YorkshireRoyal99Sanguine Based on the numbers, specifically the 50% wage growth, looks like they gambled on promotion to the Championship around 17-18. But then what can clubs like this do except accept a yo-yo existence in the bottom two leagues? It's Scunthorpe. They aren't going to pinch fans from Hull or Leeds, and there is little reason or justification to extending their 9,000 capacity ground.
Agree really, just a town club where the 95% of their fanbase will be local fans based in Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes.
Southend did similar, they gambled around 16-18 time and now they've ended up struggling in the National League. As you say, I'm not sure what clubs like these honestly expect to happen. You need your recruitment and academy to be really good and to be able to spend within your means and then most clubs could be able to pull together a team that can compete at the top of League One in hopes of reaching the Championship and then looking to establish themselves there.
Sorry to be a pedant but aren't you mixing up your Scunthorpe with Grimsby (re-Cleethorpes)?
I very much agree with sanguine that we have gone too far the other way when compared to European countries, i.e. the professional game goes all the way down to a 5th level and we know that players are paid to play at many more even lower levels.
When I first started watching football the 3rd tier was split into North and South.
I really can't remember why it was altered to Divs 3 and 4 other than I seem to recollect that playing the same teams every year was thought to be a bit boring.
In hindsight, reducing travel costs and having more better attended Derby games would have improved the finances of clubs that then were , as like today, suffering financially-not because of wages but due to other costs.
Unfortunately the game is now focused more than ever on the top level and money just doesn't filter down to the lower levels.
So, we either dilute and spread the obscene riches of the Premier clubs or move away from fully professional clubs lower down.
One day sense will prevail but there is so much self interest in the game that the "one day" Rodney will probably be as much of a fantasy as Delboy's.
(that’s for the EFL not you, Stranders)
