Interesting article:

[Oiram]

https://martinbelam.com/

[Adz]

Covid seems to have created the exact model the efl have been trying for years. More money filtered into fewer clubs.

[Bergen]

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it feels like trying to push ahead with a full league programme, the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy for 2020-21 was a crazy idea".

Eh..yes.

[JimbO]

yep any fool with a bit of foresight could see that this might well happen. At the very minimum EFL trophy or whatever it's called should have been cancelled this year to free up some space for midweek fixtures.

[slacker]

That is indeed interesting, esp the quote from the Col U bod re Ifollow income (or lack of it) distribution in place of gate income.

The squeeze is definitely on for lower (and National) league clubs. Even setting aside that it’s feasible that the season will grind to a halt anyway as clubs get positive covid tests and have to close shop/isolate players & staff, it doesn’t take a maths genius to foresee some Clubs going bust is more likely than not. Let’s hope our investors have deep pockets...

[OyinbO]

And LOFC may go down in history as the club that prompted the second unravelling.

[OyinbO]

And LOFC may go down in history as the club that prompted the second unravelling.

[Dunners]

Interesting article - thanks for posting.

It seems likely that more clubs will experience positive testing as the year progresses, which will cause complications with fixtures and income. Without any redistribution of income throughout the game, clubs going bust is increasingly likely.

[KenleyO]

Great article Oiram
You would think from this that the EFL are trying to starve the 24 smallest clubs out of existence.
Much easier to sell TV rights for a 2 division league that is made up of large towns that people have heard of.
Money is the only thing that they are interested in, and the little community clubs can either go bust or bugger off to non league where the EFL think they belong.
When are the chairmen on the league club going to stand up to these bully boys and tell them where to go?

?

[Oiram]

[quote=KenleyO post_id=140150 time=1600853112 user_id=1147]
Great article Oiram
You would think from this that the EFL are trying to starve the 24 smallest clubs out of existence.
Much easier to sell TV rights for a 2 division league that is made up of large towns that people have heard of.
Money is the only thing that they are interested in, and the little community clubs can either go bust or bugger off to non league where the EFL think they belong.
When are the chairmen on the league club going to stand up to these bully boys and tell them where to go?

?


I agree, what I have found in a strange kind of experience is that the lower leagues have supporters far more loyal and discerning than the huge clubs worth numerous millions. I went to numerous away games when we were sent down to non-league. What I found fascinating was the absolute dedication of the lower league supporters and how knowledgeable they were about their club and how positive they were , looking forward to advancement. I have found that most ‘supporters’ of the big clubs have either never been at all, gone when a free ticket has been spare or watched them play a smaller London Club. The type who do not know ‘their team’ are actually playing that day. It is sad as the real football roots are in the lower leagues and non-league. The money dictates everything above. I remember an article in the Standard by Barry Hearn a few years ago where he said he was the only team trading ‘in the black’ other teams all in the red and the biggest clubs essentially trading insolvent . Along the lines of the old ‘if you owe the bank £500 that is your problem, if you owe them 500k that is their problem!
The ‘monster‘ of the top half of the premier league is so powerful these days that it survived the 2008 banking crisis and seemingly now the Pandemic, in both instances , it is the lower leagues that carry the burden.

[KenleyO]

Supporting a Premier League football club is more akin to brand loyalty than support.
The players all get provided cars from Mercedes, Audi etc so the mugs that 'support' these teams feel they must buy the same to be part of it.
That's why all high end brands want to be involved with the Premier League. It is all about loyalty by association.
Never has top league football been so out of touch with the grass roots that gave birth to it.

I went to Whyteleafe in Surrey to see their 1st qualifying round in the FA cup last night - crowd just over 250. I would rather spend my cash following them than a global branded football club sponsored by some far east betting company, with an airline, car manufacturer, wine maker, sportswear supplier and any other global, financial, media and regional partners they have 'sponsoring' them. It's all a con.

[Max B Gold]

Supporting a Premier League football club is more akin to brand loyalty than support.
The players all get provided cars from Mercedes, Audi etc so the mugs that 'support' these teams feel they must buy the same to be part of it.
That's why all high end brands want to be involved with the Premier League. It is all about loyalty by association.
Never has top league football been so out of touch with the grass roots that gave birth to it.

I went to Whyteleafe in Surrey to see their 1st qualifying round in the FA cup last night - crowd just over 250. I would rather spend my cash following them than a global branded football club sponsored by some far east betting company, with an airline, car manufacturer, wine maker, sportswear supplier and any other global, financial, media and regional partners they have 'sponsoring' them. It's all a con.

That's capitalism baby.

[kokomO]

yep any fool with a bit of foresight could see that this might well happen. At the very minimum EFL trophy or whatever it's called should have been cancelled this year to free up some space for midweek fixtures.

All about the sponsors money I'm afraid. They'd have to pay that back for a start if they dropped any of the cups for breach of contract and thats not a good look when you come to negotiate your next sponsorship deal. Not saying it's right but that's how modern football is run. The first thought is about money.