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[Football] Divisions 1 and 2
- Thread starter amexer
- Start date
blue-shifted
Banned
Burning through cash, like most businesses reliant on people walking through their doors.
I reckon 10 will be gone by xmas. Maybe about 40 by this time next year in the FL
I reckon 10 will be gone by xmas. Maybe about 40 by this time next year in the FL
Grants? They scrapped the end of last season so they could apply for furlough schemes - that obviously won't be the case from now on.
Surreal times in the lower leagues. At Grimsby, we released virtually all out of our contract players (including those we had options on) and have so far replaced them with four signings; one 33 year old Frenchman whose career peaked five years ago with Rangers in the Scottish Championship and three lads in their early twenties from step 3 and 4 of non-league. They are being signed as first-team players.
What you're going to see is a significant degradation of quality in the division, with the level's usual standard of player simply too expensive for most to employ. There will of course be the Salford's and Forest Green's of this world who have wealthy backers and who will be able to take advantage of the situation. What that will lead to is possibly the most uneven professional division in living memory in this country with a small handful of clubs with resources simply running away with things.
It will be a long time before lower league football recovers from this, if ever. Footballers get a bad rap, but my heart goes out to hundreds of senior pros who are simply going to be priced out of the game this summer. As I say, tough, surreal times.
What you're going to see is a significant degradation of quality in the division, with the level's usual standard of player simply too expensive for most to employ. There will of course be the Salford's and Forest Green's of this world who have wealthy backers and who will be able to take advantage of the situation. What that will lead to is possibly the most uneven professional division in living memory in this country with a small handful of clubs with resources simply running away with things.
It will be a long time before lower league football recovers from this, if ever. Footballers get a bad rap, but my heart goes out to hundreds of senior pros who are simply going to be priced out of the game this summer. As I say, tough, surreal times.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,566
The lucky ones who own their stadium and training facilities may be able to transact a 'sale and leaseback' arrangement. Others who don't will have to sell their best players for whatever they can get for them.
It may be the rules may need to be amended to permit Prem / Championship clubs to loan more players to these clubs so the lower league sides can cut their wage bills. It will be of mutual benefit if, say, Albion players in the Development squad were allowed to play for Crawley and gain some FL experience whilst enabling Crawley to get by with a reduced playing staff.
It may be the rules may need to be amended to permit Prem / Championship clubs to loan more players to these clubs so the lower league sides can cut their wage bills. It will be of mutual benefit if, say, Albion players in the Development squad were allowed to play for Crawley and gain some FL experience whilst enabling Crawley to get by with a reduced playing staff.
It is really sad. I hate seeing the lower league clubs suffer. It's the short sighted who don't understand how vital these clubs are to their community. Economically, local fans and visiting fans will visit restaurants, bars cafes. Then there is health issues mental and physical. Fans need that release, friendship and bond that only football provides. Grimsby Town FC is just as vital as any premier league club. I really hope something is done to help these clubs survive until fans can return.
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
It gets even worse when you consider the restrictions apply to non-league clubs too. It seems crazy to me that Worthing FC aren't allowed to have spectators at their pre-season friendlies; despite most of the ground being open and crowds being a couple of hundred people, but a 20-minute walk from Woodside Road the beach/pier will be absolutely packed with people all day.
Also FWIW, Worthing are one of the clubs who could really benefit from the uncertainty. They're improving facilities during pre-season, at a time where a lot of clubs are worried about survival it's pretty impressive that Worthing are in a position to strengthen. It will be interesting to see how the lower leagues deal with crowds when it's brought back - there are teams who average a couple of hundred fans for league games in that league, but with Brighton playing behind closed doors Worthing could probably draw crowds of 2000. It'll be hard to have a capacity cap when a lot of the crowd will be paying on the door too.
Also FWIW, Worthing are one of the clubs who could really benefit from the uncertainty. They're improving facilities during pre-season, at a time where a lot of clubs are worried about survival it's pretty impressive that Worthing are in a position to strengthen. It will be interesting to see how the lower leagues deal with crowds when it's brought back - there are teams who average a couple of hundred fans for league games in that league, but with Brighton playing behind closed doors Worthing could probably draw crowds of 2000. It'll be hard to have a capacity cap when a lot of the crowd will be paying on the door too.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,566
Grimsby Town FC last filed accounts show Turnover of £3.5 million, and a small loss. Basically, they need £70K a week to operate as they are.
The population of Grimsby is 88,000. That would be approx £100 p.a. on the council tax of residents.
jakarta
Well-known member
I'm sure that the Premier League will open its wallet...
Have a look and think ooh there's plenty of money in there!
And then close said wallet.
Have a look and think ooh there's plenty of money in there!
And then close said wallet.
Yep, and it’s that kind of spend that has carried us to the dizzy heights of four lower mid-table finishes since returning to the league in 2016, despite being one of the traditionally bigger clubs in the division (it doesn’t feel that long ago since I sat watching us both get relegated from the second tier).
We’ve spent within our means, give or take, for the last decade or so. We’re better equipped than many for this situation. Scunny, down the road, have been spending between 150% and 200% of turnover on player wages for several seasons; a recipe for disaster even without all this.
The complexion of League’s One and Two (and below) will be drastically changed thanks to covid, about that I have no doubt. I just hope there are as many survivors as possible.
milliepops
Active member
Worthing have just got an online ticket distributor on board so I think capacity will be limited - 400/500 - to start with and games will be all ticket.
Non clubs are losing out financially with the current guidelines excluding spectators. Dorking Wanderers are behind a Twitter campaign for the guidelines to be amended to get fans back in.
Currently you can turn up at the Sportsfield in Littlehampton to watch cricket but you can't when Littlehampton Town are playing a pre season football match!!
D
Deleted member 2719
Guest
If Pompey went pop, where would all the #twats go?
Worried Man Blues
Well-known member
Can clubs go amateur or are there regulations stopping that. Is it a question of players contracts.
One way is simple allow feeder clubs. We buy Portsmouth and close it down, buy Crawley and send the players there.
Change at Barnham
Well-known member
Portsmouth have stopped running an U-23 side.
I believe the decent young players that Pompey have in their ranks will be offered for season-long loans to Bognor, Gosport and Havant where they can get regular football and where Pompey can still monitor their progress.
I'm sure a lot of L1 & L2 sides will be doing similar with their local non-league clubs.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,300
a lovely idea, trouble is its spent already. its not the Premier League's money, its the clubs, and due to contracts, mostly players. the clubs should do more but i dont hold much hope.
the FL need to come with plans now on assumption clubs will fold or not complete season. PFA probably need to pull their finger out too, because wont do anyone favours for a dozen or more clubs to go and their members out of pocket anyway.
Lower league football will simply go the same way as theatre and restaurants and anything else that needs foot fall.
The only solution I could see is that the Premier League riches are taxed heavily and redistributed down the league pyramid. In exchange, promotion and relegation from the Premier League could be suspended for one season. Far from ideal, but at least it provides a bit of certainty - lower league clubs could plan their existence in the knowledge that Premier league income would reach them, Premier league clubs can plan a year of stability with lower earnings, but free from the worry of relegation.
Not ideal and I am sure there are issues with this idea beyond the obvious unfairness of it all, but I think it serves professional football far better this way.
The only solution I could see is that the Premier League riches are taxed heavily and redistributed down the league pyramid. In exchange, promotion and relegation from the Premier League could be suspended for one season. Far from ideal, but at least it provides a bit of certainty - lower league clubs could plan their existence in the knowledge that Premier league income would reach them, Premier league clubs can plan a year of stability with lower earnings, but free from the worry of relegation.
Not ideal and I am sure there are issues with this idea beyond the obvious unfairness of it all, but I think it serves professional football far better this way.
Terry Butcher Tribute Act
Well-known member
- Aug 18, 2013
- 3,168
Maybe they are still taking payments from their supporters for games that have no chance of being played with a crowd and hoping nobody notices. Oh.
It looks pretty bleak for every football club without Premier League/Owners riches to be honest.
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It looks pretty bleak for every football club without Premier League/Owners riches to be honest.
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blue-shifted
Banned
3 questions about this PL Teams subsidising down the leagues
1) Must they?
Nope. Can’t be made to
2) Might they anyway?
Many have been furloughing tea ladies whilst awarding £100,000’s a week contracts. Unlikely
3) Is it ethical that they do?
At first instance yes. But look at us as an example. TB is subsidising us to the tune of 10s of millions on a good year. It will be much more than this in 2020. Should he be keeping afloat several lower league teams as well? It’s trickier than you’d first think.
Though I would say that if COVID had hit at any time other than in the last 10 years, we’d have almost certainly been one of those going under this winter.