Will the powers that be in football help us now?

[Bohinen]

Reading this post, I think Notts fans need a serious reality check.

The FA, National League and PFA are not charities. They are not going to buy the club. They are not going to service our ever-growing debt.

The PFA takes money from players for just this kind of eventuality. They have an obligation to help those players financially, and it sounds like they have failed to do so.

[Yellafella63]

Reading this post, I think Notts fans need a serious reality check.

The FA, National League and PFA are not charities. They are not going to buy the club. They are not going to service our ever-growing debt.

I shouldn't think they give a flying fcuk about the history of the club that will be lost if we are liquidated. They will be far more concerned that the club can demonsrate that it is not trading insolvently - which is the current state of affairs.

For all Hardy has revealed himself to be an incompetent, lying fool, these are not criminal offences in themselves.

This is tough to read if you're a county fan but is an accurate appraisal of what involvement the football authorities take in your plight. Their most pressing concern atm will be that all football creditors get paid in full. They have no place getting involved in any other aspect of your clubs finances. The Bury fans have been begging the FA and EFL to help their club to no avail.

[Warnocks Legends]

Happy to take, supporters , clubs and TV monies but then stick 2 fingers up to us all!!! Says all about football authority - rotten to the core!!!

[crazyfists]

I'm surprised at the lethargy and acceptance tbh. There was such a sense of supporters all coming together last time to do something, anything, there's been nothing at all (other than a small - and ultimately pointless - protest) this time.

You're right there and I think people have just had enough after Trew and then Hardy. This time really feels like we're out of chances though compared to last, we can't buy the club ourselves due to the debt started by Munto so are reliant on someone coming in quickly. The governing bodies can't really do anything either apart from investigate it as if they let us off then others will follow. It's a real mess and could be it.

[ivansneck]

Happy to take, supporters , clubs and TV monies but then stick 2 fingers up to us all!!! Says all about football authority - rotten to the core!!!

Correct

[M1cksut]

Just sent this message to the efl, national League and PFA, think I will get any response?

Hello

I recently filled in your very comprehensive supporter questionnaire, where you professed you are all about helping fans and clubs.

Yet here we are with what was the world's oldest football League club on the bring of extinction and your silence is deafening!!!!

So will you be true to your word and help thus supporter and his dear old club?

Thank you

Fixed that for you, you're welcome.

[BigFatPie]

They can’t help financially, it would be no more than a sticking plaster, and would set a terrible precedent. We may think we’re a special case but here’s the news - we aren’t.

More sensibly, they could be exacting when it comes to the fit and proper persons test. On the face of it a good idea, to try and eliminate some of the cowboys. Of course the downside is that clubs in our situation are desperate, there are people who would welcome Smurthwaite here ffs. If someone like him failed the test, and there was no one else, what would happen then? Would Forest fans welcome the FA asking tougher questions about their owner? Doubt it.

If there are any other suggestions about how the FA or anyone else could help, I’d love to hear em.

[optipez]

No-one is going to help us. If we don't sort this out very soon things get worse. The manager's here, games being played, triallists being tapped up but it's all built on sand.
Point deductions, league expulsion, administration and insolvency is where we are headed. The FA and Conference will do the opposite of help, they'll ensure the integrity of the league and treat us the same way as Gateshead, Chester, Wimbledon and Hereford.
South Africans, Danes, Smurthwaite, all of it is gossip and rumour until a contract's signed.
I'm fully expecting Hardy to go on a long holiday by the weekend with his photocopier for company to hide from the abyss he's sending us to.

[Warnocks Legends]

Still better than sleeping with your sister M1cksut !!

[MAD_MAGPIE]

They can’t help financially, it would be no more than a sticking plaster, and would set a terrible precedent. We may think we’re a special case but here’s the news - we aren’t.

More sensibly, they could be exacting when it comes to the fit and proper persons test. On the face of it a good idea, to try and eliminate some of the cowboys. Of course the downside is that clubs in our situation are desperate, there are people who would welcome Smurthwaite here ffs. If someone like him failed the test, and there was no one else, what would happen then? Would Forest fans welcome the FA asking tougher questions about their owner? Doubt it.

If there are any other suggestions about how the FA or anyone else could help, I’d love to hear em.

Taking away its Notts, the club is an independently run private company and the FA, National League are not the government or public governing bodies to which the club is held accountable to financially. They are also private enterprises.

The only way I could see that these bodies could get more involved with the financial aspects of clubs is if they sent in independent auditors once a year (close season) to clubs to run through the accounts and look ahead at the next years projections and cash flows. It doesn’t help Notts now.

Likewise they are not charities and as much as some fans (with our Notts hearts) may not understand why they won’t help financially it would open the gates for some custodians up and down the land to be neglectful and negligent because they would know someone would bail the club out if they messed up.

The only thing the FA or National League could do is give information or make statements to the press about the clubs current plight. If they were government organisations and they operated under the freedom of information act then supporters or anyone could request who has applied for the fit and proper tests. What do they know of any interested parties and who they are? But we can’t and I doubt supporters would ever find that out.

I guess all we can hope for is that the talks this week with the football bodies and the Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood are positive and productive and she comes back with some good news, or something that relays fans concerns or fears.