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Thread: Joey Barton and Danny Cowley question integrity of League One.

  1. #1
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    Joey Barton and Danny Cowley question integrity of League One.

    I know, try not to laugh about Barton throwing his twopenneth in but, it is now coming to something when Managers are now getting involved.

    The English Football League says the integrity of League One is "of paramount importance" after criticism from two managers in the third tier.

    Lincoln boss Danny Cowley and Fleetwood's Joey Barton are both unhappy with the EFL's handling of the ongoing problems at Bury and Bolton.

    Bury's first five league games have been suspended and they could be expelled from the EFL on Friday.

    Bolton postponed a match scheduled for Tuesday over player welfare concerns.

    Cowley said he was "disappointed" with the EFL and claimed Saturday's opponents Doncaster, who were due to face Bolton on Tuesday, would now have an unfair advantage as they were not involved in a midweek fixture.

    Barton said League One had been "ruined" and, with clubs not fulfilling fixtures and two teams being deducted points before the season started, described it as "a bit of a Mickey Mouse league". ( Don't worry Joey, you may not be in it soon!)

    When asked by BBC Sport about the comments made by the pair, a spokesperson for the EFL said: "While accepting everyone is entitled to their opinion, we have repeatedly stated that the integrity of the league competition remains of paramount importance and any club that doesn't fulfil a fixture will face a sporting sanction.

    "Clearly, no one wants to see a league with two teams on minus points, but the priority right now is working to find solutions for the survival of the clubs concerned."

    'It looks a bit of a Mickey Mouse league' Barton told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The league is becoming a bit of a farce. Doncaster get a freshen-up this week. What's going on? Someone gets a bye in the cup. The EFL need to have a serious look at themselves because it's ruining our league. Our league's ruined.

    "We've got two teams on negative points, we've got teams not fulfilling fixtures. It's a joke.

    "I feel sorry for Phil [Parkinson] and the guys at Bolton. But someone's going to play Doncaster on Saturday and they're going to have a fresh week. It's not right. "Something needs to be done about it sooner rather than later because it's ruined what was a great league last year and it's making our league a mockery.

    "League One last year was a fantastic league, really competitive, great to watch. Now you look at the league table in the paper and it looks a bit of a Mickey Mouse league.

    "Hopefully they sort it out and teams can fulfil fixtures."

    Cowley 'perplexed and disappointed'

    Speaking to BBC Radio Lincolnshire after Tuesday's loss at MK Dons, Cowley said: "It's a huge disadvantage for us, there's no hiding place.

    "[Doncaster manager] Darren Moore was watching us tonight. They've had a free week, we've played five games back to back and we've got nine games this month, I've only got 18 players myself.

    "What do I do? Do I cancel the game on Friday night and let everyone know by social media?

    "I'm really perplexed and disappointed. I have to say I'm disappointed with the EFL.

    "I genuinely feel really sorry for Bolton and Bury - I feel sorry for them as football clubs, I feel sorry for their staff and players, I feel sorry for the people and communities because I know how important these football clubs are to the communities.

    "I'm frustrated and annoyed with the EFL that they've allowed it to get to this. They have to do fit and proper tests to ensure that the calibre of the person taking over the club is suitable.

    "We, as English football, have the best pyramid system in the whole world.

    "We have the Premier League, which is the best league in the world, and we have the EFL, which follows closely as fourth or fifth in the world.

    "This situation now is hugely affecting the integrity of the competition."


    Maybe if more League 1 Managers got involved, in stating their views with the way the EFL are handling the Bolton/Bury issues, then it may resolve the Bolton issue more quickly.
    Last edited by Brin; 21-08-2019 at 08:05 PM.

  2. #2
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    At least they've spoken out.

    Just a minor observation that the Premier league isn't the best in the world though simply because the best players in the world don't play here.

  3. #3
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    Young Sancho signs new contract at Dortmund,19yrs old,contract worth £190,000 a week.Thats whats fecking wrong with football.Good luck Bury.

  4. #4
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    Well the incompetence of the EFL goes without question but to all of a sudden start calling it a Mickey Mouse league because teams have had a day off is a bit rich. Never heard similar complaints when teams have days off because of other circumstances like festivals (i.e. our game at Portsmouth), International call ups, opponents still being in the FA Cup, TV scheduling...etc.

  5. #5
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    Didn’t realise Barton opened his mouth but I’ve read the Crowley interview which was more about them having played a midweek game and Donny have had a free week, it didn’t take long for him to moan after they lost.

    We’re all in the same boat you idiot.

    If all league clubs had their say about EFL clowns then something might get done

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by millertop View Post
    Didn’t realise Barton opened his mouth but I’ve read the Crowley interview which was more about them having played a midweek game and Donny have had a free week, it didn’t take long for him to moan after they lost.

    We’re all in the same boat you idiot.

    If all league clubs had their say about EFL clowns then something might get done
    We could argue that we didn't have a fresh team for the lincoln game because we had to accommodate Man U under 21s in the midweek before the game.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by millertop View Post
    Didn’t realise Barton opened his mouth but I’ve read the Crowley interview which was more about them having played a midweek game and Donny have had a free week, it didn’t take long for him to moan after they lost.

    We’re all in the same boat you idiot.

    If all league clubs had their say about EFL clowns then something might get done
    But we are not all in the same boat at all and that is the point. Bolton have been allowed to drag this on and on into a new season and have played games with essentially a youth team. Tranmere, Wycombe and Coventry have all had an advantage over the other 20 clubs because of this. Now Bolton think they can just call off games whenever they want (presumably because they never got punishment for calling off a game last season) and Cowley has a point, his team have been treated differently to his opponents and that means that the integrity of the competition is in question. The situation at the 2 clubs should never have been allowed to continue into a new season as now 24 teams are affected and if you look at the table it really does look like a mickey mouse league, teams on minus points and having played different amount of games. This is not the Rotherham Sunday league.

  8. #8
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    I can agree with them up to a point because the EFL have been totally inept in the way they have handled this. But feel they are being hypocritical. I didn't think that Mr Cowley had the integrity of the league he mind when he was prancing around outside his area "managing" the lino and the ref at NYS the other week. Taking 40 seconds for every goal kick and having your players rolling around disrupting play is really playing to the rules isn't it? yes I know it was in the heat of battle, but really. And as for Barton, well if the allegations become reality, what the hell did he make the league last year. The "Popeye and Bluto" League?

    Fact: Without the Cup tie, Rotherham would have been without a game for two weeks. Fact: Doncaster are the innocent party in this. They were not even consulted, their fans had already made arrangement and bought tickets for the match and presumably the players would have been at a specific stage of training in preparation. And yet Cowley by his words is almost suggesting that they are the guilty party. Did he really think that Darren Moore would not have watched them play. I bet he would have done if the roles had been reversed.

    Time for the EFL to grow a pair and take decisive action now.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony260674 View Post
    But we are not all in the same boat at all and that is the point. Bolton have been allowed to drag this on and on into a new season and have played games with essentially a youth team. Tranmere, Wycombe and Coventry have all had an advantage over the other 20 clubs because of this. Now Bolton think they can just call off games whenever they want (presumably because they never got punishment for calling off a game last season) and Cowley has a point, his team have been treated differently to his opponents and that means that the integrity of the competition is in question. The situation at the 2 clubs should never have been allowed to continue into a new season as now 24 teams are affected and if you look at the table it really does look like a mickey mouse league, teams on minus points and having played different amount of games. This is not the Rotherham Sunday league.
    Think you’ve missed my point.

    We will have to play midweek game/s when they have a free week.
    Like Roly already stated about us playing Man U midweek before the Lincoln game.
    At end of day he’s a very bad loser

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by flourbasher View Post
    At least they've spoken out.

    Just a minor observation that the Premier league isn't the best in the world though simply because the best players in the world don't play here.
    Sorry Flour but I can't agree with your last point.
    Some of the best players in the world may not play here but the reality is that Premier League teams won both major European competitions last season and surely that's a better measure of the strength of a league rather than the quality of individual players within it.

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