Football is broken

[Billy bodger]

Rick Parry, EFL chairman in an articulate in the Lancashire Evening Post, says the system is broken. Yes that’s true, he puts up PNE as a well run Club with good owners regularly putting in £10 million just trying to survive in the Championship.

Well what about a well run Club, like Morecambe FC, with a stay away owner, unable to properly fund it and allegedly in some peoples eyes destroying it, are we just collateral damage?

The Football Governance Bill must also help Clubs like Morecambe, they must be given proper teeth that makes owners act properly or the club will be taken over. We should have been helped by the EFL over the sale, but they ignore a Club being dragged down over the 2yrs+ and it will be Morecambe FC who pay, Just like Worcester Warriors, are we on that road?

The EFL board is partly made up with ten directors of Clubs, it’s acted allegedly like a gentlemen's club in some people’s eyes, not in the interests of clubs or the fans.

The bill has to cover all Leagues not just the top 4 leagues, An independent body needed for all football and is well over due.

[redrobo]

If only we could be fortunate enough to have a local benefactor who could give the club £10 million payable back over an extended period ( or not even payable back) so that it would enable the BoDs to buy their and our club back from the current owner and then undertake to get an investor(s) themselves.

I'm certain that an investor or investors would find if far easier to deal with our BoDs and possibly the Trust to ensure a successful partnership going forward.

Problem of course is finding a (local) benefactor in the first place.....

[deadorred70]

Don't think there's any body local with that kind of money,apart from you know who.

[P/T Indie]

It's bonkers that to own a bottom league 2 team you really need to be a multimillionaire willing to loose £1 million a year.

It makes you all a bit disalousioned with it all.

[redrobo]

The EFL based in Preston ( ) appear to be doing very little to assist us in the sale of our club.

Begs the question if it had been one of the bigger boys if their interest would have been the same.... I personally doubt it''''

[Old Man Kensey]

The EFL based in Preston ( ) appear to be doing very little to assist us in the sale of our club.

Begs the question if it had been one of the bigger boys if their interest would have been the same.... I personally doubt it''''

I think you have misunderstood the EFL's role in all this.
They have told the latest potential buyers exactly what they need to provide, as they did with Sarbjot. The fact that neither has done what is asked of them is not down to the EFL.

It is not the EFLs job to sell the club and I am sure that once they have everything they need we will go through the same process as any other club.

[marky No.1]

https://talksport.com/football/3040896/ ... ongge/amp/

[Keith]

The EFL based in Preston ( ) appear to be doing very little to assist us in the sale of our club.

Begs the question if it had been one of the bigger boys if their interest would have been the same.... I personally doubt it''''

I think you have misunderstood the EFL's role in all this.
They have told the latest potential buyers exactly what they need to provide, as they did with Sarbjot. The fact that neither has done what is asked of them is not down to the EFL.

It is not the EFLs job to sell the club and I am sure that once they have everything they need we will go through the same process as any other club.

I totally agree with 'Old Man Kensey'. I can't get my head around why people keep blaming the EFL. What do we want them to do? Disregard the very little power that they actually have? Does RR or others think they should have just sold to Sarbjot, without a 'fit & proper person' process being completed?

Whittingham lies. How the ***k do people still keep getting taken in by him and the bollocks that he spouts? I'm GLAD the EFL are doing their job. I just wish they had more power, not less. If there had been a Football Regulator, who actually had power, we may not have ended up in the mess we currently are. Sadly, I expect that when one comes in, it will be too late for us.

[Billy bodger]

I totally agree with 'Old Man Kensey'. I can't get my head around why people keep blaming the EFL. What do we want them to do? Disregard the very little power that they actually have? Does RR or others think they should have just sold to Sarbjot, without a 'fit & proper person' process being completed?

Whittingham lies. How the ***k do people still keep getting taken in by him and the bollocks that he spouts? I'm GLAD the EFL are doing their job. I just wish they had more power, not less. If there had been a Football Regulator, who actually had power, we may not have ended up in the mess we currently are. Sadly, I expect that when one comes in, it will be too late for us. [/quote]

I recently e-mailed the EFL how they deal with Directors and Owners through the EFL’s Directors and Owners Test. Here is the reply:-

“Hello William
Thank you for your e-mail, we appreciate you getting in touch.

For clarity, all current and prospective owners and directors are continuously subject to the requirements of the EFL’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test. While Club submissions are not publicly available, all relevant persons declared under the test are subject to its conditions on an ongoing basis. At the point in which any relevant person breaches any condition, the League will take action accordingly. Whilst we are unable to comment on any specific ownership matters, we can suggest you read the OADT which can be found in the EFL Regulations HERE. Only at the point that any Club Director be found to be subject to a disqualifying condition will they no longer be able to hold a controlling stake in the Club. Whilst the EFL can disqualify an individual under the conditions of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (OADT), we would not be able to force a sale on any director, as this would always be a matter for Company Law.

You may wish to contact the Club directly should you wish to raise any queries or concerns.
Thank you for contacting the EFL.
Kind Regards Danny.”

The last sentence says it all, they can disqualify an individual under the ‘OADT’, they would however not be able to force a sale on any director, as this would always be a matter for Company Law. (Basically, allegedly, just about why Whittingham and Golding stepped down as Directors, but kept ownership).

How the proposed Football Governance Bill deals with that, will decide how much teeth the new body for football will have.

I have been vocal in calling for the governing body of our National Sport to be given more power, I do realise that that will be complicated, but if it’s set out before you become a owner, or part of signing up to be in the EFL, you know where that will lead if your in serious breach of the laws of the game.

Clubs could before each season should be given a value and therefore its price per share and that is the value of the shares they would at LEAST get if a sale of shares was forced on a director. I dare say that is just fanciful rubbish, but tell that to Clubs that have been ruined by bad owners, what if the governing body was able to step in?

[deadorred70]

The Reading situation looks similar to ours the EFL putting pressure on owner to sell,he's been dilly dallying for ages.Don't shoot me down if i don't know all the ins and outs.