TAKEOVER *NOT* CONFIMRED

[Wycombe Royal]

but I think it was Wycombe who pointed out they have to be secured creditors to put us in Admin.

Did I, I don't remember saying that......

[Wycombe Royal]

Wycombe is wrong

If I said it.

[Stranded]

Well, they may not expel us at that point but if there is doubt about us as a going concern they will want to avoid the situation they had with Bury where they had to suspend their first 6 games as they didn't want them playing any games until proof was given that creditors could be paid off. When the takeover fell through, the EFL pulled the plug as their owner couldn't give assurances that he could fund the club.

We are in a slightly different position in that we don't really have external creditors however, if we are stuck with Dai there is no way, in my mind, they will let us go into another campaign where there is a very high risk of the club/owner not meeting their obligations. They will demand Dai puts aside the 125% of wages and proof that funds will be available to pay all liabilities on time. If that cannot be provided, and Dai has pretty much made it clear that he has no intention of producing such proof then there has to be a very strong chance that without a takeover (or one being close to complete) that we start next season as an EFL club - in fact, it is likely we aren't playing anywhere next season in that scenario.

To my mind they could expel us as early as end of April. Owner doesn’t pay fines after 35 days = owner barred and given 28 days to sell the club. Owner doesn’t sell the club = club expelled from the EFL.
The EFL will want us gone long before fixtures are published because of the added complications of who would be playing in which league. Hope I’m wrong but it seems to now be a game of brinkmanship with end of April being the deadline.
I don’t really blame the EFL for this but they should cut out the nonsense that they are supposedly trying to support the club.

I don't see why we would have to be expelled before the fixture list is published. All it needs is for whichever division we are due to be play in would have only 23 teams. meaning the club we were due to play would have a day free of a fixture This has happened before, so I cannot see it causing any problems doing it this way.

But they will want to avoid that if at all possible, so will be looking for guarantees before the fixtures are out that we are going to be around and can meet obligations etc.

If we were to be expelled after fixtures are out it opens up a number of problems. Firstly, each side will now then have 1 less home game - could cause issues in terms of ST prices - loss of income etc.

Secondly, one side will finish their season before everyone else. Now the likelihood is that will have minimal impact but you could equally end up with a situation where 2 sides are playing each other on the last day knowing a draw keeps them both up at the expense of the side who finished the week before.

Again, the EFL will want to avoid anything that could lead to such a scenario. So any deadlines will likely be early - say end of April, so that they can reprieve or promote a replacement side.

[Snowflake Royal]

but I think it was Wycombe who pointed out they have to be secured creditors to put us in Admin.

Did I, I don't remember saying that......

I was guessing a bit, but you're one of the few who often seems to have a clue, if it wasn't you either it was someone else (likely) or I misunderstood (less likely as I recall being surprised and trying to get more explanation)

[tmesis]

Well, they may not expel us at that point but if there is doubt about us as a going concern they will want to avoid the situation they had with Bury where they had to suspend their first 6 games as they didn't want them playing any games until proof was given that creditors could be paid off. When the takeover fell through, the EFL pulled the plug as their owner couldn't give assurances that he could fund the club.

We are in a slightly different position in that we don't really have external creditors however, if we are stuck with Dai there is no way, in my mind, they will let us go into another campaign where there is a very high risk of the club/owner not meeting their obligations. They will demand Dai puts aside the 125% of wages and proof that funds will be available to pay all liabilities on time. If that cannot be provided, and Dai has pretty much made it clear that he has no intention of producing such proof then there has to be a very strong chance that without a takeover (or one being close to complete) that we start next season as an EFL club - in fact, it is likely we aren't playing anywhere next season in that scenario.

To my mind they could expel us as early as end of April. Owner doesn’t pay fines after 35 days = owner barred and given 28 days to sell the club. Owner doesn’t sell the club = club expelled from the EFL.
The EFL will want us gone long before fixtures are published because of the added complications of who would be playing in which league. Hope I’m wrong but it seems to now be a game of brinkmanship with end of April being the deadline.
I don’t really blame the EFL for this but they should cut out the nonsense that they are supposedly trying to support the club.

I don't see why we would have to be expelled before the fixture list is published. All it needs is for whichever division we are due to be play in would have only 23 teams. meaning the club we were due to play would have a day free of a fixture This has happened before, so I cannot see it causing any problems doing it this way.

I think the league would want to avoid a situation where we are in July/August without a squad of players, and no obvious ability to finance the season.

I also think they'd rather avoid having 23 teams in a division for a season, and the other clubs would rather have 23 games bringing in income rather than 22.

Kicking us out early would also give any club reprieved from relegation a chance to prepare properly.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

[Pepe the Horseman]

but I think it was Wycombe who pointed out they have to be secured creditors to put us in Admin.

Did I, I don't remember saying that......

either it was someone else (likely) or I misunderstood (less likely)

Lol

[WestYorksRoyal]

Anybody else feel like everyone is being rescued except us? Since this started out, Southend, Scunthorpe, WBA and now Rochdale have seen their hellscape end. Yet our cnut refuses to fcuk off.

[Snowflake Royal]

Did I, I don't remember saying that......

either it was someone else (likely) or I misunderstood (less likely)

Lol

Glad you liked it. I do seem to have a weird brain that's good at remembering not useful detail though.

[karbota]

Anybody else feel like everyone is being rescued except us? Since this started out, Southend, Scunthorpe, WBA and now Rochdale have seen their hellscape end. Yet our cnut refuses to fcuk off.

I tried, God I tried to warn about the folly of foreign owners, foreign management, and foreign players, now you reap what you sow.

[Hendo]

Anybody else feel like everyone is being rescued except us? Since this started out, Southend, Scunthorpe, WBA and now Rochdale have seen their hellscape end. Yet our cnut refuses to fcuk off.

Difference I see is that Southend, Scunthorpe and Rochdale were absolutely on the brink. I know we are not in a good position but it sounded like there was the real possibility of them not finishing the season, which I don’t think is quite the case with us.

Additionally, WBA are a much better prospect than us as well, currently sat in the playoffs. People are going to look at them the same way Dai looked at us, a decent punt on getting into the Prem at the first time of asking.

[Ascotexgunner]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

[Ascotexgunner]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

[Ascotexgunner]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

[Hendo]

You can say that again and again!

[tmesis]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

The big outgoings for us are the academy and the rent. I don't know what it costs to run Bearwood, but you could probably add that too. We could quite feasibly be in a position where we wouldn't even be able to afford to pay the bills even if we had no senior players.

None of our players would go for big fees, as clubs know we are in a very weak bargaining position.

Being able to keep running isn't really the issue. It's whether our owner wants to keep us running.

[Sutekh]

To my mind they could expel us as early as end of April. Owner doesn’t pay fines after 35 days = owner barred and given 28 days to sell the club. Owner doesn’t sell the club = club expelled from the EFL.
The EFL will want us gone long before fixtures are published because of the added complications of who would be playing in which league. Hope I’m wrong but it seems to now be a game of brinkmanship with end of April being the deadline.
I don’t really blame the EFL for this but they should cut out the nonsense that they are supposedly trying to support the club.

I don't see why we would have to be expelled before the fixture list is published. All it needs is for whichever division we are due to be play in would have only 23 teams. meaning the club we were due to play would have a day free of a fixture This has happened before, so I cannot see it causing any problems doing it this way.

I think the league would want to avoid a situation where we are in July/August without a squad of players, and no obvious ability to finance the season.

I also think they'd rather avoid having 23 teams in a division for a season, and the other clubs would rather have 23 games bringing in income rather than 22.

Kicking us out early would also give any club reprieved from relegation a chance to prepare properly.

Dear RFC, please be able to report something positive soon so all this random "worst case scenario" speculation can stop!

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think even if a deal doesn't happen, we would exist next season though not be competitive. Brutal cuts, players sold, academy downgrade etc., but we'd exist. Obviously this would make relegation near certain whatever the division, so makes staying up this season important. As alluded to earlier, it's basically how Bolton fell to L2 and they're doing OK now. At least we'd keep Dean and Button!

[Ten Bobsworth]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

'Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours', are they?

Do you have the figures? I don't but I should know how much Bolton overspent last season by the end of this month. I can tell you that it didn't survive in League 2 on its income and is unlikely to be surviving in League 1 on its income either. Bolton are still reliant on regular injections of capital and are still in significant debt.

They call it 'sustainable' but its only sustainable as long as you can continue to find folk willing to make up the shortfall. Reading are in the same boat except that they don't have anyone willing to make up the shortfall any longer and folks like that are not always easy to find.

[NathStPaul]

Or we could do a Bolton and go into a season with no senior players. We'd get relegated for sure, but it would keep us alive and the transfer fees from like likes of Wing, Knibbs and Smith would help us survive. And Bolton are doing just fine now.

Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours. I don't see how we can afford to exist with our infrastructure in League 2. I doubt those three transfers would be keeping us going for more than a few months.

'Bolton's overheads are way lower than ours', are they?

Do you have the figures? I don't but I should know how much Bolton overspent last season by the end of this month. I can tell you that it didn't survive in League 2 on its income and is unlikely to be surviving in League 1 on its income either. Bolton are still reliant on regular injections of capital and are still in significant debt.

They call it 'sustainable' but its only sustainable as long as you can continue to find folk willing to make up the shortfall. Reading are in the same boat except that they don't have anyone willing to make up the shortfall any longer and folks like that are not always easy to find.

Boring