Mr Popodopolous

It's fair to say that Bury are not going quietly- or their fans at least! https://www.burytimes.co.uk/sport/17871024.forever-bury-refuse-rule-legal-action-efl-letter/ I think there could be a very real debate to be had as to whether the EFL followed their own rules in terms of the expulsion. You'd assume they had but pretty questionable IMO...

Article about a salary cap in the Football League! Except just click on it and note the date . The will clearly just isn't, if it ever was, there. One more thing. Anyone know where the EGM of the 72 is??

I certainly agree with the sentiment. The only slight caveat I would add is price of football rising, even at lower levels, and a lot of these towns aren't terribly well off...after all many of the ex bankrupt or indeed voted out of the League sides down the years were from Northern areas. Always should support local side where possible though, absolutely!

Read something online well just a Tweet about Bury in NW Counties League. Making a few assumptions here but surely that'd be AFC Bury or something, don't see who would buy it if the expulsion upheld? Plus would be next season I suspect. Bolton- Big Sam return in some capacity at all possible? Wages notwithstanding of course!

There's been a few! https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/sport/the-football-leagues-lost-clubs/ It also misses out Newport.

Once adjusted for inflation etc. Yep. Such a relatively low number, according to an inflation calculator- well fill your boots. That's the total debt, but the Football League basically was a case of computer said no despite the fact it'd have saved them and brought time. https://www.officialdata.org/uk/inflation/1962?amount=43566

Said it the other day but worth reiterating- smacks a LOT of Accrington Stanley 1962, this final phase. That was as of yesterday. Accrington Stanley 1962. EFL though technically a different organisation as Football League all one thing then, and not exactly identical circumstances, have YET AGAIN done the wrong thing by a club with potential for being saved at the last!!

Looks all over now- subject to legal action etc. Further Nixon update/Tweet.

Yeah, wondered that myself- was simply hoping that it was for a reprieve of some sort.

Hmm... Does this mean an AGM or in this instance, an EGM required for expulsion I wonder? Presumably by "the League" it means the 72 clubs as opposed to merely the board- or would the board suffice for such a decision, if an insolvency event happens?

Agreed- a lot of regulation, both existing that isn't properly enforced, upgraded and fresh all needed now. Agree about the tip of the iceberg risk too, a report a few years ago which I'll try to find, said something about 3/4 of EFL clubs being in trouble or maybe over the next 10 years.- may well have been referring to mainly the bottom 2 divisions. Rules in Championship may well be okay, it's the enforcement or lack of that's the issue I think. Likewise 55% of turnover in League Two and 60% in League One seems okay...but chairman can then put in loads and it classes as turnover so that one needs a change for one! Could keep existing rules albeit amended and tightened, and additionally implement monthly monitoring of finances by the EFL of the 72 and the first sign a club hits financial distress, there is an automatic embargo- as a holding position, they cannot make the situation worse. That is one way- you are right though a balance needs to be struck which is why I am wary of wage caps or % of turnover split, at this level for example- it goes just eg £100m PL, £41m for year one parachute payments and say £7-8m for a typical Championship club. The £41m also gets some of the revenues a Championship club might get- these payments need reform as well, or some conditionality added and I've thought this for a long time. Could also take some from parachute payments and have it filter down to the bottom 2 divisions, whose need is pretty desperate it seems- a redistribution of that bit of redistribution. Think no doubt reform is necessary and overdue but they need to be very careful for the reasons that you state. The other possible law of unintended consequence, is make them too tight and too strait jacketed, and good investors may be more reluctant, may give up- and Unfit and improper ones maybe some of the only ones who want to do it- Asset strippers, Fraudsters, Idiots to name 3...

Sadly, will closer to that than my wishlist I fear... Still, the first one on my list WILL be addressed, I'm sure of it. The rest are for another day.

Hmmmmm... EFL meeting at midday. Here's MY hope of what will be announced- obviously a reversal and saving but also, a bit of a wishlist: Bury saving. A FULL investigation into both Bolton and Bury, with legal action against the likes of Anderson, Dale, and yes Harvey etc if failings applicable and punishable by law are found. New Independent body for EFL financial regulation- TRULY independent. Changes to certain FFP loopholes, which should never have been lifted in the first place. Perhaps dare I dream, an investigation into certain clubs who exploited said loopholes- a full and independent one at that, with FFP submissions retrospectively adjusted and points docked if necessary- with the punishment for Aston Villa either to be applied by PL or kept in reserve for if/when they return. Obviously the first one is the main one but any of the other 4 would be excellent and a very nice bonus. Long overdue in the case of 3 and 4 as well!

Good piece, these issues have been in the offing for a while and Shaun Harvey, the EFL. https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/blackpool-fc/gazette-opinion-bury-s-expulsion-a-tragic-inevitability-after-efl-ignored-blackpool-s-warning-signs-1-9960170 The Bury thing could be taking a very interesting twist now.

Here's a thing about Bury. League Two version of SCMP actually has wage caps- to a point, so does League One. Think it's 60% in League One and 55% in League Two- sensible right? When is a wage cap not a wage cap? When the owner can put in an unlimited amount to count towards turnover... NOT A BLOODY WAGE CAP THEN IS IT!! Turnover £1m, therefore you can spend £550k or £600k on wages- eminently sustainable. Owner lumps in £4m, you can just multiply that! Easily exceeding 100% of turnover on wages. A pure, hard and fast breakeven requirement surely the only way to hard and fast prevent except for good investment eg properly finances stadia, training grounds, academy etc- that aside, all standard costs eg wages, fees etc must not exceed turnover.

Seen a great and symbolic Tweet on this theme. IF the EFL don't do the right thing and give this bid a full opportunity, I hope this might happen.

Indeed downend. To say nothing of their ultra compliant, no doubt at all about it accounting period matching transaction- both perfectly in line and no doubt timely by Sheffield Wednesday...

Another blast from the past. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-maidstone-resign-from-league-as-debts-rise-henry-winter-on-the-demise-of-another-football-1541125.html Is the problem now less bad, or worse than in 1992 do we think? Also note the name in bold is a familiar one...how has he justified sticking in that position for so long!

That is excellent news.

Looked it up and just dug this out. https://www.buryfc.co.uk/news/2018/december/free-ifollow-video-new-chairman-steve-dale--director-matt-mccarthy/ Started watching about a minute in- it really has not aged well! Dale's opening press conference. Totally yet unsurprisingly flies in the face of what he said the other day.

I do get that yeah, but given the August Bank Holiday with the impact on business that can have, I'd have been inclined to extend one more day- it's hard to work out with so many claims and counterclaims though. 11th hour bid- like I say claims and counterclaims but perhaps it was seen as highly likely that the other bid would go through- perhaps (unlikely) one of the Directors is a Bury fan we really have no idea.

I could be getting the late offers mixed up. There is a story from this morning that a company called SJ Global had deposited money. It CAN happen though doubtful- in 1962, Accrington Stanley put in their notice to withdraw from League. Withdrawal accepted- not long after, maybe a few days someone came in and deposited £10,000 (in cash back then, not now) which was around 1/4 of their total debt, to be paid back whenever suits the club but importantly their more pressing debt was £4,000. Still the proof was there in the actual money- over to the Football League if they would but reverse the decision. They did not. Accrington Stanley limped on for 4 more years before going bust. Reformed 1968 and eventually, brilliantly returned in their new guise in 2006 replacing Oxford- the very side who replaced them. My point is though it seems unlikely, there could be something in it. SJ Global International, provided it is the same company. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/08/28/head-efl-rules-reprieve-expelled-bury/ No idea what's happened with fonts, text size etc. Bit more on it- 1am, EFL supposedly aware of it at 23.05 Tuesday night. The Accrington Stanley of this era?

It was a last ditch bid it appears. Plus of course, the chance to try to get the best possible price, debt reduction, desperation etc etc- bit of brinkmanship thrown in there?

Didn't in 1962 with Accrington- more enlightened times now? IF bona fide, worth one more crack I think.

The only surefire way to solve it- and I mean surefire- is to ensure clubs cannot make a loss of any kind, save for infrastructure investments that can't be clawed back by a chairman whose interest wanes. Break Even save for infrastructure etc or NO license. Problem is, who would vote for that? @Super That's really spookily similar to Accrington 1962 if accurate, having done a bit of reading into that- Football League didn't do the right thing in 1962 with that potential offer... Back to now, this might be the story I linked earlier developing I think. Hope somehow it will work for Bury!