (5), Gateshead (100), Chester (70), Southport (70), Crewe (70) from our fixture list and "gained" Plymouth (300), Brentford (200), Southend (230), Bournemouth (270), Southampton (240), Colchester (220), Reading (200). Where was the fucking sense in that!

It's no coincidence that all but Oldham and Crewe, of the former bunch, are now our brothers in Non League and only one of the latter bunch has briefly kept us company- the clubs situated in the more affluent South were better able to absorb the extra costs that playing in a national league entail. That's the travel costs explained, you want figures for the hit at the turnstiles? I've got figures for the hit at the turnstiles too.

 

[B2TF]

The Conference was able to operate as a National League for the best part of 20 years with a complement of clubs that were almost all part-time.

And then Mickey Mouse outfits like Forest Green, Fleetwood, Crawley realised that you didn't need to chuck in mega millions to outspend those part time clubs, if you had a bit of spare cash lying around, and soon everybody had to go full time to compete with the bastards determined to BUY a place in the greatest league in the world.

 

[doveranddover]

Perhaps football teams should only be allowed in the central area to reduce travelling

 

[chipmunx]

And then Mickey Mouse outfits like Forest Green, Fleetwood, Crawley realised that you didn't need to chuck in mega millions to outspend those part time clubs, if you had a bit of spare cash lying around, and soon everybody had to go full time to compete with the bastards determined to BUY a place in the greatest league in the world.

agreed - the main teams coming out of the NL have been either bankrolled ones or like Leyton Orient with a big fan base - Macclesfield when Askey (was it him?) took them up and Us* (*IF we go up) would be part of the very few exceptions.

 

[chipmunx]

Perhaps football teams should only be allowed in the central area to reduce travelling

View attachment 12743

yes - great idea - Barrow is right in the top left of that central boxed area

 

[doveranddover]

And then Mickey Mouse outfits like Forest Green, Fleetwood, Crawley realised that you didn't need to chuck in mega millions to outspend those part time clubs, if you had a bit of spare cash lying around, and soon everybody had to go full time to compete with the bastards determined to BUY a place in the greatest league in the world.

But those teams did spend 'mega millions' in comparison to the other teams didn't they?

 

[doveranddover]

yes - great idea - Barrow is right in the top left of that central boxed area

Just knocked it up quick,
The top line needs bringing down & should have moved the left vertical too to cut out Wales

 

[chipmunx]

Just knocked it up quick,
The top line needs bringing down & should have moved the left vertical too to cut out Wales

I agree with the Wales bit - any reorganisation of leagues would need to include Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and any other Welsh teams (do we know any?) getting moved to the L.O.W

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

How do you mean, a miracle happened and you actually beat us last season?

Share the sentiments on regionalisation though. Bad, bad idea

Haha I have to confess I shed a tear when we finally beat you last season.

Then I shed a few more when we got rinsed 4-1 by Newport 3 days later.

 

[chipmunx]

Haha I have to confess I shed a tear when we finally beat you last season.

Then I shed a few more when we got rinsed 4-1 by Newport 3 days later.

you should help champion the Welsh teams to the L.O.W idea - it would have got rid of Newport - and get Notts back in L2..

 

[CFC91]

Not sure on regionalisation. I mean it makes sense financially for most but I do enjoy trips to London, Torquay etc.

It wouldn't be very competitive to start with either - Chorley v Bolton certainly could be interesting.

2 up 2 down would also be shite, they'd have to find a way to increase relegation places or something from League 1 which nobody would ever vote for as 4 is the right amount anyway.

Like the SPFL restructure, I can't see it ever getting off the ground.

 

[Railway Blue]

Agree. The alternative to Barrow going up involves far less class and decorum (on the EFL's part)

I can't believe that the are some on here are questioning Barrow's right to be promoted.

 

[Railway Blue]

L2 and the NL should definitely combine and regionalise with six down each year and three up from Conf North and South.
The costs of travel and accommodation in both National League and L2 are ridiculous. Notts are lucky, we're in the middle of the country with a decent fan base but these two divisions are made up of small towns on the edges of the country to a large degree.
Hartlepool to Yeovil, Dover to Barrow are just pointless fixtures at these levels.
I've been to three out of four, and they're a fair trek from Nottingham, never mind from each other.

Actually travelling is fairly cheap these days and not a massive part of a budget, unless of course your doing the overnight thing.

 

[AdamStag]

Haha I have to confess I shed a tear when we finally beat you last season.

Then I shed a few more when we got rinsed 4-1 by Newport 3 days later.

Yeah I thought when you’d drew with Lincoln and beat us you’d stop up, weird one that.

 

[AdamStag]

Not sure on regionalisation. I mean it makes sense financially for most but I do enjoy trips to London, Torquay etc.

It wouldn't be very competitive to start with either - Chorley v Bolton certainly could be interesting.

2 up 2 down would also be shite, they'd have to find a way to increase relegation places or something from League 1 which nobody would ever vote for as 4 is the right amount anyway.

Like the SPFL restructure, I can't see it ever getting off the ground.

It’d certainly need to have more promotion places which clearly won’t happen as you mention. Plus as stated if the league were ever to do regionalisation it would be more likely to be league 1/2 merging than l2 and the conference. The board of league 2 simply wouldn’t vote for it.

The system works fine as it is. I’ve always thought there should be 3 up from the conference to the league, or the very least the team in 22nd in league goes into the playoff thing with the conference clubs like they do in Scotland.

 

[rudebwoyben]

I agree with the Wales bit - any reorganisation of leagues would need to include Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and any other Welsh teams (do we know any?) getting moved to the L.O.W

I don’t know how serious you are about this but these teams can’t be forced to move to the LOW. Merthyr also play in the English system.

 

[chipmunx]

I don’t know how serious you are about this but these teams can’t be forced to move to the LOW. Merthyr also play in the English system.

So do Chester - their pitch is in Wales...

 

[chipmunx]

I don’t know how serious you are about this but these teams can’t be forced to move to the LOW. Merthyr also play in the English system.

not being overly serious - although there perhaps should be a time limit for clubs outside the PL/EFL.... Unless there is restructuring Wrexham would be in NL (or even NLN) forever otherwise

 

[Master D]

I don’t know how serious you are about this but these teams can’t be forced to move to the LOW. Merthyr also play in the English system.

He's being hilarious in case you missed it.

 

[chief]

not being overly serious - although there perhaps should be a time limit for clubs outside the PL/EFL.... Unless there is restructuring Wrexham would be in NL (or even NLN) forever otherwise

'Not being overly serious, but I am really'

 

[rudebwoyben]

He's being hilarious in case you missed it.

Yeah, it’s quite easy to miss!

 

[HG Yellow&Black]

The deck chairs likeness is very apt for the EFL and National, fannying around with regional restructuring is like bolting the stable door....

These Leagues need a salary cap first and foremost so clubs have a constant and sound financial footing as well as ensuring tin pot benefactors are not able to finish clubs when they lose interest. So too setting clubs grounds and facilities as ring fenced as part of their Stake in the League competition.

Potentially also mandatory positions on Boards to have fan representation, potentially using a membership model in order to raise funds post Covid restart.
Reet dreamer I am.

 

[karlready]

The Conference was able to operate as a National League for the best part of 20 years with a complement of clubs that were almost all part-time.

You are right, of course. And I hope that my prognosis is wrong. Survival will be the target for most clubs, as and when football restarts.

 

[LongEatonPie]

Seems the Scottish league have balls. Season done, Celtic Champs, Hearts relegated.

 

[karlready]

Seems the Scottish league have balls. Season done, Celtic Champs, Hearts relegated.

Except that Hearts are threatening court action....If so, the case needs to be defeated, or the implications are devastating.

 

[Master D]

'Not being overly serious, but I am really'

Seeing as absolutely no hand-washing goes on there, I'm in favour of just chopping Barrow-in-Furness off and letting it drift somewhere towards the Isle of Man and they can join their league instead.

 

[B2TF]

But those teams did spend 'mega millions' in comparison to the other teams didn't they?

I don't deny that, my point is that the rest had to go full time just to hang on to their coat tails.

 

[B2TF]

Perhaps football teams should only be allowed in the central area to reduce travelling

View attachment 12743

Are you telling me Dover, in their lonely isolation on the South Coast, wouldn't benefit from dropping the most Northerly clubs from their fixture list in exchange for more local matches. There's one thing i can tell you about Dover from a Yorkshire perspective- there's NOBODY licking their lips in eager anticipation and asking when are we playing DOVER. Meanwhile York, Chester, Stockport, Notts, Chesterfield, home AND away, are all games we look forward to...........

 

[chipmunx]

I don't deny that, my point is that the rest had to go full time just to hang on to their coat tails.

I think that NL would have gone FT anyway - but nowhere near as fast - IF people think there are some tinpot teams around now there were some really odd places/teams (like Frickley) in the National league way back when....

 

[B2TF]

you should help champion the Welsh teams to the L.O.W idea - it would have got rid of Newport - and get Notts back in L2..

Where can I sign up to this and get shut of Wrexham?