Mr Popodopolous

Bournemouth also cheated on the way up in 2015 under the old Rules when the sanctions and enforcement were weak, certainly if Promoted. Benefited hugely from that.

It's a factor but at the same time, not necessarily IMO. Albeit add in Parachute Payments minus Solidarity Payments and it becomes a huge potential chasm. The rules are harmonised somewhat between the two divisions, see Nottingham Forest. Albeit Bournemouth in the context of the rest of the League and their Upper Loss limit to 2022 and 2023 being £72m after Allowables are a bit of a mystery. Promotion Bonuses not excluded as the Nottingham Forest case proved. Post the Scott sale we definitely could have spent more than we did. PL- 3 Year Rolling Loss limit £105m plus Allowables (1 year £35m). Championship- 3 Year Rolling Loss Limit £39m plus Allowables (1 Year £13m). There was some debt Writeoff as part of takeover but that surely can't offset losses. EFL very much go in bigger on deductions and sanctions. Birmingham..£9m 3 Year Overspend, 7 pts for overspend, 3 for rising losses, 1 back for cooperation. Derby- Well who knows in the end, they failed 3 Periods and the Settlement was 9 Points with a further 3 suspended. Reading- Overspend was at a level whereby the EFL could go for 12 but Settlement was 6 and 6 suspended pending adherence to a Business Plan which they failed in Spring 2023. Think £18-19m in 2 years the overspend. Sheffield Wednesday- Got -12 for an £18-19m 3 Year Overspend but halved on Appeal as they botched Stadium sale timing wise. These clubs also got Embargoes, Business Plans or both in addition to the League pushing for points. EFL stricter 100%. Albeit clubs voted this in.

I used to do a football Accumulator once a week for fun. Obviously I hoped to win but I wasn't gambling to excess or going with major stakes. Nearly did win a few as well ie a few Accumulators but the odd own goal, dodgy decision often did for my chances...got the odd win on lower end bets, but by no means big on it.

Well that is partially inaccurate for a start. We finished in the top half 3 times in that period. Plus the 2017 Cup run, some other decent Cup games too of course but the 2017-18 great Cup run yes. We hit the top 10 once granted albeit there was top 6 contention in 2017-18 too but we tailed off badly.

In all honesty, I've scanned some other forums and maybe the Two BCFCs are big contrast points but I don't see much debate about the potential impact Forums can only be a snapshot of course, granted.

Interesting snippet on QPR and FFP in the Football League Paper. "Somehow, and it must have been by the skin of their teeth, QPR avoided sanctions. Even more incredibly, they might have dodged the same bullet next season too. Clubs are allowed to lose £39m over a rolling three-year period, meaning that with all permitted deductions and exceptions, QPR's losses would need to decrease by roughly £11m in the current campaign to avoid a breach of PSR. This seems improbable, yet the EFL demands that clubs submit their projected accounts by March 1 and this deadline is usually followed by rumours- as was the case with Leicester recently- that certain Club a are in trouble. So far, QPR have elicited nary a whisper". That is somewhat in line with my own thinking numbers wise.

Pfft. Manning has got back to parity. That is good and the recent trend is very encouraging and thst is broadly good. I was expecting Manning to at last maintain the level and he has via a circuitous route and eventually. Well done. Brought some time, as well as some credit. Credit where due, correct. If he has learned lessons all the better.

I should add, that just before Rotherham and Warne parted ways at home at least and a small sample size vs certain opposition Warne deemed to be stepping up a bit. Now certain metrics maybe srill were outstripped by Goals Scored a bit but that isn't necessarily typical Warne. Srill think Rotherham backed him less than they should that year and Taylor got a higher profile of player at least.

Anything new on this? We gave up a Gambling sponsorship possibly in partial pre-emptive measures. Other clubs have possibly cone similar.. Stoke are owned by, and sponsored by Bet365 on the shirts, for stadium naming rights, wonder if anything else.

I assumed that was Sunderland only, is that a Stoke thing too? Job lot same stewards, both play in red and white..both new grounds went up in 1997.

Owned with extensive commercial ties to a Betting Company Aren't they due to be reforming Football and Gambling soon.

Here's hoping, if Norwich get even a point, you'd need a 4 goal swing in order to save Birmingham and it's unlikely Plymouth capitulate at Home albeit Hull can be high scoring (high conceding too)!

I reckon we are one of the more informed fanbases about the potential for disruption. Read a few forums from time to time..Birmingham fans are one of the least, they seem to have conflated the new T.V. deal with a doubling of fhe TV money as a whole and it going in the spending pot, whereas if they were to read the finer details they would see that Solidarity Payments make up a large chunk so it is £2-2.5m, £3m at a push

I still if fit see Naismith as someone who can help to break the lines, yet offer a bit of stability too. Pass before the pass to a degree? Then the ability to drop and switch between a back 3 and back 4 in-game..can anyone else in our midfield play in both a back 3 and deepest midfield?

Stokes is a bit more of an attack minded player I thought? Naismith can also slot into central midfield or deeper anyway, as well as CB in a back 4 and into a back 3. I hope we can retain Williams and James...

Without a doubt if we reach the PL the demand is, should be there to fill it and more. One note, of we ever get there as it stands the Away allocation rule is 3k, or 10% of capacity- whatever is lower so there's that. I'd hope, if possible if we get up we can open at least some of the Atyeo to Home fans and or freshly push back on the 4.2k to 3,414 reduction by stealth to assist with this.

I wonder if it was one of those that was neither a penalty or a dive, you get them sometimes.

Plus Southampton. Ipswich on the crest of a wave will be rather high.

How far back do you go and how do you define pitch invading? I recall when the final home game, it was a bit of a tradition. 2000 v Preston wheb we finished midtable in the 3rd tier I definitely recall, unsure about Norwich the prior year. Certainly v Rotherham for very good reason, vs Palace a year on ditto. Took a few years away from City for varied reasons but followed from afar. Or do you mean individual pitch invaders?

I wonder if Vyner will be back or is there no real point v Stoke Away? As in playing for 11th, 10th at best.

I forgot to add, sublime free kick by Twine today. Really nice. Winning free kicks too with his creativity, his ability to carry at times. We've missed that for a while..Scott did win them in both halves which was a major asset.

Shame if that is the last we have seen of James at Ashton Gate.

Evans reckons our penalty was a dive, make of it what you will. Certainly softer than some of the good and nailed on shouts we had waved away under NP..high boot to the head of Wells v Watford before the World Cup in late 2022 sticks in the mind.

Moving towards parity now. 11 wins, 30 games..41 points. We are doing okay. Manning has turned it round from looking under serious pressure- the intent in 4 or 5 of the last 7 has been strong, Rounding off with a win at Stoke would be excellent, give us a chance of 10th even. Rohl and Cifuentes, wow take a bow given where they were at point of takeover. *Sheffield Wednesday- 0 Wins 3 Draws 11 Games. *QPR- 2 Wins, 8 Points, 14 Games. Sunderland are of interest, after they beat Plymouth in mid February..

I've checked, dunno about dreadful- matter of opinion but he has missed some big chances earlier in the season, notably Southampton Away. 10 League Goals, 5 of them penalties..funnily enough the 2 at Rotherham especially the winner were really like the Conway who burst onto the scene IMO. I digress, 1 site says 38 League games, 1.4 shots per game. 53.2 shots, 18.89% Conversion Rate if we assume 53. Albeit he won the penalty today. 5/5 Penalties, 5 Goals, 48.2 shots.. 10.37%. 10.42% if we round down total shots. Think his ratio is quite decent for a player of his age, with two medium term injuries already, in a side who this year weren't giving the right sort of service for a while.