Macc

[gazan]

Have you heard about Macc? outrageous that they can come to this decision and then back-date its implementation. If they can do this to Macc, why didn't they do it to Sheffield Wednesday, a much bigger club? Oh, I've just answered my own question, haven't I?

[Furberstreet]

Agreed! Why Wigan get their 12 points deduction this season and Sheffield Wednesday's deferred to next season.

[AstonAlex]

That’s the one I have a problem with, Furber.

Macc clearly broke the rules multiple times last season and the people who suffered were their players not getting paid and clubs having matches postponed at very short notice, which just isn’t acceptable- the EFL gave appropriate punishments, including a suspended sentence which they then wanted to enact but for some reason the independent panel opted not to. I’ve no love for Stevenage but I’d have been pretty annoyed if the previously given punishment, which was not appealed by Macc, had then been ignored.

The Wigan punishment was also entirely appropriate. If they’d finished above the bottom 3 Despite a penalty then the 12 point penalty would be enacted in the next season, otherwise there’s no effective sanction for breaking the rules. Why the same doesn’t apply to Wednesday, when they’ve been under investigation for ages, just flies in the face of natural justice. Of course, if Wednesday are guilty then we can expect the same regarding Derby County.... well, when I say expect I do know that any old decision is just as likely!

[gazan]

Macc are struggling and that is a problem. Wigan went into administration after ONE MONTH of new ownership. New ownership, which one assumes the EFL allowed via its 'fit and proper' test. Sheff Wed, on the other hand are a better off club who were 'fiddling the books' to avoid seeming to break the rules. So, to recap, one is a case of hardship, one is hardship the EFL contributed to and the other is just plain fraud.
I know where my sympathies lie!

[AstonAlex]

Many Alex fans sympathies didn’t lie with Macc when our fixture at the Moss Rose was postponed at very short notice when they had players suspended and unavailable, as I recall. All sorts of comments when the rearranged fixture included several new signings, players back fit, etc..... and a 1-1 draw. I know there’s all sorts of ifs and buts but there’s every chance we’d have won the match had it taken place when scheduled and gone up as Champions... and Macc wouldn’t have been docked points for postponing the match and would not have been relegated.

Mac’s hardship was partially self inflicted and, however much sympathy one might have for a small club in such a predicament, maybe they shouldn’t have overstretched themselves the previous season when employing, and then not paying, Sol Campbell. I agree that Wednesday are at best using creative accounting and got caught out - so punish them. Wigan is a very strange case, and I don’t suppose we’ve heard the full story yet but now we read that the EFL are being criticised and decisions appealed when they put a block on the Charlton take over. Damned if they do and damned if they don’t?

[gazan]

fair point about the Macc game against us.
However, i just don't understand how some judgements are implemented retrospectively but others are post-dated.
I also don't think Stevenage deserve to stay up.

[AstonAlex]

Well we certainly agree on the timing issue! Wednesday should have had their penalty this season, or Wigan’s should have been postponed until next season, can’t have it both ways.

I have no love for Stevenage; ironically they’d both be relegated if Bury hadn’t gone tits up. This may happen a lot next season if more clubs are overstretched either by accident or design, sadly.

[Gobstopper]

You can't really have a situation when one club is penalised this season and another bigger club next season, but this is the stance the EFL has taken. There is more information coming out about Wigan and the business arrangements behind the previous owner and the new owner who put club into administration. also there is the rumour of heavy betting, in the far east on Wigan being relegated. I feel for there fans it seems Wigan were in a Pawn in somebody else's game which played out to the detriment of the club. The fit and proper persons test is obviously not fit for purpose and although the EFL approved the new owner it was right that Wigan had 12 points deducted. It is obvious a new test needs to be put in place, one that has real teeth and can stop unscrupulous people taking ownership. Also Sheffield Wednesday should receive a heavy penalty for there misdemeanours, starting next season on -20 points would be a start, but probably not far enough.

[Teammoo]

With regards to Macc, why have they been docked more points than the official sanction. They are only being relegated because their docked points have been included when calculating their ppg. Surely this should have being calculated using their actual points gained in games played and then the pro-rata points deduction applied?

[gazan]

Good point TM😉