The Football.....

[albion]

They might get the 4 point deduction removed, the playoff removal being the main biggy.

 

[vickster]

The scramble to sell tickets and mobilise the Teesside migration south for the weekend could be quite a task though....The Hull lads will have got all the best hotels booked.

The match is at 3.30pm, surely enough time to get from/to Middlesborough without needing a hotel?

 

[laurentian]

Never lose hope but always remember that it is just hope. Don't feel let down when results don't go your way.

But...

It could happen. Last time Bristol Rovers were in the national league, on the last day of the season, they needed to get a better result or win by 5 more goals by the team above them for automatic promotion. You never go into a match expecting to score at least 5, you just hope. On the day, Northampton won 3-1 but with 5 minutes to go, Rovers made it 7-0 and the rest is history.

Edit: My memory let me down. It was promotion from league 2 not the conference.

Yeah, this was the game where already relegated Scunthorpe played their academy side and Bristol had bought a Scunthorpe player earlier in the season with a clause that, should they get promoted, there was an increase in the payment to Scunthorpe for the player

(Slightly tongue in cheek from a still bitter Northampton fan)

 

[laurentian]

Just a reminder of this chap:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy92nl2q4qyo

 

[T4tomo]

The match is at 3.30pm, surely enough time to get from/to Middlesborough without needing a hotel?

Its a lot to pack into a day 6hr each way journey, potentially more with traffic as you get close to Wembley,
then there is...
3hrs minimum pre match drinking
1hr queueing up to get in
2hrs minimum match duration
1hr queueing up to get out
2 hrs minimum post match drinking

 

[Beebo]

Its a lot to pack into a day 6hr each way journey, potentially more with traffic as you get close to Wembley,
then there is...
3hrs minimum pre match drinking
1hr queueing up to get in
2hrs minimum match duration
1hr queueing up to get out
2 hrs minimum post match drinking

At least 5 hours of that is optional.

 

[T4tomo]

At least 5 hours of that is optional.

humour filter?

 

[vickster]

Its a lot to pack into a day 6hr each way journey, potentially more with traffic as you get close to Wembley,
then there is...
3hrs minimum pre match drinking
1hr queueing up to get in
2hrs minimum match duration
1hr queueing up to get out
2 hrs minimum post match drinking

Do the pre and post drinking on the train 🤔

 

[T4tomo]

Do the pre and post drinking on the train 🤔

BH Engineering works and bus replacement services make it virtually impossible let alone desirable to do a day return by train from Teesside, all the late departures from KX are sold out

There will be MFC supporters coaches laid on but I was light heartedly pointing out the logistical challenges of the last minute change, I wasn't expecting a spanish inquisition.

 

[wakemalcolm]

I wasn't expecting a spanish inquisition.

Who does?

 

[No Ta Doctor]

Bit emotional last night. Happened to be in London - Finsbury Park - for some family business and got to leg it out to the stadium with two of my adult kids (3rd was home in DK). Neither of them had seen a championship before, was lovely to share it with them. Something like 100k Arsenal fans came out. Reminded me of '89, people hangong out of cars waving flags, busses stopped in the road, joy spilling out from everyone! Surely the most diverse fanbase anywhere on the planet. It was beautiful.

 

[DCLane]

The match is at 3.30pm, surely enough time to get from/to Middlesborough without needing a hotel?

I used to commute to/from Middlesbrough to London for work for a while. Easily possible.

 

[PaulSB]

No chance of getting the verdict overturned, but possibly the punishment, given precedent - the only previous case resulted in just a fine.

When they bring in new rules (as happened after that revious case), shouldn't they also specify the range of punishments?

I've no sympathy for Southampton being punished but their appeal is on the basis the punishment is disproportionate. Promotion to the PL is probably worth £150m, perhaps £200m which is effectively a huge fine. I don't know what's appropriate and I'm inclined to agree with every fan who feels Saints got all they deserve.

It raises a question for me. Southampton get caught spying and are denied the chance to get to the PL. A huge penalty. Manchester City are charged with various financial irregularities over a ten year period during which the club will have earned a fortune. So what's appropriate in that case? Expulsion from the PL and EFL??

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

It raises a question for me. Southampton get caught spying and are denied the chance to get to the PL. A huge penalty. Manchester City are charged with various financial irregularities over a ten year period during which the club will have earned a fortune. So what's appropriate in that case? Expulsion from the PL and EFL??

Taking away PL titles, but sadly that is never going to happen.

 

[T4tomo]

Promotion to the PL is probably worth £150m, perhaps £200m which is effectively a huge fine.

Its really isn't though - how many newly promoted PL clubs make £150-200m profit in year 1. Absolutely none.

Yes you get a Revenue spike due to TV rights, and access to parachute revenue if/when you get related, but cost increase just as much if not more, due to increased player wages and transfer fees that you need to build a PL squad.

I cant understand why the prem league haven't got Man City charged and punished yet. Yes there are loads of instances ad yes getting financial info out of their owners is probably difficult, but even so, it makes mockery of the FFP rules.