Our last 2 games of this season.!

[Danish Valiant]

Once again, and a very very serious issue:

The efl MUST, and I can’t underline it enough, MUST change their rules, so the ground can’t be seperated from the club!

Owners do it for one reason and one reason alone, and it’s absolutely disgusting![/quote

It does make good business sense for taxation purposes. Crewe’s ground is owned by a separate company.

It also makes sense if HMRC or others issue a winding up order as you protect the ground from being sold off.

The issue is the constitution of the second company and who should own that company?

There is for and against. But you see so many times, that the seperation causes huge, no massive problems, for clubs.

Coventry, Oxford, Bolton and us, are just this seasons casualties.

You’ve listed all the noble reasons, but fact is, owners do because the ground is the only asset that doesn’t decrease in value. Hence they do it to

protect their investments, and to be able to hold clubs ransom, as they can liquidate the club but not the stadium.

For a capitalist it makes perfect sense! But for clubs and communities, it’s the difference between life and death.

[man in the pub]

The football league have alot to answer for. Do they not do proper checks on these crooks?

 

The bar must be set pretty low.

[CambridgeDon]

Ollyandpatch, The Sage. You’ve both made two very good points. By the way I’m a Vake fan and have been since the mid 70’s. I thought I’d highlight this ever growing problem. Well done to all who’ve been involved in organising our protests and those who’ve taken part.

As football fans we need to put rivalries aside and advise each other. Similar to Blackpool we should now be mentors for other clubs. We might would only be able to advise them as their circumstances will different The common thread,is those who go to football matches at these levels love football and love their clubs. They’re not glory hunters but the backbone of football.

 

PA, let me join in and wish Bury FC all the luck you need for the future. You're yet another good old league club who predatory owners think are fair game for asset stripping. Meanwhile the football authorities (another predatory bunch) sit on the side lines and do nowt. As Danish Valiant keeps saying, a simple rule change to stop the ownership of grounds being split from the club would be a start but no doubt they've got a ton of reasons why it couldn't be done. Plenty of excuses and no solutions. Anyway fellah, hope you survive and prosper.

[Heatwave]

Here's a solution - put the ground into the hands of a trust, the trustees appointed by the supporters club, who then take on maintenance and charge the football club a reasonable rent. It'll never happen though as the ground is the club's major asset and I'm sure owners would want to use the ground as collateral - I think we've been there already.

[Jacko51]

One thing the Blackpool fans kept pointing out when they spoke at the last SC meeting is the appalling lack of governance of football in this country. Any rule changes, such as banning splitting ground and club, need the support of the clubs and club owners simply won't agree to it. Such a change requires legislation and who in Parliament cares enough to introduce such a Bill? The current Owners and Directors test is not worth the paper it's written on. Why was Ken Anderson allowed to take over at Bolton when you look at his business history? Why is Bassini even being considered as a buyer when you look at his record in taking money out of Watford?

 

The problems at the likes of Bolton, Bury, Blackpool et al are caused because the football authorities care nothing about individual clubs and are a disgrace to the game.

[Joe B]

The football league have alot to answer for. Do they not do proper checks on these crooks?

 

Andy Holt, the Accrington Chairman, does regular articulate rants at the state of the lower-league game.

 

Although he's obviously disgusted at these conmen, they are a by-product of a system in which clubs either gamble beyond their means and get lucky, gamble beyond their means and crash and burn, or play it safe and bar a miracle don't do anything.

 

If anybody follows that football finance expert on twitter, his analysis of the myriad club accounts released in the past fortnight is a shocking read. Clubs are losing tens of thousands a week, everywhere, at our level and League 1. The Championship it gets into the hundreds of thousands and millions, gambling on the dream of the Premier League. Take out the Hugill windfall and our accounts are in very, very poor shape in terms of annual losses.

 

Football's at a precipice financially and urgent reform is needed. Banning dodgy and incompetent blokes like the ex-Bury chairman, and Norman, only puts a plaster on the wound.

[Playa Amodores]

Didn’t realise how much reaction my initial post would have. There have been some really good posts. Bolton has no choice with Bassini as they would have gone to the wall. It now appears that as he’s served his disqualification he is now he’s a changed, person. Only time will tell and there’ll be other clubs in the same position next year. These individuals are nothing but wolfs in sheeps clothing. They have their end game plan when they enter the club.

Just for the record I don’t support Bury, I am a Port Vale fan, concerned about our national game at our current level.

[Joe B]

Nothing systematic can change at EFL level due to the nature of the voting system.

 

Real change has to come through parliament and they're obviously occupied right now.

 

In more stable political times it would be good to see prominent supporter's groups and fans lobbying like-minded MPs to get some bills in the house. That's the only way we're going to see the prevention of grounds and clubs being seperate, a fairer redistribution of income, tighter and more regular checks on the conduct of Chairmen.

 

There's a long way to go but the EFL are taking a pounding at the present so hopefully action will be taken.

[mbycars]

I think that the away team don’t get any money from the match and all the gates receipts are kept by the home side. I personally think that Bury are the best team I’ve seern this season at Vale and had it not been for their wasted chances they would have inflicted a heavy home defeat, on us.

The Shakers currently need all the money they can get as they are deep financial hardship. They have collections on a regular basis and their nickname is now The bucket Shakers.

Hopefully we’ve come through the tough times and if Carol and Kevin take over, the future seems bright. I say let’s help swell Burys coffers, we don’t want them going out of business

 

Bury didn't have any real chances!! they had plenty of the ball but never did anything with it in or around our penalty area.

[Danish Valiant]

Nothing systematic can change at EFL level due to the nature of the voting system.

 

Real change has to come through parliament and they're obviously occupied right now.

 

In more stable political times it would be good to see prominent supporter's groups and fans lobbying like-minded MPs to get some bills in the house. That's the only way we're going to see the prevention of grounds and clubs being seperate, a fairer redistribution of income, tighter and more regular checks on the conduct of Chairmen.

 

There's a long way to go but the EFL are taking a pounding at the present so hopefully action will be taken.

The only thing the EFL is doing right now, as more and more clubs get in deep trouble because of their owners, is undermining their reason to excist!

The silence is absolutely deafening, as they know they are to blame for this mess.

They themselves introduced the ‘fit and proper’ test, to avoid exactly these type of situations. But it’s proven almost daily at the moment, that their test isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

My cat could pass the test, with flying colors!

Things have got to change, from the top down, starting with EFL taking a long hard look at themselves and the way they handle their affairs.

God knows the directors there earn enough. But the clubs aren’t getting f... all for their money!

The EFL is there to help and protect the clubs, at all times acting in the clubs best interests.

But it is more than obvious, that they aren’t up to the task! Therefor the EFL should do the right thing, and reform itself, to be more capable of protecting the clubs from these crooks. Putting rules in place to protect the clubs, not benefit the owners!

Because the way thing are going this season, is only the tip of the iceberg and next year, we’ll see another shower of clubs, getting in exactly the same sort of trouble. All while the EFL sit on their hands and say nothing.

[CambridgeDon]

Didn’t realise how much reaction my initial post would have. There have been some really good posts. Bolton has no choice with Bassini as they would have gone to the wall. It now appears that as he’s served his disqualification he is now he’s a changed, person. Only time will tell and there’ll be other clubs in the same position next year. These individuals are nothing but wolfs in sheeps clothing. They have their end game plan when they enter the club.

Just for the record I don’t support Bury, I am a Port Vale fan, concerned about our national game at our current level.

 

Welcome to the forum. How long have you been supporting the Vale? There are some rayte owd codgers on 'ere, including me!

[Fosse69]

L1 & L2 clubs need an ownership structure, maybe limited to 49% ownership similar to Germany, or at least the ground protected from speculation. Change within the FL requires 80% majorities as far as I know, but I may be wrong. L1 L2 only having associate status?

[ollyandpatch]

Might be a tough afternoon for our manager if he sends Macclesfield back Down after getting them up last season not sure if that's ever been done before?

[sandyford_valiant]

I can think we can safely say if Macc are still fighting and need a win then they will get it up here that game. Im sure Askey will be telling our players to take it easy and not get injured for your holidays in a few weeks

[bycarspete]

I can think we can safely say if Macc are still fighting and need a win then they will get it up here that game. Im sure Askey will be telling our players to take it easy and not get injured for your holidays in a few weeks

Yes keep macc in the league, it's a cheaper away day