Quote Originally Posted by bill46 View Post
They were and since then they've reoffended.The charge went to arbitration and Birmingham won but the EFL have appealed.
I think in general the EFL find it a lot easier to penalise the smaller clubs because they can't afford to appeal through the courts.
The Derby and Wednesday cases have been going on for months I just don't think they've got the balls to say right guilty has charged and deduct them 21 points which I think is the punishment for there offences.


History shows that they do tend to punish smaller clubs as you say. I remember Luton got docked 30 points one season. However, I'd also say that owners of small clubs who put their clubs in financial jeopardy need to look at themselves very closely and wise up because there's huge competition down there. There's people jobs on the line and the fans suffer too.

Bury folded earlier this season and I really felt for the people with the club in their heart. However, reading about how that Bury owner ran that club was absolutely crazy. To lay out the contracts he did for dud players fecked the club over big time and they payed the price. It's very sad.

Clubs in the conference vying for a place in the football league has added huge competition. It's no wonder Macclesfield find it difficult to stay competitive. They have averaged below 2000 supporters at Moss Rose this season. Established former football league clubs with a good history and support have fallen by the wayside and struggled to get out of non league in recent years which tells it's own story. Stockport, Chesterfield, Hartlepool, Wrexham, York and many more have been replaced by your Salfords, Fleetwoods, Forest Greens etc.

The clubs are mostly professional these days in non league and money involved at that level is really big comparatively speaking. When you think that a club as small as Forest Green can reach league 2 and compete at the top end every year despite getting average crowds of 2500, it says a lot. Salford have grown and continue to do so at an alarming rate. Fleetwoods rise has been quite sensational too. With this in mind I believe its pushed spending beyond some clubs limits in the lower leagues which will cause financial problems.