Paul Conway has another moan

[EastStandRed]

Barnsley co-chairman Paul Conway has highlighted clubs’ willingness to break Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules and the authorities’ failure to punish those culpable as one the biggest challenges he has faced during his time in English football.

Conway is co-founder of the Pacific Media Group (PMG), who in addition to Barnsley have investments in a further five clubs across five different countries: Esbjerg FB in Denmark, AS Nancy in France, KV Oostende in Belgium, FC Thun in Switzerland and FC Den Bosch in the Netherlands.

Conway says that clubs’ ability to abide by laws and the consequences they face for breaking them is laxer in England in comparison to the other countries in which PMG work.

The EFL maintains that it has charged clubs who have breached the rules.

“It's a cruel sport. So we're operating against teams that are relegated from the Premier League that have eight, nine, 10 times our budget. We knew that going into it,” Conway told The Athletic’s In the Boardroom Podcast, sponsored by Lion Trust.

“The most surprising thing has been the lack of following rules by other clubs, be it Financial Fair Play (FFP), not paying bills.

“In other leagues that we operate there's more crackdown on that. And that's been surprising because we're competing and in a country that created the sport. So we thought that the enforcement would be better.”

Conway and his investment partners completed their takeover of Barnsley in December 2017. During their four years in English football, five fellow Championship sides have been handed points deductions for entering administration or failing to comply for the EFL’s profitability and sustainability rules; Reading, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic and Birmingham City.

While Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan dropped out of the second tier following their financial breaches, others sides have secured promotion and not been punished until years later.

In 2018, Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers both agreed settlements with the EFL following FFP disputes that occurred as the pair sealed promotion to the Premier League during the 2013-14 season. The EFL say that these clubs were fined under the rules in place.

Bournemouth were also fined £7.6 million for breaching FFP during their 2014-15 promotion-winning campaign.

Conway has called on the footballing authorities to clamp down on clubs who break financial regulations and reap the benefits of doing so to deter others from doing the same.

“The fundamental issue is it's a league of 72 teams and whenever we try to advocate for better enforcement a lot of other clubs in the Championship, they say: ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we agree with it.’ But when it's time to vote, there's usually only one or two other clubs that actually vote for it.

“There has been a history of teams that haven't followed the rules in the Championship, get promoted and then you can't actually go after them until they get relegated again. So it's just like anything in life. Other people see that and say: ‘What do I have to lose?’

“We're not looking for any type of radical change, (just) basic enforcement of rules and stopping anti-competitive behaviour.”

[animallittle3]

Unfortunately Conway is wanting the game in this country to come towards us .

From what I understand from the very good information ESR provides on here about PMG and their other clubs Conway isn't shy of stretching the rules either when it suits him .

Nobody should take lessons on football morality from Conway .

You are failing because you aren't very good at owning football clubs but it's the games fault right Paul !!!

[SBRed48]

Is it within proper financial rules to take £750,000 from your club's bank account to pay an instalment on the purchase of your club ?

Look at the mote in thine own eye Conway. (Matthew 7 :3 )

Arseoyle.

[Shadrack the Red]

I am no lover of Mr Conway or his colleagues but I am with him 100% on this , FFP & its implementation plus the parachute system are a joke & certainly want addressing but you know the big boys will not allow this to happen , in a competitive league as is the championship then all teams should be allowed to take part on a level playing field but we all know that simply is not the case.

[animallittle3]

I am no lover of Mr Conway or his colleagues but I am with him 100% on this , FFP & its implementation plus the parachute system are a joke & certainly want addressing but you know the big boys will not allow this to happen , in a competitive league as is the championship then all teams should be allowed to take part on a level playing field but we all know that simply is not the case.

Don't make the mistake Conway is some kind of ambassador for the greater good of the game .

He isn't , the only time Conway speaks out is when his clubs are failing because of his ineptitude and he fears losing money .

The greater good of the game doesn't come in to it .

[Romared]

Is it within proper financial rules to take £750,000 from your club's bank account to pay an instalment on the purchase of your club ?

Look at the mote in thine own eye Conway. (Matthew 7 :3 )

Arseoyle.

Fat Controller , id cause botha inna empty room yond , weerivva he goes thuz upset ov some soort , AH SO
( sid 8 : 1 )

[Acido]

He was right when he made a valid point about the player visa's. We were being messed about then compared to how quickly other clubs were getting theirs sorted out.

And hes right again here over the inconsistent ways the Efl deal with clubs breaking financial rules.

BUT despite all that, hes still full of hot air and he just comes across as a blah! blah! blah! merchant. 😟

[renno]

He was right when he made a valid point about the player visa's. We were being messed about then compared to how quickly other clubs were getting theirs sorted out.

And hes right again here over the inconsistent ways the Efl deal with clubs breaking financial rules.

BUT despite all that, hes still full of hot air and he just comes across as a blah! blah! blah! merchant. 😟

The answer for ffp is simple. Break the rules and you go back to the bottom of the pyramid . Implement this once with a club such as Derby , make an example of them, tell the other clubs they have 3 years together their house in order, scmp like lgs 1&2, don’t allow them to use parachute money in figures and jobs a goodun.

This Probably doesn’t fit well with the global tv coverage side of things!

[Acido]

Yes I keep thinking that some team or teams must be made an example of here. Like they did to Bury for example and even Rangers in Scotchland, which was kicked down to the bottom league or even out of the league altogether.
Derby and Sheff Wensdy deserved it and still got off lightly, because clubs of their size will be back in the Champship again soon. And thats not fair to keep allowing it to happen with such lenient punishment.