Is It Too Late?

Having beaten both Wolves and Sheff Wed away, and stuffed Blackburn at home, we let you down at Peterborough giving away a couple of soft penalties in the last 20 minutes.

Now it's Barnsley up for us tomorrow night, and was wondering whether you reckon the result matters for you, or is it all over?

 

No probs Wizey. Best of luck anyway.

 

Thank you, thats really kind for you to think of us, but sadly it's a little too late to save us, but thanks for the offer God!

 

Bless you my son.

 

I'm hoping they hold out until Hull away. That particular game is live on Sky and we have a relegation party planned.

 

Yes it's too late

 

Don't you come over here peddling your Class A for that party mate, be like Sammo of Grange Hill just say NO!

 

We are down,no doubt about it,we deserve it as well.

 

That’s honest enough guys, but doesn’t it highlight some unfair advantages amongst Championship clubs that need to be levelled out.

Several contentious issues such as parachute payments, wealthy foreign owners, good quality players, taking advantage of the loan system, and decent stadiums for supporters should all be taken into consideration. Some sort of handicap system could be considered – something like a 5 or 10 point deduction applied to those that chose to go down that road.

All of the top 7 in the table would suffer similarly on those principles and it wouldn't affect matters much, but it would have far more effect at the bottom. Amongst the bottom 7 clubs, Wolves and Blackburn would certainly fall into that bracket and could be penalised to make it a more level playing field.

On the other hand, clubs having local owners, poor playing staff and derelict stadiums in which to watch them could be provided with some support. Perhaps a 5 or 10 point addition for them would be appropriate?

Or would that just be rewarding Luddite principles and stifle ambition?

 

There are two very simple ways to to make the Championship a more level playing field for all clubs.

FFP should be more clearly defined especially in the grey areas of "Sponsorship" packages. For example, an owner may be able to get away with let's say £10 million per season to sponsor the corner flags or the name of the training ground as Man Utd did yesterday.

Parachute payments must be totally eliminated! I know why they exist; it's not to be able to keep the players that they have under contract as most of the good ones DO NOT WANT TO PLAY IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ANYWAY.

The parachute payment system was introduced to do everything possible to ensure that a relegated club would have so much more money to get good enough players to win promotion back to the Pre at the first time of asking.And thus perpetuate membership of the Great and Greedy league.

This would also have an effect on the Premier league, because those clubs who know that they will be probable candidates for relegation will have to use much more financial restraint when agreeing contracts. And this would help to push these stupid wage levels that we too often hear about, down to more sensible levels. All clubs within the league system would thus benefit. Probably all the way down to the Conference.

There is a down side though to squeezing wage levels at Premiership clubs; Many of the itinerant foreigners would go elsewhere and that would give an opportunity to British players currently in the Championship to go to the Prem and do well. Thus the quality that we are currently seeing at Championship, Leagues One and Two would be lowered.
Yes I know that for City fans, we are feeling a bit tender and the quick answer is "What quality at City"? But look at some players like Bellamy, Schmeichel, Doyle, Ebanks-Blake, Zaha, Rhodes, Adomah, Whittingham and you see the sort of names that would be missing.

But, I for one, would prefer a more level playing field in the Championship with some reduction in player quality, than the system which currently operates and which creates so little opportunity for many clubs.

 

I think it's up to the PL to make the gap in money less between the PL and the Championship for ALL clubs, not just the relegated ones.
In theory this would reduce the numbers of clubs spending ridiculous amounts of money they don't have, chasing a pot of gold

 

Its very tight at the bottom but to be realistic with just a few games to go then yes i think you are down, Who will join you is anyones guess and wont be decided until the last kick of the ball with so many teams in the frame...

 

**** I've only just realised we can't make the play offs

 

The three clubs near the bottom, who have the least to spend are Barnsley, Peterborough and ourselves. Posh have done very well in the loan market thanks to Daddy. However, I expect the three of us to go down.

But I am proud in some ways that we have stuck to our principles and not gone for the boom or bust approach. I would not want to be a QPR fan in the next 3 years.

 

40M in debt? Seems pretty high to me. That has been accumulated over the previous 4 or 5 years right?

 

and your point is ?

I am talking about the last 3 months when we could have signed Jason Scotland and Leroy Lita and players like that on big wages, but instead stuck with what we had, good enough or not. (clearly not, based on results).

If you want to live in the past Chris then go ahead. I think BCFC have made some tough, but necessary decisions.

And we are not £40m in debt. If you take that approach then Chelsea and Man City and Cardiff are £100m's in debt. And Man Utd are £750m in debt.

 

Alright stroppy bollocks. Man U, Chelsea etc can obviously afford to be in such debt as they are winners, and get gates of 40k + week in week out. You are not, and do not

 

Its a £40m loss over 3/4 years that has been paid by SL as his investment in to the club

Its not a debt..

Whats difficult about that?