Yes, Ray Trew exploited the loopholes in what was still a fairly new regulatory procedure. Good job for us that he did!
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I hope Bolton don’t go under as we have two fondly remembered links with them.
Firstly, they were the team we beat 4-1 to win the FA Cup for the one and only time.
Secondly, they were the team Big Sam deserted us for back in the day. ;D
Joking apart, I wouldn’t wish the demise of any club but ‘living within your means’ is a philosophy rarely followed in football.
I remember us playing Bolton in the 3rd Division play offs back in 89-90. We finished 18 points ahead of them but they could have gone through to the final!!! Didn't half make the play offs look unfair. They were only 19 points above relegation....Fortunately we beat them ;)
Yes, Tommy Johnson and Kevin Bartlett scored to send us to Wembley. 3rd (Notts) and 4th (Tranmere) met in the final. What a day that was, Notts at Wembley for the first time. Ranks with Leeds as my two best ‘away days.’
Incidentally, our last league game before the play-offs was against Mansfield before a crowd of less than 7,000. Notts won 4-2. I’ll repeat that, Notts beat Mansfield 4-2. Trevor Christie, who was then playing for the Stags, scored a penalty against us.
In the Munto time we were punished for our overspending with a transfer embargo for the rest of the season. It wasn't much of a punishment because we had already assembled the squad, but that was the rule at the time and we were given the specified penalty. Therefore any criticism should be aimed at the Football League rather than us, because we were the victims of a con trick rather than doing it knowingly and deliberately. I agree with the majority on this topic, I would prefer us to be relegated on merit if we are bad enough to finish in the bottom two rather than stay up through another football club ceasing to exist.
I've got no sympathy for Bolton at all after the sneaky way that they poached Fat Sam,I had high hopes that season :blue:
In that season we were guilty of numerous financial irregularities which were overlooked.
* failure to pay loan fees e.g. Man City for Kasper Scmichael, (eventually waived because of the SGE connection)
* failure to forward advanced ticket sales to home clubs e.g Burton Albion
* failure to pay our own players on numerous occasions
* re-neging on agreed transfer deals / transfer fees e.g. Dan Jones and Eliot Ward
* non-payment for services provided by building contractors and other services such as catering
* some other very dodgy dealing with inducements, including the legendary fake North Korean share certificates and Bonds - some of which were offered to SGE in lieu of his fees / salary.
It wasn't so long after the Munto Scam that Bournemouth and Luton were pretty much relegated without kicking a ball due to huge points deductions for financial irregularities.
It still amazes me that the league let us off so lightly - possibly because they felt a tinge of guilt / culpability in the whole grubby affair !
Oh and P.S. I loved it at the time XD ..........but yeah we cheated fair and square.