Originally Posted by
ncfcog
Hi Tarkers, can I try and add to some of the comments above but put it in a slightly different way.
I'm fortunate enough to have a season ticket to watch a club I have supported for 40 years, a club with a PROUD history, a founder member of the Football League.
We are extremely lucky that to date we still have a Notts County to support, let's be right, we've had a few scrapes with extinction. What I really want is for myself and other supporters for generations to come to be able to enjoy what I currently experience every other Saturday down The Lane but also at every other lower league club that finds themselves in the same precarious situation as ourselves.
Earlier in this thread there was discussion about the prize money and parachute payments paid for essentially failing in the Premier League, relegation is worth approx £175m . . . that's for one team and massively dwarfs the pittance shared out to clubs outside the top two divisions.
The Checkatrade Trophy competition is actually the Football League Trophy, a competition created for the bottom two divisions only and a chance for additional revenue and possibly a Wembley final appearance.
The inclusion of up to 16 Premier League and Championship 'B' teams was introduced by the Football League after PL clubs suggested opportunities for their young starlets to be involved in competitive football matches was few and far between. To put this into perspective it was recently reported that Chelsea have over 40 young players out on loan . . . yes, forty.
Ultimately the PL and Championship would quite happily chuck a sh1t load of dosh at the Football League to allow their 'B' teams to play in the league at the expense of clubs like ours.
Imagine this scenario . . . Notts, have had a terrible season and need a result at home on the last day to avoid relegation to the conference. Our opponents are Florist B who win and send us spiralling into non-league oblivion. It might seem absolute rubbish to think this but I would hazard this could be highly likely if the powers that be ever did get their way.
I'm prattling on a bit now but there are only two things I want from my club for the future, the first is for it to become long term financially sustainable, the second is for the players who put on the shirt to always given nothing but their best for the club crest.
Unfortunately I can see a time in the not too distant future where this could not be the case on both counts and schemes like 'B' teams in league competitions will be the hammer that strikes the final nail in the coffin for many clubs like Notts County.