rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on May 20, 2020 10:53:25 GMT
link - our manager has commented in Devon live about reports elsewhere where league two and the national league divisions amalgamate into north and south sections. Gary thinks this is unlikely to happen and personally I think unless more money can be found from elsewhere or re-distributed from further up the pyramid this is not going to happen as the league two clubs will not want to lose out on their current funding if this diluted into the current National League clubs.
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petef
Match Room Manager
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Post by petef on May 20, 2020 14:14:48 GMT
link - our manager has commented in Devon live about reports elsewhere where league two and the national league divisions amalgamate into north and south sections. Gary thinks this is unlikely to happen and personally I think unless more money can be found from elsewhere or re-distributed from further up the pyramid this is not going to happen as the league two clubs will not want to lose out on their current funding if this diluted into the current National League clubs. Been mooted so many times in the past Rob and doubtful it will happen any time soon. As you suggest the league 2 clubs will be largely against though this crisis and the financial implications may sway a few. Makes economic sense to me but then again economics are usually way down the list of priorities of many clubs as the likes of Bury and currently Macclesfield have found out to their detriment. I would imagine The majority National league clubs would be in favor for obvious reasons. It it did happen It may or may not dilute funding for the league two clubs but could create more interest and income for all in lower league football. The full implications of this pandemic are yet to be seen and who knows where some of the many clubs that were teetering on the brink beforehand will end up. |
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Post by plainmoorpete on May 21, 2020 16:11:40 GMT
Both the posts above include good reasons as to why this may not come about, Rob mentions dilution of funding and Pete mentions nobody knows who is going to be left standing at the end of the crisis.
Somebody has suggested that as many as 40% of EFL clubs could disappear, and if that happened instead of replacing them with National League clubs (who would be just as adversely affected by the crisis) I wouldn't be surprised if the EFL shrunk to just two divisions.
Even when football with paying spectators returns there is still going to be a major shortfall in income, because I cannot see how clubs are going to be able to open their bars/social facilities if the two metre distancing rule is still in place, and given the importance of this revenue stream even if the club's can begin a new season there is no guarantee that they can last the season.
The only thing for certain is that the footballing landscape is going to look very different. Personally I think there will be fewer full time professional clubs which may see the National League itself being regionalised at all levels if not actually being abolished altogether leaving the current step 3 leagues as the leagues directly below a smaller EFL leaving a league system of football in this country very similar to what is was before the creation of FL Division 3 in 1920.
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on May 22, 2020 6:49:58 GMT
We are certainly in an unprecedented set of circumstances and who knows how football will look on the other side? I think you paint quite a pessimistic picture and would hope some sort of intervention took place to prevent that scenario of wholesale decimation of the EFL and NL. I can see players wages and squad sizes certainly being hit like most businesses in the country.
I did read one report about a Hong Kong study which suggested that only 0.1% of coronavirus cases are passed on outside. With the bank holiday weekend now just about upon us and hordes of people descending onto beaches and beauty spots in this good weather we are about to test the impact of this in the “R” rate. No new positive cases of this virus in Torbay for six straight days for example, what will that look like in the next week or so? If still low or absent then could be a good portent for the resumption of football, certainly for those leagues with smaller crowds.
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Post by plainmoorpete on May 22, 2020 12:41:01 GMT
Agree with you Rob that I was a bit pessimistic, but if I were a lower league or non-league football club I would be very concerned about how my alternative revenue streams are affected.
Talk of salary caps are welcome especially if they are similar to American sports which limit the total amount of money a team can spend. But if the worst does come to the worst then we have to recognise that decades of financial mismanagement in football will have been the main culprit, the virus is just the proverbial straw.
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