Property developers and the death of non league football clubs

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Property developers and the death of non league football clubs

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Barrow do actually have some really tough remaining fixtures:

Wrexham - H - you'd usually think this would be tough, but Wrexham are struggling, but they are in a relegation battle, so plenty to play for
Barnet - A - 4 points off the playoffs, but 4 games in hand
Stockport - H - outside the PO's on goal difference
Harrogate - A - a huge match
Eastleigh - A - possibly one of very few teams with nothing to play for
Halifax - A - 5th but might have a sniff depending on how Barrow do in the previous 5 matches
Chesterfield - H - seem to be improving, but still in a relegation battle
Yeovil - A - similar to Halifax, but on the other hand, they may rest players if it's pretty much playoffs confirmed by then
Woking - H - see Stockport

So there are definitely games there where you could see them slipping up, and the match with Harrogate on April 1st could be absolutely pivotal.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Hamlets planning application is out for comment after amendments, no ground and I think we will be playing step 5 football at best. Undoubtedly the club would survive in some shape or form, we have learnt that ground sharing unless you take your bar money is not an option for a viable NL South side. This is it, comments in by March 12th.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

A second thought is there is a strong possibility that promotion and relegation will be settled by league position this year. Corona virus will mean restriction of the size of events with play off finals carrying a significant risk of cross infection. Generally non league football is pretty safe big big distances between people at CVPM!

paulisi · Tennis legend

A lot of clubs may go to the wall.
Nantwich have made all their players and staff redundant

Southport are getting cash flow issues as their event venue has had to close.

There are probably many more clubs in worse positions.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Anything below Conf N & S has been voided with no promotion and relegation.
I feel sorry for some clubs like Jersey and Lower Breck who were virtually promoted.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Really worried about Worcester City getting going again next season, things looked like they were just turning the corner and now wallop, the footie side was done & dusted out of contention for good or bad, financially things must be desperate.

Less worried more gutted for CVPM who in their first season in step 4 were well and truely entrenched in a play off position but it is what it is and too be honest even I will admit there are much more important things than non-league football going on.

paulisi · Tennis legend

I suspect lots of clubs will go under or switch to amateur status.
Those with players on longer contracts are going to suffer more.

Southport have been asking for donations from supporters. They have a high wage bill which will drop dramatically from August when the expensive contracts run out.

paulisi · Tennis legend

The ruling is pending FA Council approval. South Shields are already looking at legal action.
Lower Breck have stated they would join an alliance of clubs tak8ng legal action.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Good luck to them. They would not get too much sympathy from me. Realistically I cant see football coming back in its conventional form ie with fans and things until October. After the tsunami of the next 3-4 months. We will get better at testing and managing this disease in the way the South Koreans have but thats a long way off.

indiana · Tennis legend

I see that the 3 National League divisions' seasons have been suspended indefinitely. Not scrapped yet like the tiers below but they are looking at "how best to conclude" the season and they appear to want to just end the season now somehow. Ongoing legal discussions seem to be the main issue at the moment with already the huge number of complaints in the tiers below.

One issue that would need dealt with even if the EFL and National League were scrapped is that there is a vacancy in the EFL due to Bury's demise. So one would imagine that at least one National League team does need to be promoted for next season ( and I guess in theory at least one team from National League North and South combined ). Barrow appear to think, no doubt correctly, that they are in the box seat either by it being decided that the current leaders are the champions or by being voted in by the EFL.

Jon's Harrogate lie 2nd, 4 points behind Barrow, with both having a theoretical 9 matches left.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
I see that the 3 National League divisions' seasons have been suspended indefinitely. Not scrapped yet like the tiers below but they are looking at "how best to conclude" the season and they appear to want to just end the season now somehow. Ongoing legal discussions seem to be the main issue at the moment with already the huge number of complaints in the tiers below.

One issue that would need dealt with even if the EFL and National League were scrapped is that there is a vacancy in the EFL due to Bury's demise. So one would imagine that at least one National League team does need to be promoted for next season ( and I guess in theory at least one team from National League North and South combined ). Barrow appear to think, no doubt correctly, that they are in the box seat either by it being decided that the current leaders are the champions or by being voted in by the EFL.

Jon's Harrogate lie 2nd, 4 points behind Barrow, with both having a theoretical 9 matches left.

Being frank , Barrow would deserve it and if just one team goes up, it should be them, particularly as they lost their place all those years back by being voted out when 4th bottom.

If a 2nd goes up and no more play is possible, I cant see how it wouldn't be Harrogate. Whether harrogate as a town and as football club is ready, I'm not sure, another year would suit me. But lifes too short and if we go up we will embrace it.

Suspect though that efl will resist kicking anyone out unless they go bust over next period, I suspect that might well happen somewhere.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
indiana wrote:
I see that the 3 National League divisions' seasons have been suspended indefinitely. Not scrapped yet like the tiers below but they are looking at "how best to conclude" the season and they appear to want to just end the season now somehow. Ongoing legal discussions seem to be the main issue at the moment with already the huge number of complaints in the tiers below.

One issue that would need dealt with even if the EFL and National League were scrapped is that there is a vacancy in the EFL due to Bury's demise. So one would imagine that at least one National League team does need to be promoted for next season ( and I guess in theory at least one team from National League North and South combined ). Barrow appear to think, no doubt correctly, that they are in the box seat either by it being decided that the current leaders are the champions or by being voted in by the EFL.

Jon's Harrogate lie 2nd, 4 points behind Barrow, with both having a theoretical 9 matches left.
Being frank , Barrow would deserve it and if just one team goes up, it should be them, particularly as they lost their place all those years back by being voted out when 4th bottom.
If a 2nd goes up and no more play is possible, I cant see how it wouldn't be Harrogate. Whether harrogate as a town and as football club is ready, I'm not sure, another year would suit me. But lifes too short and if we go up we will embrace it.

Suspect though that efl will resist kicking anyone out unless they go bust over next period, I suspect that might well happen somewhere.

Harrogate still have an artificial pitch and would need to commit to a new business strategy to go up, therefore. Do able but would need a commitment.

The Town isnt a football town by heritage and the fans have averaged maybe 1300 or less this season, I'd like to see more support if we enter the league and post virus, I'm not sure that the fan base would be behind the club as a priority, not that wed be alone in that.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Harrogate's artificial pitch is probably the big stumbling block for the delay.
They wouldn't be allowed into the FL without a natural pitch and there would not be sufficient time to relay the pitch.
On top of that there are plenty of clubs with big money who may take legal action.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Its a great shame that there isnt a ruling that defines exactly what to do in this situation. I understand the frustrations of some clubs but with close to 25% of the season left there is no club that can say they are entitled to anything.

It is not the leagues fault that the season has had to be shut down, to restart it using the commercially viable model that the preceding games were played under ie allowing spectators to attend would cost lives. At present playing behind closed doors would mean (Jack Grealish would have to sober up) would put players at risk. To cancel the season and restructure the leagues with the solvent clubs is a pragmatic way forward. No problem with Barrow going up.

I am convinced god is an ageing white male with a fluffy white beard who lives on a cloud just above Chorley, Bolton may restart the season still in League 1 with no points deduction. I have a certain empathy for the fans and new owners but would be interested to know how the owners who were obviously preparing to start next season in League 2 feel about things.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Thursday 2nd of April 2020 06:55:09 PM