The reason, I am told, that the Premier League and the English Football League Championship are being played out is that the television companies were going to ask for their money back if they were not able to televise the missing matches. Well, as money talks, those two leagues are now being played to a conclusion with the promise of the play-off matches in the Championship.
All other leagues, where the money comes from gate receipts, have been ended incomplete. There are losses to be made by playing matches where no money is coming in. Any club on a tight budget will have trouble surviving and many will need a loan to see them through the summer to the hope of gate receipts in the autumn. Even then, it will take time to recover and some will struggle.
The first to declare and go into administration are Wigan Athletic. The situation seems to be that the club was sold to a Hong Kong consortium who sold the club on for a profit. The new owner Au Yeung is not interested in funding the club so why did he buy it? Presumably Wigan, and many other football clubs are a good bet if you are asset stripping. Turn the assets into money and run back to Hong Kong where the Chinese government will arrest you and lock you in a prison for the rest of your life if you do not repeat everything that they tell you to say.
Now that football is no longer a sport but a professional business deals of this sort are going to become more common. The EFL approved the deal so what checks were done? Apparently all they do is check that there is enough money in the bank account to complete the deal. No questions are asked about plans for the future and no commitments are garnered from the new owners. It seems that you can buy any EFL club if you have money, the root of all evil.
The Arsenal football club were bought by Stan Kroenke who seemed to want to take money out, not put it in, and that seems to be the case to this day. Mikel Arteta will have to make a team out of the youngsters coming through the system as little or no money will be provided to purchase ready made footballers in the relevant positions. Arsenal had a setback to the recent run of form last night, only drawing with third placed Leicester City.
Eddie Nketiah was sent off for a tackle that glanced a knee and Jamie Vardy was not sent off for kicking Shkodran Mustafi in the head. Obviously a footballer's knees are far more valuable that a footballer's head. I understand that the media and its pundits set the pattern for how the game is run but it was harsh on the young lad who was only showing enthusiasm.
Brentford are on a good run and it is continuing as they came back from being a goal down to Charlton Athletic running out eventual 2-1 winners. They are within two points of West Bromwich Albion although I am watching WBA against Derby County and the Albion are winning 1-0 as I write this. Come on Derby!
My level 3 and 4 selections are now both at level 4 so I will need a new pick in League One. I will also have to drop ... Southend ... I have been away long enough to forget them. I could probably name the team from 40 years ago but not any more.
The only other necessary potential change is in the National League where Weymouth are involved in the Play-offs but only one of the teams involved will be promoted so there may be nothing to do there along with all the other levels where the leagues were declared null and void.
We HAVE now heard about the Non League Play-offs. I will reiterate the point that we should stop calling the National League and below "Non League" because they are all leagues, simply lower leagues and the phrase "Non League" has similar connotations to other words designed to put down people of other cultures or groups.
It all starts on Friday Night (17th July):
Boreham Wood are at home to FC Halifax Town in Eliminator 1.
It continues on Saturday (18th July):
Yeovil Town are at home to Barnet in Eliminator 2. Points per game got Barnet into the playoffs.
Sunday (19th July) sees the National League North and South get involved.
Altrincham take on Chester in Eliminator 1
Brackley Town take on Gateshead in Eliminator 2
Slough Town take on Dartford in Eliminator 1
Bath City take on Dorking Wanderers in Eliminator 2
Saturday 25th July sees all the semi-finals take place.
National League:
Harrogate v. Winner of Eliminator 1
Notts County v. Winner of Eliminator 2
National North:
York City v. Winner of Eliminator 1
Boston United v. Winner of Eliminator 2
National South:
Havant & Waterlooville v. Winners of Eliminator 1
Weymouth v. Winners of Eliminator 2 (Bath City or Dorking Wanderers, I shall keep my eyes on)
The North and South Finals take place on Saturday 1st August alongside the F.A.Cup Final.
The National League Final takes place on Sunday 2nd August.
From 3rd August we will get a chance to focus on the European competitions.
All other leagues, where the money comes from gate receipts, have been ended incomplete. There are losses to be made by playing matches where no money is coming in. Any club on a tight budget will have trouble surviving and many will need a loan to see them through the summer to the hope of gate receipts in the autumn. Even then, it will take time to recover and some will struggle.
The first to declare and go into administration are Wigan Athletic. The situation seems to be that the club was sold to a Hong Kong consortium who sold the club on for a profit. The new owner Au Yeung is not interested in funding the club so why did he buy it? Presumably Wigan, and many other football clubs are a good bet if you are asset stripping. Turn the assets into money and run back to Hong Kong where the Chinese government will arrest you and lock you in a prison for the rest of your life if you do not repeat everything that they tell you to say.
Now that football is no longer a sport but a professional business deals of this sort are going to become more common. The EFL approved the deal so what checks were done? Apparently all they do is check that there is enough money in the bank account to complete the deal. No questions are asked about plans for the future and no commitments are garnered from the new owners. It seems that you can buy any EFL club if you have money, the root of all evil.
The Arsenal football club were bought by Stan Kroenke who seemed to want to take money out, not put it in, and that seems to be the case to this day. Mikel Arteta will have to make a team out of the youngsters coming through the system as little or no money will be provided to purchase ready made footballers in the relevant positions. Arsenal had a setback to the recent run of form last night, only drawing with third placed Leicester City.
Eddie Nketiah was sent off for a tackle that glanced a knee and Jamie Vardy was not sent off for kicking Shkodran Mustafi in the head. Obviously a footballer's knees are far more valuable that a footballer's head. I understand that the media and its pundits set the pattern for how the game is run but it was harsh on the young lad who was only showing enthusiasm.
Brentford are on a good run and it is continuing as they came back from being a goal down to Charlton Athletic running out eventual 2-1 winners. They are within two points of West Bromwich Albion although I am watching WBA against Derby County and the Albion are winning 1-0 as I write this. Come on Derby!
My level 3 and 4 selections are now both at level 4 so I will need a new pick in League One. I will also have to drop ... Southend ... I have been away long enough to forget them. I could probably name the team from 40 years ago but not any more.
The only other necessary potential change is in the National League where Weymouth are involved in the Play-offs but only one of the teams involved will be promoted so there may be nothing to do there along with all the other levels where the leagues were declared null and void.
We HAVE now heard about the Non League Play-offs. I will reiterate the point that we should stop calling the National League and below "Non League" because they are all leagues, simply lower leagues and the phrase "Non League" has similar connotations to other words designed to put down people of other cultures or groups.
It all starts on Friday Night (17th July):
Boreham Wood are at home to FC Halifax Town in Eliminator 1.
It continues on Saturday (18th July):
Yeovil Town are at home to Barnet in Eliminator 2. Points per game got Barnet into the playoffs.
Sunday (19th July) sees the National League North and South get involved.
Altrincham take on Chester in Eliminator 1
Brackley Town take on Gateshead in Eliminator 2
Slough Town take on Dartford in Eliminator 1
Bath City take on Dorking Wanderers in Eliminator 2
Saturday 25th July sees all the semi-finals take place.
National League:
Harrogate v. Winner of Eliminator 1
Notts County v. Winner of Eliminator 2
National North:
York City v. Winner of Eliminator 1
Boston United v. Winner of Eliminator 2
National South:
Havant & Waterlooville v. Winners of Eliminator 1
Weymouth v. Winners of Eliminator 2 (Bath City or Dorking Wanderers, I shall keep my eyes on)
The North and South Finals take place on Saturday 1st August alongside the F.A.Cup Final.
The National League Final takes place on Sunday 2nd August.
From 3rd August we will get a chance to focus on the European competitions.
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