League 1 General Chat Thread

[Floreat Salopia]

I've been reading that Pilley could be looking at 8-10 years. No idea how these guys think they can get away with it.

Bloody hell!! If that’s the case, I have no doubt Fleetwood will be the next Rushden & Diamonds.

 

[codaplenty]

Minimum 10 years and take his house 2 Bentley's and a few million quid as well

 

[LordJord]

For the sake of Fleetwood's fans and the innocent folk that work there I hope that the situation can be resolved without the club going to the wall. I imagine there will have to be a sale of the big earners there, not sure what sort of wage those would be on though.

Ripping off small business, charities and companies that support the disabled though, that is vile and hope he is punished accordingly. Also have the weird thought of him walking to the cell with the Fleetwood goal music playing.

Anyway, hope for all involved it can get sorted quickly but sense Fleetwood and Wigan could take up 2 spots in the bottom 4 next season.

 

[Chris FGR]

So Wigan & Fleetwood could get kicked out of league 1, along with Oxford for failing the ground grading (still only 3 stands) and then Everton get demoted to league 2 for their dodgy financials if they get relegated on Sunday. Who knows maybe like back in the Conference days the AGM cup has our name on it again….

Seriously though, hope Fleetwood can find a decent new owner, must be a pretty worrying time for their staff & fans.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Fleetwood fans seem to be supporting Pilley on Facebook. Not sure why as he sounds like an absolute mongrel

 

[YEO YEO YEO]

Fleetwood fans seem to be supporting Pilley on Facebook. Not sure why as he sounds like an absolute mongrel

Because his 'money' has allowed them to progress up to League 1.

 

[codaplenty]

Fleetwood fans seem to be supporting Pilley on Facebook. Not sure why as he sounds like an absolute mongrel

I never use Facebook, god only knows why any Fleetwood fan would support him. There are some lovely mongrels out there but of the 4 legged kind

 

[BRFC_Gas]

I never use Facebook, god only knows why any Fleetwood fan would support him. There are some lovely mongrels out there but of the 4 legged kind

Yeah some of them are saying Pilley needs their support now more than ever etc. very strange considering what he has done

 

[White horse]

One of those things where the grass is always greener, it's been 56 years since we've been in any League other than League 1 or 2 now. 'Where my club deserves to be' is always such a subjective thing, when in reality and ultimately it's always 'based on how well the squad that represents you in performing', and Shrewsbury have always struck me as a well run and managed club... but that said, it's the 3rd smallest place in League One by population (excluding London teams, because working out what counts as who's catchment in a City with dozens of club's is just a pointless exercise)

Portsmouth** - 855,679 / 208,100
Sheffield* - 556,500
Bristol-* - 472,500
Reading** - 337,108 / 174,224
Derby - 261,400
Stoke* - 256,375
Northampton - 245,899
Bolton - 194,189
Peterborough - 179,349
Wycombe - 174,611
Cambridge - 145,674
Blackpool - 145,007
Exeter - 130,709
Cheltenham - 118,836
Wigan - 107,732
Lincoln - 103,813
Barnsley - 96,888
Shrewsbury - 76,782
Burton - 72,299
Fleetwood - 25,939

* Multiple-teams in the City
** Wiki lists a different city and urban areas population, and I'm not nuanced enough here to do a comparison what figures are fair like-for-likes

Now, it's not unreasonable for any team to desire Championship football, (ok, maybe except Fleetwood), teams don't win Leagues just based on how big the town they're based on is, but I would be sort of shocked if Shrewsbury fans were expecting it.

Bolton Metropolitan Borough is 296,000, Bolton support is concentrated mostly from within the borough but there is quite a lot of support in nearby towns such as Walkden, Atherton . Leigh and Chorley. But there are also plenty of United, City and Liverpool fans, unfortunately.

 

[Luke Imp]

Control seems to have been handed over at Fleetwood to Pilley relatives.

I'm not sure how they'll continue to be funded on what sounds like fraudulent money, though? Surely any money that has been earmarked for them will be seized or at the very least frozen?

 

[The Terminator]

Wigan to start season on -8 points next season. Gives those of us at the bottom half a chance of staying up and not finishing bottom already.

 

[White horse]

Wigan have been docked a further 4 points for the owners not paying the wages into a designated club account by yesterday. They have announced wages need to go down by 65% for next season. Good bet for relegation I think. Owner seems delighted that they have sold almost 4000 season tickets already which is apparently an improvement on this time last year, No wonder they are in trouble with revenue like that and a wage bill of around 18 million last season.

 

[SVH]

Wigan to start season on -8 points next season. Gives those of us at the bottom half a chance of staying up and not finishing bottom already.

Yeah you'd have to think that's a relegation spot nailed on as things stand. How many players do they have contracted?

I've read they need to reduce their wage bill by 65%!

 

[Indian Dan]

They are reducing their wage bill.

They’re not paying anyone!

 

[Floreat Salopia]

Normally I’d feel sorry for the fans but in Wigan’s case I don’t one bit. Their fans were complete and utter twats when we were going toe to toe with them for the top two 5 years back. Used to make my piss boil if we had a draw or defeat and our whole Twitter would be full of a formula one car with its wheels falling off sent from the Latics fans. Disgusting that they even went up that year ahead of us seeing as they spent what they couldn’t afford. They can piss off back to non league where they belong.

You’d think that there’s two relegation spots sorted already with Wigan and Fleetwood. Probably three as Northampton are the kings of yo yo.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Northampton and Wycombe can fill the other spaces although we normally do well against the former

 

[SVH]

So who do we think will join Fleetwood, Wigan and Stevenage?

 

[Indian Dan]

Oxford

 

[kieran_vale]

So who do we think will join Fleetwood, Wigan and Stevenage?

If Carlisle win promotion this weekend give it to the end of the day before HelloGregory reserves bottom spot for them.

 

[SVH]

I do hope Carlisle win it though. Be good to have Carver back until they either bottle promotion or be on course for relegation and he'll disappear again.

 

[Imp in Branston]

Normally I’d feel sorry for the fans but in Wigan’s case I don’t one bit. Their fans were complete and utter twats when we were going toe to toe with them for the top two 5 years back. Used to make my piss boil if we had a draw or defeat and our whole Twitter would be full of a formula one car with its wheels falling off sent from the Latics fans. Disgusting that they even went up that year ahead of us seeing as they spent what they couldn’t afford. They can piss off back to non league where they belong.

You’d think that there’s two relegation spots sorted already with Wigan and Fleetwood. Probably three as Northampton are the kings of yo yo.

You only have to read a few posts from the majority of the Wigan supporters on various boards and Twitter to see how arrogant and deluded they are about the situation they are in. They were happy to pay ridiculous amounts in an obvious unsustainable manner for quite a few seasons lording it over clubs trying to do things properly.

It is time they paid for those indiscretions rather than being bailed out and let off lightly over and over again.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Oxford

They can stay... they love giving us 6 points

 

[BRFC_Gas]

If Carlisle win promotion this weekend give it to the end of the day before HelloGregory reserves bottom spot for them.

We will have to arrange welfare checks for him every week

 

[bigfatron]

If Wigan's playing budget was £18m last season, I believe even a 65% reduction will leave it as a top half budget next year...

 

[kieran_vale]

You only have to read a few posts from the majority of the Wigan supporters on various boards and Twitter to see how arrogant and deluded they are about the situation they are in. They were happy to pay ridiculous amounts in an obvious unsustainable manner for quite a few seasons lording it over clubs trying to do things properly.

It is time they paid for those indiscretions rather than being bailed out and let off lightly over and over again.

You only have to see the statement from the club where they’re talking about legal action over the points deduction to see they clearly don’t get it. They can be as disappointed as they like but if they hadn’t gone throwing money around like a drunken sailor that they clearly couldn’t sustain or met the deadline set this conversation wouldn’t be a thing.

I don’t want to see them or anybody else struggling financially but it’s time that they had a bit of a reality check.

 

[SVH]

If Wigan's playing budget was £18m last season, I believe even a 65% reduction will leave it as a top half budget next year...

Sounds very good but how do you move players on who have big salaries and won't be able to match it elsewhere?

Throw in the off the field problems, and obvious late payment history, lies to players about when they will get paid, I can't see those players pulling up any trees.

 

[White horse]

They have already let the loan players who were on big wages go back to their parent clubs but will still have to get rid of more I would think.

 

[Super_horns]

Surprised Dave Whelan hasn’t had something to say about this after all those years building Wigan up to punch above their weight and now it’s basically back to square one .

 

[thewwfc]

Northampton and Wycombe can fill the other spaces although we normally do well against the former

bless...

 

[leedsvaliant]

If Wigan's playing budget was £18m last season, I believe even a 65% reduction will leave it as a top half budget next year...

They're unlikely to attract players if they don't think they will get paid. Plus, who wants to play for a club who are 8 points down before they've started. I'd be amazed if their budget would be circa 6 million.

They're just another example of a non league club chasing the dream without the fan base or income streams to back it up. As soon as the generous benefactor leaves/dies/gets put in jail, they plummet back from whence they came.

Meanwhile, they take the place of a genuine club who is trying to live within their means but flitting between the bottom divisions.

I feel sorry for the fans (although I'm sure they weren't bothered when winning the FA cup) but I can't say I've got much sympathy for the club.