The winding-up of Macclesfield Town, due to outstanding debts, highlights the fragile financial world some clubs inhabit.
Last season, Bury suffered a similar fate.
Today, there are fears that unless EFL clubs are given a hand-out, several other clubs may tread the same route as Bury and Macclesfield.
Here at Luton Town, we are no strangers to financial problems.
As a teenager I can remember the angst I felt when it was announced that, back in December 1975, Peter Anderson, a dynamic midfielder, had been sold to Royal Antwerp to prevent the club from entering bankruptcy.
Over the decades there have been similar flirtations with financial disaster but thanks to some stoic work by the current board, the club, despite the interference of COVID-19, has a bright future, with a new ground in the offing and Championship football to experience.
But, returning to Macclesfield Town, their fate was decided over £500,000 worth of debts.
To me and you, it is a large sum of money but in the context of football, it could be viewed as a mere pittance but it does serve to highlight the difference between those who have and those who have not!
Today I am reading that Gareth Bale could be making a return to Tottenham Hotspur, there is talk of a £20 million loan fee and with the Welsh international picking up wages said to be worth £600k a week.
No wonder Macclesfield fans are screaming about the injustice of it all!
It makes me wonder how many clubs will go under before something is done.
Would it be too much to ask for those who play in the Premier league to donate a weeks pay to be put into a pot to help clubs like Bury and Macclesfield, clubs who could very well be joined by others who have seen their income severely restricted by this COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that have subsequently been placed on the lives we live?
Or is it set to continue to be a case of I am all right Jack, sod you!
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Hi mh, as you know there are talks going on between the efl an prem league about extra money for the efl clubs. But as usual talks will continue and before an outcome is resolved it will probably be to late for many clubs Southend are surely next to go under and I fear for a club I have a soft spot for accy Stan who survive on 3,000 fans or less. The prem will prevaricate on until its to little to late. We at luton have dug deep in our own pockets to save our club. But many owners will just fold clubs rather than put back what they have taken out over the years. That’s the sad fact of football today
a sad state of affairs
Totally agree with you Chris and thanks for highlighting the awful injustice that is modern football MH. As soon as we allowed people to talk in terms of football being a business rather than a community asset we were heading down a dangerous, greedy path. The whole process was started with the formation of the PL which was a simple shifting of where the greed was going to deliver its benefit. Collectively we’ve done little to nothing to stem this tide and now we have billionaire owners using a club as their own personal ego trip and greedy footballers who play the game for the money first and foremost because let’s face it who wouldn’t given the opportunity. Where’s the philanthropy in football? Towards the bottom of the pyramid that’s where. Look at those clubs and you’ll see first and foremost clubs that are there to serve their community not their share holders. Luton Town is a great example of this but there are many many more from Plymouth Argyle to Shrewsbury.
Hi John, very succinct and totally correct on all points. Sadly real club football is only played from the national league downwards.
Hi all, sad to say nothing , absolutely nothing will change football in, especially in this country, until one of the so called bigger clubs get into financial trouble. If one of the billionaire owners gets into trouble or gets bored and pulls the plug. I and many others I knew at the time said when sky came in and dictated to clubs stupid kick off times and the premier league was formed said, it would not only change but ruin football for ever. Sad but I’m afraid true..it is a business now but like so many other businesses at the present, it could all go terribly pear shaped..
Hi all, I’m in total agreement with everyone’s aforementioned comments. This subject has arisen before & I’m sure unfortunately will be many times again as other clubs follow suite unless something changes. To be fair in some cases the clubs in difficulty are sometimes run very badly, let’s face it as MH eluded to, Luton have had their own share of problems in the past but thankfully are now one of the clubs in good shape in the EFL. Going back to the point about the Premier league /players donating money/wages to a fund for the EFL, I was wondering if this help fails to materialise could it be that football eats itself? If the bottom falls out doesn’t that leave the top exposed or would the Premier league be the only competition with full time professionals with no relegation & the EFL & downwards become part time only like it used to be many years ago? Worrying times me thinks.