Sc unthorpe United & Oldham Athletic

[animallittle3]

Currently occupying the bottom two places in the National League with 7 wins between them all season .

Just shows what can happen in this game if you aren't run right .

I'm not saying anyone has a god given right to box their weight but neither should these two clubs be anywhere near their current predicament .

[pass_and_move]

Stockport did same till their rise back. York went darn below conference level too as have Chester, Darlington and Hereford. Thaz got to watch what tha doing. Many established football league clubs have seen conference football in recent years including Grimsby, Bristol Rovers, Notts Co, Chesterfield, Wrexham. It's a cut throat business cos thuz ambitious little clubs like Salford or Forest Green, Fleetwoods waiting to take your place

[Arblasterfromthepast]

Stockport did same till their rise back. York went darn below conference level too as have Chester, Darlington and Hereford. Thaz got to watch what tha doing. Many established football league clubs have seen conference football in recent years including Grimsby, Bristol Rovers, Notts Co, Chesterfield, Wrexham. It's a cut throat business cos thuz ambitious little clubs like Salford or Forest Green, Fleetwoods waiting to take your place

You're a bit younger than me Pass. I remember Hereford being one of those ambitious little clubs that came into the league in my lifetime and then drop back out. The little clubs have to build and maintain a decent fan base in the league. I suppose that's what Hereford didn't manage to do. Good to see Barrow and Hartlepool back.

[pass_and_move]

It provides healthy competition Arbs. If clubs with no affiliation with league football can achieve summat then there's hope for other clubs.

It can go the other way sometimes because of a low fan base as we saw wi Rushden & Diamonds. They built a lovely stadium, got into league 1 and I think their benefactor either withdrew or died, can't remember which, but they couldn't afford to maintain that new stadium on low crowds with no financial input so they eventually went bankrupt.

There's also the risk of ending up like Bury which was so sad having been a league club for over a century. The reality of financial mismanagement is evidently there. Any club from top of league 1 down can fall foul of this. Bolton nearly went anorl and they ate a bigger club than us

[Acido]

It might seem a bit harsh, but I can't say that I care at all about either Scunny or Oldham.
But in Oldham's case, it makes you wonder how they can go from Premier league to Non league like they have, and they are apparently now struggling at that level.

[SBRed48]

The wise village elders on here will remember clubs finishing at or near the bottom of the Fourth Division having to apply to the League for re-election decided by votes by other league clubs. It was an Old Boy's Network whereby clubs were nearly always voted back in on the secret understanding that clubs would return the favour if they were in the same boat. Barnsley's Jooa Richards oversaw some reyt stitch ups.

If clubs repeatedly applied and were in a financial mess they could be voted out--Gateshead and Bradford PA are examples.

I can't remember if Barnsley ever had to apply for re-election. Anybody know ?

[animallittle3]

The wise village elders on here will remember clubs finishing at or near the bottom of the Fourth Division having to apply to the League for re-election decided by votes by other league clubs. It was an Old Boy's Network whereby clubs were nearly always voted back in on the secret understanding that clubs would return the favour if they were in the same boat. Barnsley's Jooa Richards oversaw some reyt stitch ups.

If clubs repeatedly applied and were in a financial mess they could be voted out--Gateshead and Bradford PA are examples.

I can't remember if Barnsley ever had to apply for re-election. Anybody know ?

No we haven't SB although we were close in the 70's .

[Romared]

The wise village elders on here will remember clubs finishing at or near the bottom of the Fourth Division having to apply to the League for re-election decided by votes by other league clubs. It was an Old Boy's Network whereby clubs were nearly always voted back in on the secret understanding that clubs would return the favour if they were in the same boat. Barnsley's Jooa Richards oversaw some reyt stitch ups.

If clubs repeatedly applied and were in a financial mess they could be voted out--Gateshead and Bradford PA are examples.

I can't remember if Barnsley ever had to apply for re-election. Anybody know ?

Sarfport (haigh avenue ) and Workington (borough park ) we're grounds I enjoyed going to , saw us win 9 nowt wunce at Workie ,

[EthelRed]

There has to be a possibility that we are at risk of a similar outcome Acido.

Losing £1mil a month and £3.2mil owed to the FA combined with owners who are unwilling to really invest.

How do you get out of that one then?

I am seriously worried. We're not even an attractive proposition for anyone to buy them out.

[Shadrack the Red]

No we haven't SB although we were close in the 70's .

I believe the closest we came was in 1966 when we were heading for the bottom & the re election situation but we signed Barry Thomas & Johnny Evans who transformed our season & saved the day .