Athletic Article: League One and Two Seasons to be abandoned next week

Camborne Gills · May 14, 2020

chipmunx said:
In that case in L2 it would be Exeter cos their fan on here is a touchy bugger...

A slight adjustment for you Chip.

Devon_Lad · May 14, 2020

Camborne Gills said:
When you say most, what you actually mean is you took a straw poll of about err..............1, when you looked in the mirror this morning?

I checked the polls which had void at 51% but who cares about factzzzz bruv.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Another Athletic article has been published by Matt Slater tonight. This involves an anonymous Chairman saying the EFL will require a Premier League bailout of £225 million to avoid widespread financial chaos.

The sum mirrors £250 million of lost combined matchday revenue for clubs in all three EFL divisions for the remainder of this season and the upcoming 2020-21 season, minus a 10% league wide pay cut for all players.

The owner believes that the PL could borrow this money from lenders on relatively cheap terms secured against its own broadcast revenue, and gift it to EFL clubs. He also states that it's less than the £260 million PL clubs paid to player agents last season. He also believes that a national reduction of wages by 10%-15% would mean PL clubs would make that money back in 2 or 3 years anyway.

He says his club are set to lose £500,000 for the remainder of the season in matchday revenue (My guess is he's a high end L1 owner with Championship aspirations. MacAnthony? Stewart?) and also warns if a bailout isn't forthcoming, there will be colossal league wide administrations from July 1st and that some club directors could be liable to legal troubles if they're selling season tickets whilst also failing to pay any creditors as there may not be any games for the public to access in stadia in the first place!

Andy Holt of Accrington has shot this down by saying the PL will be planning to reduce solidarity payments and parachute payments to the EFL anyway as they're liable to pay broadcasters a rebate even if they complete the season, leaving their own clubs feeling the pinch. He also rightly states that 10% wage cuts after a bailout are not enough, and that players in the Championship at the bigger clubs will feel entitled to keep their current lucrative contracts as they feel they'll only be making their millionaire and billionaire owners more well off by accepting a cut. Which is why we're no closer to a consensus on that front.

It also mentions how Tranmere's Mark Palios wants to scrap the controversial Football Creditors rule (which definitely needs to go) as why should footballers be paid 100% of their lucrative contracts if an agreement can't be reached but small businesses and the taxman are left significantly out of pocket? Palios is also calling for a one season relaxation of the administration points deduction and an independent commission of insolvency experts to force clubs to cut costs radically in order to be able to trade at sustainable levels within the next couple of years. A qualified accountant himself, Palios' plan is well-thought out and has potential to work.

Unfortunately, the EFL and PL see no problems with the Football Creditors Rule. And I'm sure any changes to it will be immediately resisted by the PFA and LMA for a start. The PL is also resisting the idea of a bailout, claiming that Project Restart is the best way to stem the losses that will be experienced this Summer by all clubs.

I think a bailout is dangerous for three reasons. We may well need one, but on the terms suggested by this anonymous owner, it's almost as if it's insurance to see clubs through for the year (which is fair) BUT only allow a 10% cut in wage spending, which is a token cut and not significant at all, it'll effectively kick the can of wage unsustainability down the road. Of course, I expect Leagues 1 and 2 to introduce stricter salary caps. But what if Championship clubs think a token 10% cut is all they need? They'll be back to reckless 100%+ wages-to-turnover overspending again (with maybe £3 or £4 million off the annual wage bill) and we'll be having this discussion again in 2024 when the broadcasters inevitably offer far less for the TV rights despite clubs giving players at that level daft 4 and 5 year contracts, thinking the rights deals won't decrease in value.

Secondly, any bailout involving the Premier League won't be charitable and it'll come at a great cost. The likes of Ashworth at Brighton and those involved with the City Football Group like Ferran Soriano will be demanding B teams if they have to give up cash.

Finally, I know a bailout may stem some losses and debts accumulated by clubs in the past year. But many clubs in Leagues 1 and 2 have the advantage of short-term contracts at most clubs. Which means a vast sum of their outgoings will be reduced this Summer when out of contract players are inevitably released. And given the climate, not many players will be retained. Even if they are, they won't be getting the lucrative wages they were before. With no football looking likely for months, clubs won't have to sign players for a long time. And even when they do resume, the players who want to play will have to be prepared to be on a fraction of what they were on before. It's not perfect and lower league clubs will still lose a lot of money, but player wages to turnover are the problem here. But we have the greater flexibilty to do something about it. And Championship clubs are in the shit a lot more than any of the other three divisions given their longer term deals and ridiculous spending coupled with their relatively limited income.

It's messy and we're at least 2 months away from seeing the greater extent of the financial problems about to engulf the EFL. But a bailout would only be good in the immediate short-term and would ultimately preserve the status quo of unsustainability and not teach us valuable lessons. I favour Palios' approach regarding relaxed administration sanctions, independent insolvency experts and a change to the loathed Football Creditors Rule, but because he has common sense and it'd lose players a lot of money, there's no way the EFL would even consider adopting it!

Ah well, this morning's upcoming League 1 and League 2 meeting and vote will be sure to provide some entertainment anyway! Incoming MacAnthony meltdown by dinnertime!

Trapdoor · May 15, 2020

Worst case scenario for most L1/L2 clubs:

Get promoted, trigger wage rise % add-ons in the player contracts then not get any gate receipts next season. No TV trickle down money, no gate money, increased wage bill, likely to be no cup revenue either. Looking at it from that perspective I'm not sure if promotion would be sensible for any club.

chipmunx · May 15, 2020

Trapdoor said:
Worst case scenario for most L1/L2 clubs:

Get promoted, trigger wage rise % add-ons in the player contracts then not get any gate receipts next season. No TV trickle down money, no gate money, increased wage bill, likely to be no cup revenue either. Looking at it from that perspective I'm not sure if promotion would be sensible for any club.

reverse psychology time....

Indian Dan · May 15, 2020

Trapdoor said:
Worst case scenario for most L1/L2 clubs:

Get promoted, trigger wage rise % add-ons in the player contracts then not get any gate receipts next season. No TV trickle down money, no gate money, increased wage bill, likely to be no cup revenue either. Looking at it from that perspective I'm not sure if promotion would be sensible for any club.

I’d say a definite decreased wage bill. The other things you mention may well be correct but make no difference in which league you’re in - L1 or L2 the effects will be the same. The quality in both leagues is likely to diminish greatly as ‘cheaper’ option players are recruited - unless the better players are willing to accept vastly reduced terms.

We gave Doyle a 6 month contract in January - prob on £4-5k a week. I presume the strange shortness of the contract was to allow him to hawk himself if we failed to get promotion or for us to re-sign him if we did. I doubt he’d get any offers anywhere near that now.

My point is that no clubs will be signing any players until they know when the game is back to normal - with fans. If we have to play out the next season BCD and watch on iFollow the standard will be pretty dire. If any club has a semblance of cash available they should piss whatever league they’re in.

Boletus Edulis · May 15, 2020

TNO your post points out the fact that posters may squabble over null and void, the far bigger issue is that several EFL clubs are likely not to be here when it all restarts. I cannot see the PL giving us that much.

I am intrigued by the loss of 500k revenue, as Lowe said our four remaining games including the Exeter sell out, would with tickets, shop and hospitality be around £1.4 lost extra revenue.

Our CEO said that salaries could be as much as 50 per cent lower. He was not saying they automatically would be, but he was very clear in using that figure. This suggests a 10 per cent reduction in wages is very optimistic.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Boletus Edulis said:
TNO your post points out the fact that posters may squabble over null and void, the far bigger issue is that several EFL clubs are likely not to be here when it all restarts. I cannot see the PL giving us that much.

I am intrigued by the loss of 500k revenue, as Lowe said our four remaining games including the Exeter sell out, would with tickets, shop and hospitality be around £1.4 lost extra revenue.

Our CEO said that salaries could be as much as 50 per cent lower. He was not saying they automatically would be, but he was very clear in using that figure. This suggests a 10 per cent reduction in wages is very optimistic.

When Richard Masters said this crisis could cost the Premier League upwards of £1 billion, and given someone has done a detailed look into a worst case scenario for the PL and actually found that the immediate losses could be between £1.5-2 billion and that's before you factor in the long term devastation a reduced rights deal, reduced sponsorships and no matchday revenue for the 2020-21 season would bring, then there's very little chance we'd get a bailout of any kind. We may get a token sum, but it won't be anywhere near £225 million. The way I saw it, it was a Chairman with a delusional take that the PL should bail us out, whilst also failing to realise the PL is struggling to get its own finances and house in order right now.

Interestingly, the article said Championship clubs get on average £7 million per year from matchday income, League One £2 million per year and League Two £1.5 million per year. Now Plymouth will obviously be at the high end of League Two along with the likes of Bradford and Swindon. £1.4 million for the final games would be higher than in an average season due to derby games and being in a promotion battle, but it's not ludicrous to suggest Plymouth probably get around £4 million in matchday income in a bog-standard average campaign at this level anyway, let alone a successful one! Our STs are amongst the cheapest in the top 4 divisions, and they've sold well this year, but on average gates of 4500-5000 I believe that we'd be around the bang average figures for the league, perhaps slightly more. And clubs could potentially lose all of that next season, with maybe iFollow stemming the losses slightly.

10% is absolutely optimistic and my theory is that if the PL bailed us out without significant caveats attached to the sum and a 10% cut was imposed league-wide, we'd see next to no difference. We'd soon be back to where we were once the fans came back for a year. It'd do nothing to stop the Championship being like the Wild West and even clubs at this level would still pay ridiculous wages for certain players. For well-run clubs, I can certainly see a 50% reduction in wages being the norm as costs have to potentially be immediately cut for up to a year. And it'll be more for the likes of Salford and Sunderland, who are bankrolled and up shit creek financially respectively.

Greenacres · May 15, 2020

Why would the Premier League bail us out?

If one of your work colleagues overspent their budget and couldn't pay their mortgage one month would you offer to help them out...I suspect most of us wouldn't. It would be time for them to reduce their spending, live within their means, and learn a few harsh lessons about financial planning. As far as I can see it, that is the position we find ourselves in, I can see absolutely no reason why the Premier League would dip their hand in their pocket and bail us out.

The current situation will force all clubs to look at their financial model, how they fund themselves and where the money goes. At our level I can't see many choosing to raise entry prices, we many see attendances fall in the short term once football resumes and fans are allowed in stadia, so it will have to be outgoings. There are a couple of easy way to ease this pressure, namely smaller squads or lower wages. I think a BBC article mentioned 1200 players in the bottom two divisions being out of contract at the end of June, although I think that figure sounds pretty high and I may have remembered it wrong (it averages out at more than 20 per team). I would be a bit concerned as a player among that number that it may take a while for me to find another club or may find that any contract offered is on significantly worse terms than my previous. I think we can say that there will be a shift of power from players and agents back to clubs, for the future integrity of the game that may not be a bad thing.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Greenacres said:
Why would the Premier League bail us out?

If one of your work colleagues overspent their budget and couldn't pay their mortgage one month would you offer to help them out...I suspect most of us wouldn't. It would be time for them to reduce their spending, live within their means, and learn a few harsh lessons about financial planning. As far as I can see it, that is the position we find ourselves in, I can see absolutely no reason why the Premier League would dip their hand in their pocket and bail us out.

The current situation will force all clubs to look at their financial model, how they fund themselves and where the money goes. At our level I can't see many choosing to raise entry prices, we many see attendances fall in the short term once football resumes and fans are allowed in stadia, so it will have to be outgoings. There are a couple of easy way to ease this pressure, namely smaller squads or lower wages. I think a BBC article mentioned 1200 players in the bottom two divisions being out of contract at the end of June, although I think that figure sounds pretty high and I may have remembered it wrong (it averages out at more than 20 per team). I would be a bit concerned as a player among that number that it may take a while for me to find another club or may find that any contract offered is on significantly worse terms than my previous. I think we can say that there will be a shift of power from players and agents back to clubs, for the future integrity of the game that may not be a bad thing.

Although it'd be nice, I think a lot of the League One and Two owners who are living within their means know this already and wouldn't be too desperate for a bailout. The likes of Cowling at Colchester are leading the way for making immediate cuts to cope with the choppy waters that lie ahead. I believe this bailout is a preference of Championship clubs (who'd get 80% of the money) to subsidise their ludicrous overspending which has needed reining in ever since the parachute payments shot up in 2013.

People forget 10 years ago, certain clubs at second tier level were actually operating with self-imposed maximum wage caps! This was particularly the case at Derby and Leeds which is why they never even got close to the PL. It was only when bankrolled clubs like QPR, Cardiff and Bournemouth started taking the piss coupled with parachute payments going up dramatically in 2013 (and sharply again in 2016), that they did away with these caps and essentially mortgaged their futures. It was all going to end in tears even before the Coronavirus hit us. What the Coronavirus has done is expose the fact that this "exciting league" known as the Championship is actually a casino of debt-laden punters hoping to land one of the three big prizes each year. Costs need to be cut across the board starting with wages, which players, some on ridiculous wages for that level, will resist even a 1% cut to them. So the impasse there is going to be painful to watch.

I think the figures given do seem unrealistic at first, but then you account for the 47 (usually 48 clubs) that operate at those levels, and when you factor in Academies and people who will get the sad news that they won't be getting their first professional contract, I'd say 1200 is a fair estimate. If every club released 10 players that'd be 470, but usually 15-20 players are released by most clubs each year who operate on short term 1 or 2 year deals whilst taking on first and second year scholars professionally. Obviously, some will release less players, but I reckon we're going to tell 6 lads they won't be getting a pro deal, releasing 4 experienced players and potentially another player that hasn't made the grade after signing a professional deal

As I've said since Corona hit us, Championship clubs and the National League clubs that have been bankrolling for years will have the biggest problems. Clubs in Leagues 1 and 2 that aren't in financial peril and don't overspend will have a big opportunity on the 30th June to immediately cut costs by making the tough call to release out of contract players. If I'm a savvy Chairman, I immediately get in touch with contracted players and tell them they'll have to take a cut, but given the transfer market is set to collapse, they'd find it very, very difficult to get their current wage anywhere else unless they were destined to move to a higher league before all this began. So I'd immediately offer them a cut and reduced bonuses, but potentially give them the extra year or two's financial security in an uncertain time. Not all players would sign renegotiated contracts like this of course, but some players, who realise that they're not in the positions they once were to demand what they want, will know that they'll have to take a hit if they want to remain employed as a professional footballer for the immediate future.

That's one way we could sort it. I don't envy the Championship having to sort out amortised 8 figure transfer fees and 3 or 4 year contracts on high wages though!

Luke Imp · May 15, 2020

chipmunx said:
so what's the vote going to be like - is it a straight 50% or more to win? and what is the actual question?

It's a 75% majority in L1, which I'm assuming is the same in L2.

Luke Imp · May 15, 2020

TrinidadsNumberOne said:
Another Athletic article has been published by Matt Slater tonight. This involves an anonymous Chairman saying the EFL will require a Premier League bailout of £225 million to avoid widespread financial chaos.

The sum mirrors £250 million of lost combined matchday revenue for clubs in all three EFL divisions for the remainder of this season and the upcoming 2020-21 season, minus a 10% league wide pay cut for all players.

The owner believes that the PL could borrow this money from lenders on relatively cheap terms secured against its own broadcast revenue, and gift it to EFL clubs. He also states that it's less than the £260 million PL clubs paid to player agents last season. He also believes that a national reduction of wages by 10%-15% would mean PL clubs would make that money back in 2 or 3 years anyway.

He says his club are set to lose £500,000 for the remainder of the season in matchday revenue (My guess is he's a high end L1 owner with Championship aspirations. MacAnthony? Stewart?) and also warns if a bailout isn't forthcoming, there will be colossal league wide administrations from July 1st and that some club directors could be liable to legal troubles if they're selling season tickets whilst also failing to pay any creditors as there may not be any games for the public to access in stadia in the first place!

Andy Holt of Accrington has shot this down by saying the PL will be planning to reduce solidarity payments and parachute payments to the EFL anyway as they're liable to pay broadcasters a rebate even if they complete the season, leaving their own clubs feeling the pinch. He also rightly states that 10% wage cuts after a bailout are not enough, and that players in the Championship at the bigger clubs will feel entitled to keep their current lucrative contracts as they feel they'll only be making their millionaire and billionaire owners more well off by accepting a cut. Which is why we're no closer to a consensus on that front.

It also mentions how Tranmere's Mark Palios wants to scrap the controversial Football Creditors rule (which definitely needs to go) as why should footballers be paid 100% of their lucrative contracts if an agreement can't be reached but small businesses and the taxman are left significantly out of pocket? Palios is also calling for a one season relaxation of the administration points deduction and an independent commission of insolvency experts to force clubs to cut costs radically in order to be able to trade at sustainable levels within the next couple of years. A qualified accountant himself, Palios' plan is well-thought out and has potential to work.

Unfortunately, the EFL and PL see no problems with the Football Creditors Rule. And I'm sure any changes to it will be immediately resisted by the PFA and LMA for a start. The PL is also resisting the idea of a bailout, claiming that Project Restart is the best way to stem the losses that will be experienced this Summer by all clubs.

I think a bailout is dangerous for three reasons. We may well need one, but on the terms suggested by this anonymous owner, it's almost as if it's insurance to see clubs through for the year (which is fair) BUT only allow a 10% cut in wage spending, which is a token cut and not significant at all, it'll effectively kick the can of wage unsustainability down the road. Of course, I expect Leagues 1 and 2 to introduce stricter salary caps. But what if Championship clubs think a token 10% cut is all they need? They'll be back to reckless 100%+ wages-to-turnover overspending again (with maybe £3 or £4 million off the annual wage bill) and we'll be having this discussion again in 2024 when the broadcasters inevitably offer far less for the TV rights despite clubs giving players at that level daft 4 and 5 year contracts, thinking the rights deals won't decrease in value.

Secondly, any bailout involving the Premier League won't be charitable and it'll come at a great cost. The likes of Ashworth at Brighton and those involved with the City Football Group like Ferran Soriano will be demanding B teams if they have to give up cash.

Finally, I know a bailout may stem some losses and debts accumulated by clubs in the past year. But many clubs in Leagues 1 and 2 have the advantage of short-term contracts at most clubs. Which means a vast sum of their outgoings will be reduced this Summer when out of contract players are inevitably released. And given the climate, not many players will be retained. Even if they are, they won't be getting the lucrative wages they were before. With no football looking likely for months, clubs won't have to sign players for a long time. And even when they do resume, the players who want to play will have to be prepared to be on a fraction of what they were on before. It's not perfect and lower league clubs will still lose a lot of money, but player wages to turnover are the problem here. But we have the greater flexibilty to do something about it. And Championship clubs are in the shit a lot more than any of the other three divisions given their longer term deals and ridiculous spending coupled with their relatively limited income.

It's messy and we're at least 2 months away from seeing the greater extent of the financial problems about to engulf the EFL. But a bailout would only be good in the immediate short-term and would ultimately preserve the status quo of unsustainability and not teach us valuable lessons. I favour Palios' approach regarding relaxed administration sanctions, independent insolvency experts and a change to the loathed Football Creditors Rule, but because he has common sense and it'd lose players a lot of money, there's no way the EFL would even consider adopting it!

Ah well, this morning's upcoming League 1 and League 2 meeting and vote will be sure to provide some entertainment anyway! Incoming MacAnthony meltdown by dinnertime!

That's definitely McAnthony because he said the same thing in a Guardian article a couple of weeks ago.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

So 18 clubs in both divisions as I believe 17 out of 23 clubs would be just under 74%.

League Two will end today. Only Vale, Bradford and Stevenage would vote against it ending if there's a playoff compromise involved. And you'd understand why all three would want it to continue. But the majority have wanted it to end for weeks so that'll be easily solved.

With relegation on the table regardless though (bar the sporting merit no relegation idea which I can't see getting off the ground without the PL making concessions), I can see Tranmere, Bolton and Southend throwing spanners in the works whichever way the top L1 teams want to decide the season. And Bolton and Southend are absolutely clutching at straws too in the hope of no relegation or, even though it won't happen, a void season. But if Ipswich were to drop their desire to continue the season, the weighted PPG + playoff scenario I expect to be the method of choice would only see the Bottom 3 (who are going to vote against any proposal that relegates them even though Southend and Bolton are more or less there), Portsmouth and Sunderland be against ending the season, which means it'd pass by 18-5...

Luke Imp · May 15, 2020

I don't think Bolton or Southend will.

With null and void off the table there's nothing in it for them because they'd be down with PPG or playing on.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Luke Imp said:
I don't think Bolton or Southend will.

With null and void off the table there's nothing in it for them because they'd be down with PPG or playing on.

Sporting merit is still a slim possibility though. Although I don't think the PL is gonna run with 22 clubs next campaign. But it's not ruled out yet.

Ron Martin this week was still pushing (in vain) for a void season too saying the league needs to retain its integrity. Made me laugh given his club have missed more tax deadlines than Wesley Snipes whilst being owner of Southend.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Andy Holt tweeted this morning showing the extent of furlough support from the Government for Accrington Stanley which amounts to £150,000.

Holt says tests for the remainder of the season would cost £140,000. With no matchday income coming in to pay the wages as well, that means Accrington would lose nearly £300,000 more to get the games on and then some.

Why would League One clubs genuinely compromise themselves to suit DMAC and Pilley's agendas? The season will be resolved today but with plenty of backstabbing in that particular league.

Camborne Gills · May 15, 2020

Devon_Lad said:
I checked the polls which had void at 51% but who cares about factzzzz bruv.

Evidence?
Besides which, it has to be 75%, so what's your point?

Bruv? What are you 12 years old?

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

https://twitter.com/x/status/1261258507220852736

Let's hope League Two clubs can actually come up with a realistic solution.

Luke Imp · May 15, 2020

I'm assuming L2 is one that will be easier to sort out, there doesn't seem too much in the media about it compared to other leagues but perhaps that's down to the relatively short gap in finances.

NL to EFL is a gap of £1m or so, L1 to Championship is a gap of, what, £6m? Championship to PL needs no explaining. L2 to L1is the smallest of the lot.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Luke Imp said:
I'm assuming L2 is one that will be easier to sort out, there doesn't seem too much in the media about it compared to other leagues but perhaps that's down to the relatively short gap in finances.

NL to EFL is a gap of £1m or so, L1 to Championship is a gap of, what, £6m? Championship to PL needs no explaining. L2 to L1is the smallest of the lot.

There's also very little PPG related controversies in L2 that have obviously been caused in L1 because Bury went kaput in August.

But yeah you're right. A lot of clubs in L1 won't look out of place in this division and vice versa. But Bolton, Southend and Tranmere will still try all they can to get out of going down.

Luke Imp · May 15, 2020

Trapdoor said:
Worst case scenario for most L1/L2 clubs:

Get promoted, trigger wage rise % add-ons in the player contracts then not get any gate receipts next season. No TV trickle down money, no gate money, increased wage bill, likely to be no cup revenue either. Looking at it from that perspective I'm not sure if promotion would be sensible for any club.

...and a double whammy if you go the other way.

darren gregory · May 15, 2020

Oh well, we move on.
There is no way every team can be pleased it's impossible. 9 games though is a hell of a lot of football.
If I'm selfish about us I'd say that Northampton had an absolute horrendous run of fixtures so we had a good chance, but even then it's a 1 in 4 shot at it.
Well done to the top 3 on Promotion and let's see what they plan to do with relegation

AdamStag · May 15, 2020

Correct decision.

I do still wonder if they’ll reprieve Stevenage over Harrogate, but I guess you can’t have promotion but not relegation.

Crewelad87 · May 15, 2020

Looks like we're all but a league one club now. Been a fantastic 80% of a season, and I'm glad the football we've played this season has been rewarded with promotion, I strongly believe alot of our players deserve to play at a higher level. That all being said it's a very unsatisfying way to be promoted, but a necessary one all the same. Missing out on Vale away, Bradford away over easter, the potential promotion game and a potential promotion party at Cambridge on the last day is heart breaking. Just hope whenever football does resume, us fans get to be there to celebrate and enjoy a promotion (albeit one with an asterisk next to it) with our players. Good luck to the four clubs who look like they may compete in the play offs.

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

Crewelad87 said:
Looks like we're all but a league one club now. Been a fantastic 80% of a season, and I'm glad the football we've played this season has been rewarded with promotion, I strongly believe alot of our players deserve to play at a higher level. That all being said it's a very unsatisfying way to be promoted, but a necessary one all the same. Missing out on Vale away, Bradford away over easter, the potential promotion game and a potential promotion party at Cambridge on the last day is heart breaking. Just hope whenever football does resume, us fans get to be there to celebrate and enjoy a promotion (albeit one with an asterisk next to it) with our players. Good luck to the four clubs who look like they may compete in the play offs.

If there was one good thing about the season ending prematurely, it was not having a weekend spoiled by losing 1-0 to Vale again.

But in all seriousness, we all had dreams to go up in a different way. Whether at home or away. We won't get the moment every club does. And for a club that's just got its first automatic promotion for nearly a generation, it's not ideal at all.

But I'd have been more devastated if that fantastic season was for nothing. At least it means something. I hope we have a day next season where we can have Hunty, Greeny and Ports (and Jonah if he goes) on the pitch to thank them for their excellent contributions. Because I can't see them staying on now. And it guts me that they didn't get to celebrate with us.

That said, this is the first hurdle negotiated of our battle this Summer. Salary caps, cost cutting and providing a future for the game is the next big step. I want all clubs to come out of this in better health so we can all enjoy some football again. God knows when the playoffs will be, but good luck to all sides involved indeed.

darren gregory · May 15, 2020

If the mighty Manchester United can lose an 8 point lead with 4 games to play 2011/12 , then literally anything is possible in football.
Only ourselves, Bradford and Stevenage will be pissed off with the resolution.
Just think 9 games is such a huge chunk of the season and it's silly season for shock results.
At the end of the day they have had an unenviable decision to make and I don't want to see any more cases of clubs going bust , so ultimately this was the only sensible solution

AdamStag · May 15, 2020

I don’t have any issues with the sides going up, just a shame it didn’t happen last season when we were in the top spots!! (Obviously it isn’t good this is happening at all but you get my point)

And in fairness Swindon Plymouth and Crewe aren’t exactly cracking away days, Bolton and tranmere much better, less so Southend

darren gregory · May 15, 2020

Can't wait for Bolton and Tranmere, live streaming and a can of lager !!
Away days are a pipe dream currently

TrinidadsNumberOne · May 15, 2020

AdamStag said:
I don’t have any issues with the sides going up, just a shame it didn’t happen last season when we were in the top spots!! (Obviously it isn’t good this is happening at all but you get my point)

And in fairness Swindon Plymouth and Crewe aren’t exactly cracking away days, Bolton and tranmere much better, less so Southend

You'll be disappointed with Bolton, it's a retail park and a soulless bowl.

AdamStag · May 15, 2020

TrinidadsNumberOne said:
You'll be disappointed with Bolton, it's a retail park and a soulless bowl.

Aye but I know Bolton itself well, and know several of their fans - also a pretty short trip - so will be a decent day out.

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Athletic Article: League One and Two Seasons to be abandoned next week

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Gizza job?

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‘Absolute calamity!’

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Gizza job?

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Gizza job?

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Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

Gizza job?

Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Gizza job?

Well-Known Member

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