Clubs in trouble

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Last night the central heating failed, so I stumbled down to the garage to stare at the boiler and as I wandered disconsloately around having failed to persuade it to come back to life by force of will I stumbled across a copy of The Sun tucked down behind it.

Having first turned to Page 3 (sadly the previous owner had removed it) I went to the back page where there was a story about Portsmouth by Brian Woolnough which started:

"Portsmouth, debt-ridden and relegated, will be sold for £1 million at the end of the week"

The date? 11th May 1988.

In other news, Martin Keown had been picked for the Under-21s alongside the likes of Paul Gascoigne (who was apparently being lined up for a £2m move to ManU), Teddy Sheringham and err... Julian Dicks. Wimbledon had been handed a "massive boost" when Terry Gibson had declared himself fit for Saturday's Cup Final against Liverpool, Ian Botham had scored just 86 runs in 7 innings so far that season, Zola Budd had naffed off back to South Africa and Princess Di had had to "rush her Harry to hospital for hernia op" and an overdose of alliteration.

Oh, and you could win (if you were very unlucky) an MG Metro Turbo (0-60 in 9.9 seconds!) worth £8,000.

[ADVILLAFAN]

And we'd just secured promotion back to the top flight with a 0-0 draw at Swindon.

[Mike Jeffries]

On a slightly lower level, word has it that Farsley Celtic have been wound up and will cease to exist from today.

Another club fucked up by an over-ambitious owner who chased league football with a club that barely got 400 fans through the turnstiles when in The Conference.

Their game at AFC Telford in Conference North last night, got cancelled (in the morning!) as administrators at Farsley Celtic, pulled the plug on the only offer to buy the club, because the administrators fee has not been agreed! (Apparently)

In the end 800 folks turned up to see AFC Telford beat a Wolves reserves team 4 – 0, as both clubs had worked together as Wolves reserve match also got cancelled that morning!

Quite a few of Telford’s match staff agreed to go unpaid last night, to limit the financial loss! (Touch of luck that Wolves reserves play some of their games at the Bucks Head).

[KONSPIRACY]

Last night the central heating failed, so I stumbled down to the garage to stare at the boiler and as I wandered disconsloately around having failed to persuade it to come back to life by force of will I stumbled across a copy of The Sun tucked down behind it.

Surely thats a fire risk! :O

[Guy M]

BBC: Portsmouth given £30m plus price tag by administrator

I know we have the wherewithal to finish the season, though there will have to be cost cutting from top to bottom

From top to bottom? Yes, I'm sure its the excessive wages the club's been paying the cleaners, the catering staff, the stewards and the like that's seen the club get into the state it is.

That comment has really annoyed me this morning. And the whole football creditors first thing is winding me up more. I think I've actually turned and hope HMRC do go after them for the money owed, because I just can't see why they and other creditors get chucked to the bottom of the pile while agents and the like still seemingly get everything they're "owed".

Oh and doesn't it make the reported £64m it cost Randy to buy us look good business?!

[damon loves JT]

BBC: Portsmouth given £30m plus price tag by administrator

I know we have the wherewithal to finish the season, though there will have to be cost cutting from top to bottom

I am beginning to think that I don't like this administrator. He likes being on the telly too much. What kind of accountant offers himself up as a soundbite to SSN?

[TopDeck113]

An administrator (or, indeed, receiver) is only interested in two things: realising as much money as he can on behalf of his client - and his fee.

So to answer your question, Damon: presumably one who realises that the media's interest in Premier League football can be harnessed for his and his client's benefit.

[eamonn]

An administrator (or, indeed, receiver) is only interested in two things: realising as much money as he can on behalf of his client - and his fee.

So to answer your question, Damon: presumably one who realises that the media's interest in Premier League football can be harnessed for his and his client's benefit.

It's a dirty world.

[damon loves JT]

I suppose. I just have an irrational suspicion of people who want to be on TV.

[BannedUserIAT]

From The Guardian:

Leeds United's owners declared fit and proper but can remain anonymous

• They are all above board, says Leeds' holding company
• Politicians and fan groups condemn Football League

Politicians from the three main parties and football supporters' groups have united in calling for the Football League to make public who owns its clubs after the league approved as "fit and proper" the offshore owners of Leeds United while keeping their identity private.

The sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, said: "Fans of any football club have a right to know who the owners are. We want to see greater supporter representation in the running of football clubs and far greater accountability. The League should insist on clubs making public to their supporters who owns them."

He was joined by the Conservative shadow sports minister, Hugh Robertson, who argued: "As with Parliament and many other areas of public life, transparency is going to be an increasing requirement and expectation. That includes publicly identifying the owners of football clubs. Football should reform its governance, to include greater supporter representation on the board of clubs."

That call was echoed by the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate, Phil Willis, who has long criticised the anonymity of Leeds' ownership, routed via companies in offshore tax havens. "At the very least, supporters of a club have a right to know who owns it. As an act of faith and goodwill, I hope the Leeds United board now publish the documentation they have presented to the Football League so that all sense of mystery can be removed."

The Premier League does now require its clubs to publish the names of all shareholders with stakes of 10% or more, but the Football League does not. Instead, clubs must tell the League's chairman, Lord Mawhinney, and three other senior executives, who the ultimate owners are, but the information is not made public.

Leeds have declined requests from the Guardian, following the League's ratification, to say who the ultimate owners are. The only response this week came from Peter Boatman of Château Fiduciare, the Geneva-based financial administrator of Leeds' holding company, Forward Sports Fund. "It is not necessary for you to have that information," he said.

The politicians were joined by the Leeds United Supporters Club, the national Football Supporters' Federation and Supporters Direct in calling for League clubs' owners to be publicly identified. "Like all football clubs, Leeds United's character is that of a public institution wrapped in a privately owned business and that creates a mismatch," said Dave Boyle, the chief executive of Supporters Direct. "The authorities can recognise that public nature by sending a clear message: you can remain a private anonymous citizen, and you can own a football club, but you cannot do both."

Boatman was named last May as an FSF director and confirmed this week he had passed the fit and proper person test. He pointed to the progress Leeds have made on the field and financially this season, and said questions about who owns the club would be seen as unwelcome criticism with the club pushing for promotion. He added that no information has been withheld from the League.

Summing up Leeds' position under the current ownership, Boatman said: "The situation at the football club has improved immensely, which is very satisfying when some other clubs are in serious financial trouble. We have never denied information to the Football League and although I cannot confirm or deny who the shareholders are, the only thing I can say about the structures we control is that they are all above board."

The League's approval of Leeds' owners follows inquiries it began in October after the Guardian revealed that the club's chairman, Ken Bates, had revised his account of its ownership at a court case in Jersey. In January last year, Bates' solicitors told Jersey's royal court, which is hearing a dispute between Leeds and a finance company, Admatch, that he and his long term financial adviser, Patrick Murrin, jointly owned "management shares" in the club's holding company, the Forward Sports Fund.

In May, Bates swore an affidavit stating that the previous statement had been "not correct" and "an error on my part". In fact, he stated, he did not own a management share in FSF. The affidavit attached a letter from Château Fiduciare, which said FSF had 10,000 shares, owned by shareholders who have not been named.

The League confirmed it had written to Leeds seeking clarification because directors and 30% shareholders in its clubs must be identified to it and passed as fit and proper people who have no recent criminal convictions and have not run a football club into insolvency twice. The League made no further comment until a spokesman said last month: "The Football League has concluded its enquiries regarding Leeds United's fit and proper persons test documentation and has addressed the issues raised with the club. Following further information from Leeds, the League is now satisfied that the club is compliant with Football League regulations."

No further details have been released. Sutcliffe this week acknowledged the moves the League has made in securing detailed financial information from clubs and requiring outstanding tax to be paid, but said "more can still be done" to make clubs more transparent. A League source said clubs currently have "no appetite" to introduce a rule requiring their owners to be made public.

Mawhinney, who is due to retire this month after seven years in which he has overseen a series of reforms, did indicate that he believes the League should go further. "We have come a long way," he said. "Clubs cannot play in our league unless we know who the beneficial owners are. Could we do more? Yes – but it is a matter of priorities. Eventually I think football will be strengthened if the ownership of clubs goes public."

[Pete]

So, Chester City are gone. I've no real feeling about them either way, but it's a shame to see such an old club going out of existence.  

Cardiff and Southend given more time to pay their tax bills.

Clicky

[AV82EC]

So, Chester City are gone. I've no real feeling about them either way, but it's a shame to see such an old club going out of existence.  

Cardiff and Southend given more time to pay their tax bills.

Clicky

Spent about 10 years in Chester and my ex Bruv in Law and his dad were big CCFC fans.  I went down quite a lot even going to away games in the season they got promoted back to the Football League.  Nice little club who had one of the best fanzines ever "The Onion Bag".

This of course means the only International local derby in World Football is no more.  Chester v Wrexham RIP.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

So, Chester City are gone. I've no real feeling about them either way, but it's a shame to see such an old club going out of existence.

Memories of the League Cup semi-final at Villa Park in 1975 will stay with me forever. Fantastic night.

[robbyfvillain]

I went to a Wrexham v Chester derby game and the hatred was tangible. Only 6000 in the ground as well.

I believe Chesters original ground lay partly in Wales as well as England which was why they used to play in the Welsh cup many many years ago.

Shame they've gone but I believe there will be a phoenix club set up shortly. Perhaps they'll be called Chester 2010!

[Chico Hamilton III]

I believe Chesters original ground lay partly in Wales as well as England which was why they used to play in the Welsh cup many many years ago.

True about half their ground being in Wales and the other half in England (Sealand Road was it?).

But that's not the reason they played in the Welsh Cup.

Stourbridge reached the final of the Welsh Cup in the mid 70s. Absolutely no idea what the criteria for entering was.

Shame though