Football Focus

[Ron Ron Ron]

.....clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool carry vast amounts of debt that require regular Champions League participation, a huge fan-base, or rich sugar-daddys to keep them afloat.

 

Teams such as these are in really serious trouble if their owners walk away....

Utd are are completely different case from the other two used in your example.

Firstly the owner will not walk away as the club has a very high value (over a Billion ££'s), has a huge annual income and trades at a profit. If the Glazer family wanted out, they would only be interested in selling for a big profit.

The problem for Utd is having to divert huge amounts of income to service the debts the Glazers lumped on the club as a result of their leveraged acquisition of Utd.

Secondly; of course they need the Champions League income and the huge fan-base, but that's the level at which Utd have always operated at, especially since the formation of the EPL. It's quite a different scenario to that where a club hocks itself up to the eyeballs in an attempt to compete at a higher level (be it the EPL or CL), or depends on a "sugar-daddy" for their survival.

 

One of the other clubs you use in your example, City, are a prime example of a loss making club entirely at the mercy of their rich owner. If the Sheik wasn't there to convert their huge annual losses into equity, they would be in a very precarious state.

 

Back to Pompey; just how much time will the administrator allow, or be allowed to get the club sorted out - a seemingly impossible task unless a genuine buyer comes in ? ...and that seems highly unlikely at the present.

 

 

.

[oggy1953]

Claude Dreyfus - I agree with you. ....The Premiership money bubble must surely burst one day, and what will happen then ? As i have said before on here its just a matter of time before we lose the 'big four' to a european league, and heaven help the rest of us as Sky money will surely follow. In fact it will Probably be known as the Sky League..

[tommy mac]

So how do we all think man utd will fare tonight!, I've booked the telly tonight! I would say 2-1 utd(yes i am a "scum" fan!)

[Ron Ron Ron]

So how do we all think man utd will fare tonight!, I've booked the telly tonight! I would say 2-1 utd(yes i am a "scum" fan!)

Well now you know .... 4-0 (7-2 on aggregate).

 

:icon_e_biggrin: :icon_e_biggrin: :icon_e_biggrin: :icon_e_biggrin:

 

.

[dseagull]

Hailsham Town 1 - Selsey 2

 

They came from way out west, and conquered. Whether they deserved to or not is a moot point. Hailsham began well, with Alexander's looping header hitting the post early on, before Selsey took the lead when a useful cross was fumbled into the path of the forward, who couldn't miss from 2 yards out. With half time looming though, after a decent spell of pressure, the Stringers regained the lead, when a marvellous solo run gave Ryan Alexander the goal his excellent performance deserved - he took it round three, then the 'keeper, before rolling it into the net - despite being stamped on early on, the offender getting away with a yellow. With things evenly poised at the break, the second half began quietly - a couple of half chances for both teams, as well as a ridiculous booking for Nick Barden, who incurred the wrath of today's card happy referee by taking a free kick too quickly - despite the wall being lined up, and everyone else in position. Selsey then regained the lead, the ball forced home from close range after a well worked move. After that? Putland flashed one wide, Hinshelwood hooked a goalbound effort off the line, and at the other end, Dean Stevens made a fine clearance with the ball goalbound. Neither side were at their best today, but I think we deserved at least a point.

[dseagull]

 

No Comment

 

That's groundsman Joey on the left, who starred as Centre Forward for Ringmer when they became the first Village Club to reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup in 1970. And don't we know it

[oggy1953]

 

No Comment

 

That's groundsman Joey on the left, who starred as Centre Forward for Ringmer when they became the first Village Club to reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup in 1970. And don't we know it

 

 

Full house then ! LOL but not taking the mickey. I sometimes go to watch Hoddesdon town in the Spartan League, and 25 is a normal gate..

[dseagull]

Full house then ! LOL but not taking the mickey. I sometimes go to watch Hoddesdon town in the Spartan League, and 25 is a normal gate..

 

Alan, our programme editor took it and emailed it over. He also managed to miss fellow regulars Percy, the two Johns, John's lad, Lee and Graham as well - The official gate was 63, but it's only the hardcore who stand down this end (there isn't a hardstanding path yet!)

[dseagull]

Hailsham Town 0 - Arundel 2

Our winless run goes on, after a 2-0 defeat on a very foggy (standing at one corner, couldn't see the other goal for much of the second half, or the corner flag for the entire game) - and chilly - night. We began fairly brightly, Whiteman skewing an effort out for a throw after Barden's excellent free kick. Arundel took the lead with around 10 minutes of the first half remaining - Axell with a low, powerful effort which beat Jenner at the near post. The second half began better - only a whisker away from an equaliser through Leon Cumming when he just failed to connect with another Barden free kick. From then on - apart from a weak header straight into the arms of the 'keeper and a fine run and drive from Alexander which could only earn a corner - it was all Arundel, and things were wrapped up when Jenner's decent block fell kindly to an Arundel forward with 20 or so to play. Not a vintage performance, although to be fair we had a few - Ducille, Putland, Brockwell, Reeve and Leatham - out. Whatever the team though, we weren't good enough tonight.

 

There's a goal up that end, somewhere...

[BoD]

Amazing result from Fulham

 

Hasn't Roy Hodgson done a cracking job down there?

[Red Devil]

Amazing result from Fulham

 

Hasn't Roy Hodgson done a cracking job down there?

 

 

Superb result and a brilliant job by Roy Hodgson.

 

I watched a very rare sight tonight, 45 minutes of reserve team action, from ....................Owen Hargreaves Yep, he's still alive and (nearly) well

Hope he can manage to get back to something like the player he was, don't know if he will as supposedly his knee injury was as bad as they come.

[BOARD OF TRADE]

Liverpool fan myself but the result of the night is Fulham,Top man Roy Hodgson.

[dseagull]

I understand Mr Capello was at Craven Cottage. I understand Lord Bob had a stormer.

 

Take him to the World Cup!

[spongebob]

Anyone cop for the fat Argentinian junkie in the stand at Liverpool? Was supposed to do a half time interview for channel 5 apparently. He got as far as waddling into the studio and promptly waddled straight back out.

Zamora for England? Are we that screwed? More likely a recall for Owen first Id've thought.

 

As for points deduction for going into administration. I believe it was based on the example of several clubs a few years ago who used it as a means to wipe out their debt. This was seem as an unfair advantage as no further penalty was being imposed by the league.

One club (mabye Rotherham) took further advantage of the points deduction by waiting until just before the final whistle on the last day of the season where the right result would've kept them up and went into administration when it became clear they would be relegated anyway, took the points deduction at the end of that season rather than the start of the next and prompted a further revision to the rules. Leeds got a double hit for the method they came out of administration (there is something shady about going into administration then the club being sold back to the person who put them in, even the administrator in that case strikes you as somewhat iffy)

 

Spare a thought for Farsley Celtic who have just gone out of business in much the same way Chester City did, both having their results for this season wiped from the records.

[BoD]

watched a very rare sight tonight, 45 minutes of reserve team action, from ....................Owen Hargreaves Yep, he's still alive and (nearly) well .

 

That's good to hear. I recall him playing in a 'minor' tournament for England when very few thought he should have been selected. He was the only English player on display to look anything like good enough.

[Steve K]

Well, as I've stated before, I'm a Chelsea fan, so by rights, I should be unhappy this week. However, I'm absolutely chuffed for Roy Hodgson and the team - that result has made my year! Just a shame the match wasn't picked up by "normal" TV, so I had to follow it on text, with the occasional flick over to Sky Sports News to see what was occurring.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but after the Fulham result, I'm actually looking forward to the Europa League quarter-final draw at 12.00 today... so much so, in fact, that I'll save my criticism of the farcical nature of this tournament (and the Champions League, too - that's been just as badly ruined) for another time!

[62613]

 

One club (mabye Rotherham) took further advantage of the points deduction by waiting until just before the final whistle on the last day of the season where the right result would've kept them up and went into administration when it became clear they would be relegated anyway, took the points deduction at the end of that season rather than the start of the next and prompted a further revision to the rules. Leeds got a double hit for the method they came out of administration (there is something shady about going into administration then the club being sold back to the person who put them in, even the administrator in that case strikes you as somewhat iffy)

 

Spare a thought for Farsley Celtic who have just gone out of business in much the same way Chester City did, both having their results for this season wiped from the records.

 

 

Leeds did that as well. The Chester collapse has at least got rid of one rogue from the game.....now how do we get rid of KB?

[dseagull]

If anything good can come of the sad demise of Chester, it is that messers Vaughan and Maison are no longer (currently) involved with football.

 

I hope they aren't ever again.

 

In better news;

 

This week I got a very competitive quote for a 100 seater stand for Hailsham Town FC. When I say very competitive, it's still nearly 20k, but a lot better than other prices I'd noted. Currently planning fundraising campaigns - including letters to the '92', as well as the 12 SPL clubs, for Merchandise to auction off/offers of presason friendlies.

 

If anyone wants to contribute, contact me - 'The RMWeb Stand' has a nice ring to it...

 

Also; Week off work booked after Easter - I'll be spending it doing some painting at the ground, as well as digging out the footings for a new hardstanding path on two sides of the pitch.

 

On the pitch, we go to Shoreham tomorrow - a ground I've not done before, which is always nice, and the Youth Team are at home on Sunday morning, so that'll be another game (taking me close to 50 for the season I would have thought)

[dseagull]

Shoreham 0 - Hailsham Town 1

 

After a quick dash along the A27, we arrived at Shoreham to see a pleasingly strong teamsheet, with Cooper and Schaaf up front. It was Shoreham who came closest early on - a poor shot after a decent move - before Hailsham began to get a bit of a foothold in the game, and found the pace and close control of Tristan Jarvis a real menace to the Shoreham defence. Both sides had first half efforts cleared off the line, and Shoreham wasted an indirect free kick, somewhat dubiously awarded for a backpass. It was a day to forget for Shoreham's Dean Smith, who first took a ball in the face, and was then injured with a challenge just before the break which saw him carried off. Hailsham began the second half very brightly, creating a couple of early chances, including a superbly worked free kick - quickly taken by Barden, and volleyed just over by Ashley Jarvis, before Sam Schaaf scored what would prove the only goal of the game, a delicate chip over the 'keeper on an increasingly heavy pitch. The goal came minutes after Shoreham could have been down to ten men - a sliding, lunging challenge on Tristan Jarvis only deemed worthy of a booking. Shoreham threw caution to the wind, but found Jenner in inspired form in the Stringers goal. It could have been two - Schaaf getting the benefit of an offside call - but could only lift the ball onto the roof of the net. Jenner's heroics in the final moments kept the three points secure, and the journey back down the A27 was a very noisy one - great result, and a very determined, workmanlike performance to boot, capped with a fine goal.

[62613]

If anything good can come of the sad demise of Chester, it is that messers Vaughan and Maison are no longer (currently) involved with football. Here Here

 

I hope they aren't ever again.

 

In better news;

 

This week I got a very competitive quote for a 100 seater stand for Hailsham Town FC. When I say very competitive, it's still nearly 20k, but a lot better than other prices I'd noted. Currently planning fundraising campaigns - including letters to the '92', as well as the 12 SPL clubs, for Merchandise to auction off/offers of presason friendlies.

 

If anyone wants to contribute, contact me - 'The RMWeb Stand' has a nice ring to it...

 

Also; Week off work booked after Easter - I'll be spending it doing some painting at the ground, as well as digging out the footings for a new hardstanding path on two sides of the pitch.

 

On the pitch, we go to Shoreham tomorrow - a ground I've not done before, which is always nice, and the Youth Team are at home on Sunday morning, so that'll be another game (taking me close to 50 for the season I would have thought)

 

 

Is that one of those bolt - together arena stands?

[dseagull]

Yep. Not much character, I know, but for the price, it's pretty good.

 

I won't be using it anyway. We decided against using the designated 'Away Officials' seats at Shoreham today to stand in the rain. There's no accounting for football fans!

[Red Devil]

So, will it be 'Adios Rafa?' Or is he too expensive to replace? I think they may struggle to get that 'guaranteed' fourth spot and will Liverpool make do with the Europa league again?

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Great result for Pompey on Saturday...the Great Escape starts here!

 

In seriousness, I could not be happier with the nature of our win as it has proved to the supporters that the players, and manager, will fight for every remaining point. Okay, it was Hull (apologies to Hull fans) and we really should not be loosing at home to Hull, but the never-say-die attitude is just what we need.

 

I was dismayed to hear reports that Grant was going to field weakened teams for the remaining games. So he's miffed with the Premier League, but it would actually punish all Pompey fans, as well as many other club's fans if we did not stand up and be counted for the rest of the season.

 

Relegation is all but a certainty - although mathematically we have 24 points left to play for - but can at least go down fighting...

 

That said, I would love to see Pompey in the FA cup final again

[DonB]

You think UK Referees can get stroppy at times, But in Brazil they take no prisoners, and local police are ready and able to lend a hand.....

 

http://www.asylum.co.uk/2010/03/25/sending-off-results-in-pepper-spray-use-on-brazilian-footballers/?icid=main|uk-ws-bb|dl2|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asylum.co.uk%2F2010%2F03%2F25%2Fsending-off-results-in-pepper-spray-use-on-brazilian-footballers%2F

[oggy1953]

You think UK Referees can get stroppy at times, But in Brazil they take no prisoners, and local police are ready and able to lend a hand.....

 

http://www.asylum.co...-footballers%2F

 

 

Yes, Saw that earlier on Sky Sports. Some of those players looked a bit out of condition though, espeacialy the short tubby one, dont think he would make it in our Premier League.