Rotherham -17pts

[RM-Taylor]

Don Valley Stadium is just a bigger Withdean.

I think Rotherham will do well and stay up, I also believe Bournemouth will too.

Grimsby have only beaten Gainsborough Trinity in pre=season friendlies, put out the first-team every game and lost 2 games against teams from the British Gas Northern Premier Divison, would think they'd go down with Luton.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

There but for the grace of God (or whoever).....

 

[Slough Seagull]

The positive thing about Rotherham is that they are to play at the Don Valley stadium relatively near to Millmoor which was basically not fit for purpose as a football ground. If they win a few matches early on the crowds should increase as they see a chance of avoiding relegation.

yes, it is only 5 miles away.

Maybe they will attract some of the brain dead who shop at the meadowhall shopping centre on a saturday afternoon.

 

[Curious Orange]

It does seem somewhat inconsistent, I am wondering how long it will be before the FL start to get really hacked off and just start chucking teams out?

The points deduction is instead of an automatic relegation. All three teams could already be in the Conference (assuming they'd let them in).

 

[Scotty Mac]

rotherham were deducted points last season and still managed a respectable mid table finish

they should survive, they have a team good enough to and a manager who should be good enough to. the big question is will they be back in rotherham in four years - somehow i doubt it

 

[Mr Blobby]

Rotherham had 17 points deducted because this is the 2nd time they have been insolvent. Rotherham have to be back in Rotherham within 4 years (same as restrictions we had when we went to Gillingham)

Luton got 10 points for irregular payments to agents and 20 points for going into Administration for the 3rd time.

Bournemouth could face the similar deduction to Luton as they have now been in administration more than once, but more seriously is the league are questioning the rescue package and the finances involved. They could be expelled if the FL dont think that they will be able to fulfil all fixtures, a decision is expected late today. Not sure why it has been left so late, guess that change of ownership only just happened so not sure who is to blame for this latest late fiasco!

All these cases are different to Leeds so the points deductions will be different.

The league need to make it totally transparent as to how they reach the points deductions totals. Is this set down anywhere??

Perhaps people moaning about our board and not splashing the cash should look at the state of these 3 clubs. You would imagine 2 of these 3 will be relegated and if still not sorted out there finances will be relegated 2 division to below the Blue Square Conference as per Boston.

 

[Normal Rob]

I hate the way that football is going - this happens to lower league clubs yet West Ham got a £5m fine for 'irregularities' when the payoff for Premier League survival was circa £60m.

 

[y2dave]

I think Rotherham have been shafted by the Football League. Milmoor to Don Valley is probably as far as the Goldstone to Falmer yet the Footaball League want assurances and a bond to guarantee there intent to return to Rotherham.

Basically Milmoor is owned by the former chairman who has had the club over a barrell with tenancy terms. A move to Don Valley makes sense and I think the Football League should have realised there are exceptional circumstances in this case.

 

[Seagull73]

What is absolutely crystal clear is that what we are seeing happening to clubs at the lower end of the football pyramid has been predicted for the last 10-15 years, basically since the inception of the Premier League.

Simply not enough money filters down the leagues, despite the protests of the bigger clubs that it does, and with the Bosman ruling (which I don't disagree with by the way), it has made it that much harder.

If anything, we need to be thankful that if things like this were going to happen to us, they happened when there were not all of these rules in place, because we would have been truly shafted.

I have a nasty feeling these three are just the tip of the iceberg. I know each club has it's own individual problems that aren't exclusive to falling crowds, or antiquated grounds, but there simply isn't enough to go round outside the Premier League, and this many professional clubs is unsustainable in the financial climate, current or future.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Aren't you jumping to the conclusion that all three cases are exactly the same.

I suppose I was, as it's essntially the same offence.

Rotherham had 17 points deducted because this is the 2nd time they have been insolvent. Rotherham have to be back in Rotherham within 4 years (same as restrictions we had when we went to Gillingham)

Luton got 20 points for going into Administration for the 3rd time.

Ahhh, good point

All these cases are different to Leeds so the points deductions will be different.

The league need to make it totally transparent as to how they reach the points deductions totals. Is this set down anywhere??

Yes they should and I don't believe it is

 

[Simster]

In other news, it's "as you were" for Cristiano Ronaldo. He is staying at Man Utd, the club he absolutely adores, and their marvellous fans. And Chelsea will play in blue again next season and their home games will be at Stamford Bridge.