League 1 General Chat Thread

[The Jovial Forester]

FGR's winner against us in the opening game was better than that from Regan Hendry

How long ago that seems. Familiar opposition, but look, we'll probably do all right this term...

 

[Chris FGR]

Yeah little did we know back then that by the end of the season we’d be 14 points adrift of 23rd with no strikers and Big Dunc as manager getting thumped most weeks. It’s a funny old game.

 

[K-Win]

Rumours down here that the owners may throw a bit more money into the playing budget in the summer. I think they are realising that they can't have a 4th season of underachievement on the bounce.

There were grumblings of discontent this season at the lack of on-pitch progress under Eisner with the forming of supporters group "PFC Coalition". They currently represent a smallish percentage of the fans but they could increase in support quickly if things turn sour again next season.

It will be interesting to see if season ticket sales are affected this summer. They've been pretty solid year-on-year but a perceived lack of ambition may finally have an impact. Some early moves in the transfer market would go a long way to appease the fans.

It's been pretty galling seeing clubs like Luton, Coventry and now Plymouth leapfrog us since we came up from League Two. Luton and Coventry have seemingly stabilised in the Championship and may even be in the Prem next season, while Plymouth came up with us, then had time to go back down again before rocketing past. Patience is wearing thin.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Andy Carroll will be staying with Reading next season

 

[Super_horns]

EFL stays on Sky

New 5 year deal.

Increase in games and revenue naturally.

Sky Sports agrees new five-year EFL deal: Over 1000 matches per season!

From 2024/25 to 2028/29, Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of: 328 Sky Bet Championship matches, 248 Sky Bet League One matches, 248 Sky Bet League Two matches, All 15 Play-Off matches, All 93 Carabao Cup matches, All 127 EFL Trophy matches

www.skysports.com

 

[valefan16]

EFL stays on Sky

New 5 year deal.

Increase in games and revenue naturally.

Sky Sports agrees new five-year EFL deal: Over 1000 matches per season!

From 2024/25 to 2028/29, Sky Sports will broadcast a minimum of: 328 Sky Bet Championship matches, 248 Sky Bet League One matches, 248 Sky Bet League Two matches, All 15 Play-Off matches, All 93 Carabao Cup matches, All 127 EFL Trophy matches

www.skysports.com

Have to see how the finer detail works but looks like 248 live games from our division, with Article 48 remaining then more games moved from Saturdays?

 

[kieran_vale]

Without looking in any great depth it’s good that there’ll be an increase in coverage of games outside the Championship. Hopefully they stick to that about notice for any changes for TV coverage. I won’t hold my breath waiting for the “greater parity in teams chosen for coverage”. Would fly in the face of all that Sky normally do.

Other than that will just have to see what it means in terms of the financials more for clubs outside the Championship.

 

[Super_horns]

Hope this helps.

Q&A: EFL & Sky Sports broadcast rights agreement

EFL Clubs have overwhelmingly approved a recommendation put forward by the EFL Board and Commercial Committee to enter into a new five-year broadcasting deal with Sky Sports worth £935m.

www.efl.com

 

[Bartonyellow]

Without looking in any great depth it’s good that there’ll be an increase in coverage of games outside the Championship. Hopefully they stick to that about notice for any changes for TV coverage. I won’t hold my breath waiting for the “greater parity in teams chosen for coverage”. Would fly in the face of all that Sky normally do.

Other than that will just have to see what it means in terms of the financials more for clubs outside the Championship.

More games outside the championship = Wrexham home and away and Salford if they go up.
Plus derby if they stay down.

 

[valefan16]

More games outside the championship = Wrexham home and away and Salford if they go up.
Plus derby if they stay down.

Looking at it all games you get on iFollow in midweek/int breaks and bank holidays are to be on, the opening and last day of the season (so opening day possibly won’t be 3pm Saturday) plus 2 or 3 games from each league on a normal weekend (5 overall in L1 and 2).

Interestingly all Papa Johns and Carabao Cup games will be live.

Interesting to see how it’s paid for… ie for iFollow we pay a £10 per game is it just included in our subscription package or will it be a fee for the “EFL package”

 

[denzel ecfc]

"The uplifted element of the domestic broadcast deal is likely to be fed into the distribution calculation and be split between divisions on an 80% / 12% / 8% ratio.
Weighting is given to Championship clubs as primary drivers of rights values, with clubs agreeing the distribution formulas up to certain levels
According to the existing distribution formula, clubs in the Championship will be approximately 46% better off and 25% in League One and League Two respectively".

So, I make that 107mn for league one, or 21.4mn a year. Less than a million per club. I doubt that will be distributed equally, a million to Derby is peanuts but its a lot to us.
But L1 clubs are only 25% better off than at present, yet have the possibility of much more disruption to the fixture list, and fans deciding to subscribe to Sky rather than buy a season ticket, maybe.
And of course, it will just get swallowed up by players wages anyway....

 

[Essex2Wessex]

Yeah, there are lots of catches here...

Thus, all opening and closing day fixtures will have to be moved from 3pm (unless it's decided that day is switched to a Sunday, say), and ifollow or similar club systems lose out on income from midweek matches. And presumably, as is the case with the National League at present, there'll be a late game (the one most optimised for TV views) each Saturday.

It's all shit for traveling fans, I think our South Stand contingent who ritually change "fuck Sky TV" every time one of our fixtures is picked (and I know we risk being one of their favourites....) more than have a point....

 

[Greenacres]

Yeah, there are lots of catches here...

Thus, all opening and closing day fixtures will have to be moved from 3pm (unless it's decided that day is switched to a Sunday, say), and ifollow or similar club systems lose out on income from midweek matches. And presumably, as is the case with the National League at present, there'll be a late game (the one most optimised for TV views) each Saturday.

It's all shit for traveling fans, I think our South Stand contingent who ritually change "fuck Sky TV" every time one of our fixtures is picked (and I know we risk being one of their favourites....) more than have a point....

I don't think fans are ever the first concern for tv companies...I remember being at a home game against Crawley in the Conference, a game that kicked off at nearly 8pm on a Sunday, with Setanta pushing the kick-off time back due to an over-run in whatever they were showing before...carpet bowls from Bognor Regis most likely!

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Looks like Wigan struggle to pay all wages on time yet again...

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/may/06/club-statement-wages/

 

[joethegill]

Looks like Wigan struggle to pay all wages on time yet again...

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2023/may/06/club-statement-wages/

What a surprise.

Looking forward to their next takeover, followed by next League One title and next financial crash in approximately 18 months time.

 

[masi51]

What a surprise.

Looking forward to their next takeover, followed by next League One title and next financial crash in approximately 18 months time.

Not happening this time.....Got no assets will crash through the leagues or go the way of Bury


Wont be the only ones from the promised land of the Championship

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

What a surprise.

Looking forward to their next takeover, followed by next League One title and next financial crash in approximately 18 months time.

5th time the season.

Back in March their chairman stated in an open letter to the fans: 'This issue has now been resolved and I can assure you that the late payment of wages will not happen again. It simply cannot happen again.'

6 weeks later, here we are again. What a basketcase of a club. Fans must be livid!

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Have to see how the finer detail works but looks like 248 live games from our division, with Article 48 remaining then more games moved from Saturdays?

How will Sheffield Wednesday play 248 times in one season though?

 

[valefan16]

How will Sheffield Wednesday play 248 times in one season though?

Won’t have to… likely Wrexham will be L1 for 24/25 season plus potentially Salford coming up!

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Rumours circulating that Steve Cotterill’s last game will be tomorrow for us. Huge shame and a big loss to us. He can come across as a bit of a nobhead in the media at times but that aside he’s certainly one of the best managers in this division.

With Brian Caldwell (CEO) leaving earlier on in the week, I’m thinking that maybe, just maybe… Paul Hurst might well be returning. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but I know for a fact Roland would love him back at the helm as well as the fanbase. The only thing holding that back from happening was Brian Caldwell after he had a huge fallout with Hurst when he left for Ipswich.

We’ve also approached Cheltenham’s DOF Mickey Moore. So looking like a huge summer ahead at Salop.

 

[CTFCfan99]

Rumours circulating that Steve Cotterill’s last game will be tomorrow for us. Huge shame and a big loss to us. He can come across as a bit of a nobhead in the media at times but that aside he’s certainly one of the best managers in this division.

With Brian Caldwell (CEO) leaving earlier on in the week, I’m thinking that maybe, just maybe… Paul Hurst might well be returning. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but I know for a fact Roland would love him back at the helm as well as the fanbase. The only thing holding that back from happening was Brian Caldwell after he had a huge fallout with Hurst when he left for Ipswich.

We’ve also approached Cheltenham’s DOF Mickey Moore. So looking like a huge summer ahead at Salop.

Will be a big loss for us if Mickey Moore leaves. Some of our fans would have you believe he's been bang average but the fact is he's assembled arguably our best ever squads in the past few seasons on a budget that was on the lower end of the scale even in League 2. Forest Green spoke to him a few months back but he rejected them - can only hope he does the same again.

 

[Greenacres]

We’ve also approached Cheltenham’s DOF Mickey Moore. So looking like a huge summer ahead at Salop.

We also tried to poach Moore from Cheltenham, but for some reason he didn't want to join us...don't blame him to be honest...instead we went for a bloke called Steve Grieve, who completely undermined any chance we might have had to stay in League One for more than just a season.

 

[Si Robin]

Will be a big loss for us if Mickey Moore leaves. Some of our fans would have you believe he's been bang average but the fact is he's assembled arguably our best ever squads in the past few seasons on a budget that was on the lower end of the scale even in League 2. Forest Green spoke to him a few months back but he rejected them - can only hope he does the same again.

I'm in two minds on things because whilst you can't fault the strength of the players he brought in, he does seem somewhat desperate to jump ship.

He only stayed last time because he got a bumper wage rise, what's going to keep him now?

If Cotts is being let go and Moore does go to Shrewsbury, then I wouldn't mind us taking a punt on Cotts as DOF.

 

[valefan16]

We have a DOF you can have

 

[White horse]

What a surprise.

Looking forward to their next takeover, followed by next League One title and next financial crash in approximately 18 months time.

This is the second group of foreign owners in less than 3 years who have been duped into buying the club on a tissue of lies. being wrongly advised that they were a big premier league standard club Then after pumping in vast amounts of money realising not far down the line that the club generated very little revenue. By the time they become fully aware of the true shitness of the club it is too late. They bought the league last season and now the chickens have come to roost. But it's hard to feel sorry for the two owners who have lost around £60 million between them as they really should have done their due diligence a whole lot better,

 

[Luke Imp]

Rumours circulating that Steve Cotterill’s last game will be tomorrow for us. Huge shame and a big loss to us. He can come across as a bit of a nobhead in the media at times but that aside he’s certainly one of the best managers in this division.

With Brian Caldwell (CEO) leaving earlier on in the week, I’m thinking that maybe, just maybe… Paul Hurst might well be returning. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but I know for a fact Roland would love him back at the helm as well as the fanbase. The only thing holding that back from happening was Brian Caldwell after he had a huge fallout with Hurst when he left for Ipswich.

We’ve also approached Cheltenham’s DOF Mickey Moore. So looking like a huge summer ahead at Salop.

Just mentioned that in the Managerial thread before I read this. Bit of a surprise to hear him so downbeat. I know injuries seem to have scuppered what could have been a PO chasing season but he didn't seem overly enthusiastic post-match.

 

[Luke Imp]

Hope this helps.

Q&A: EFL & Sky Sports broadcast rights agreement

EFL Clubs have overwhelmingly approved a recommendation put forward by the EFL Board and Commercial Committee to enter into a new five-year broadcasting deal with Sky Sports worth £935m.

www.efl.com

Ironic that at at time where the EFL are arguing to close the gap to the PL, they're going to be further widening the gap between their own leagues. It's going to make the L1 to Championship step even more difficult than it already is, it's not far off a closed shop as it is really because few get promoted and remain there for more than a season or two unless they're an anomaly to L1 i.e. Sunderland etc.

It's great that it's more money but we all know it's just going to push wages up further. The current split is so one-sided it's ridiculous and I'm surprised that hasn't been questioned at the same time as the deal with the PL. It's not just the PL/EFL thing that needs a reform, it's the split in the EFL, too.

 

[masi51]

What’s Evatt ever done? First choice, me hairy arse!

You’ve got some right nobheads running your club. Dreadful signings, dreadful manager appointment.

What’s Evatt ever done? First choice, me hairy arse!

You’ve got some right nobheads running your club. Dreadful signings, dreadful manager appointment.

Fucking hell you are on your 9th managerial appointment since you wrote this nugget of a post
Evatt still going strong hence why we are light years past you!!

 

[HutchECFC]

Northampton up then.

Least that's 1 of the 4 relegation spots sorted already.

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Northampton up then.

Least that's 1 of the 4 relegation spots sorted already.

2 sorted with Stevenage up too.