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Luton deducted 20 more points







Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
Also to those saying how would us Brighton fans feel if Luton had pipped us to the last play off spot and then had all this happen, dont forget West Ham were found guilty over the Teves farce and that may well have cost us a money spinning tie in the next round of the cup a couple of seasons ago, what did the FA do about it? sweet FA as always

You do make loads of good points mate but, for me, watching Tevez against Butters was good enough:p. Brightons day will come.
 


7:18

Brighton & Hove Albion
Aug 6, 2006
8,488
Brighton, England
They will do the Leeds next year and scrape into the playoffs, miraculously
 


algie

The moaning of life
Jan 8, 2006
14,713
In rehab
They will do the Leeds next year and scrape into the playoffs, miraculously


Yea right when the whole squad is up for sale.Can't even see them staying in the league
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
I am sure that SSN said that The Conference will not accept clubs that are in administration so relegation 1 division is not a choice or in the FL case relegation 2 divisions as a punishment was not an option. I think that the Conference refused to accept Boston because they were in administration.
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,023
So following this theory Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea should all be getting heafty point deductions for doing exactly that, borrowing money against basically their name or being given it by a benefactor ... They are all borrowing on the income they will get in years to come and again nothing is being done to stop it.

[...]how long will it be before the FA start deducting points for clubs who showed a loss on the balance sheet the previous year? Think about it, its the next logical step, stamp out the over spending before the club goes into administration.

if you stopped benefactors giving to football clubs, the sport would be dead overnight and not just in this country. Football has never been a profitable business until recently and then only for a few, and always relied on a sugar daddy to pump in money. As for borrowing against future income, thats what nearly all businesses do, so why should football clubs have special rules against it? as long as the debt is serviced, then theres no problem. Last years balance sheet is no perfect indicator, a business can go from black to bust in a few month.
 


Blackadder

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 6, 2003
16,122
Haywards Heath
Assuming the friendly is still taking place. This would be a good opportunity for Albion fans to show their support for Luton in their hour of need.
 


Starry

Captain Of The Crew
Oct 10, 2004
6,733
pretty ironic really that our pal mawhinney is standing down from the fa committee to oversee a new scheme to prevent small clubs from financial mismanagement. the man needs to step down entirely. let someone who is not quite so interested in promoting their own self importance take over, sort their rules out because this is going to happen every single time a club goes into administration now due to the hmrc stance on the cva. every single time. even when a club has an agreed cva.

some precedent mawhinney. well done.
 




DIFFBROOK

Really Up the Junction
Feb 3, 2005
2,267
Yorkshire
I think the league had to do something within the current structure. There were two seperate offences. 1. dodgy payments to agents which had to have some punishment and 2. punishment as per Leeds for not having a correct CVA in place.

Having said that, I think the current structure of the football league seriously needs looking at. Certainly how clubs operate needs looking at. Clubs need to not over stretch themselves financially. Wages need to come down (even if that results in part time players). Players contracts need to be flexible, so if a club gets relegated then there wages fall accordingly. Club boards need to be more transparent. It should be a must that a fans representative is on the board.
 


pretty ironic really that our pal mawhinney is standing down from the fa committee to oversee a new scheme to prevent small clubs from financial mismanagement. the man needs to step down entirely. let someone who is not quite so interested in promoting their own self importance take over, sort their rules out because this is going to happen every single time a club goes into administration now due to the hmrc stance on the cva. every single time. even when a club has an agreed cva.

some precedent mawhinney. well done.

I know this was discussed on here ad nauseam leading up to Leeds arbitration hearing last season but you can't blame HMRC for taking this stance as they are usually a major creditor due to unpaid VAT, NI etc.
Until and unless the FL backs down on giving all football related creditors preferential status before any others then, in my view, HMRC should continue to vote against any CVA that's constructed on this basis. The solution, surely, is for the FL rules on this to be amended so that they only reflect UK insolvency law - and nothing else?
I've no time for Mawhinney either but there's nothing stopping the FL clubs themselves, who comprise the league membership, from proposing such a change themselves?
 


Starry

Captain Of The Crew
Oct 10, 2004
6,733
oh i am not blaming hmrc, i meant it more in a the fl rules regarding a cva need updating way, like you said.

but this all needs to be looked at before it is anywhere at the stage of a failed cva.

until mawhinney can admit there are finanical problems in lower league football (that wonderful document from our appeal last summer from the arbitratotors laid it all out in black and white, with fact) but he thinks every club is rosie and until the day he faces up to what football has become from the very top - sky downwards, this is going to happen time and time again.
 




Starry,
Don't disagree with anything you say here. Unfortunately it looks like it may need some of the cards to tumble out of the pack before the underlying financial issues are addressed.
Do you know if that document/report for the arbitrators available anywhere on the web?
Btw - have you "arranged" your tickets for Jan 17th yet?
 


Starry

Captain Of The Crew
Oct 10, 2004
6,733
i don't think the whole document has ever been online, i know certain parts were put on the web.

we went ahead and renewed our away season tickets so we're good to go for january :thumbsup:
 


Starry

Captain Of The Crew
Oct 10, 2004
6,733
i don't think the whole document has ever been online, i know certain parts were put on the web.

we went ahead and renewed our away season tickets so we're good to go for january :thumbsup:
 




Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,762
at home
I am sure that SSN said that The Conference will not accept clubs that are in administration so relegation 1 division is not a choice or in the FL case relegation 2 divisions as a punishment was not an option. I think that the Conference refused to accept Boston because they were in administration.

yes that is right
 


sully

Dunscouting
Jul 7, 2003
7,938
Worthing
i don't think the whole document has ever been online, i know certain parts were put on the web.

Are you referring to the postscript section of the decision document from the arbitrators? If so, I have a copy of that. Alternatively, is there a more detailed document that you are referring to?
 


Freddie Goodwin.

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2007
7,186
Brighton
Leaving aside all the comples issues, I do find it sad that Luton Town & their fans, a club i have always despised, are faced with this situation and a 30 points deduction is almost a fatal blow to the club.
 


Blackadder

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 6, 2003
16,122
Haywards Heath
My Luton Supporting Work Mate has just passed this on from Luton's chairman.

Subject: Fw: Loyal Luton - Chairman's outrage...




So the time for diplomacy and politeness is now officially over.

The regulators that govern this game have now decided that it is bullying season for the smaller clubs meanwhile applying no commercialism or willingness to open their eyes to realism to protect all and execute equality that they preach and is expected by all that fall under their powers. It is quite clear that they are so far detached from the real issues that impact this game and you have to start believing that they have also been sucked into the greed that motivates those in the Premiership.

Lord Mawhinney should hang his head in shame. He claims it is “…the board’s responsibility to protect the integrity of their competitions…” Well yes we all agree with that, but how has that principle been applied in this case?
What other industry blackmails you into accepting their decision to re-gain membership without any fair right of appeal. How is this viewed under EU law?
Has he actually taken stock of all the facts behind this whole situation?
Has he actually realised that it was his Committee that previously approved through their ‘fit and proper test’ a group of people taking over this Club that included a former second-hand car salesman, a serial bankrupt and a financial director who was previously caught up in high profile financial irregularities at another Club.
Did he realise that one of the previous administrations was instigated by the fans because another corrupt person had been given power to take over the Club for his personal financial gain?
Has he actually understood all the pain and lies the fans have incurred in recent years?
Has he understood what a football club means to a local community?
Has he actually taken the time and effort to read all that 2020 has presented to him?
Has he really any integrity?
How can he come out with the comment to Rotherham that it is ordinarily required for a club to play its matches in its existing town? So then Mr Mawhinney can you explain when the AA map was changed that located Wimbledon in Buckinghamshire…
Can he sleep comfortably in the knowledge that justice has been served here and this decision is for the good of the game?

To all those questions the same answer applies, i.e. ‘clearly not’ and like the rest of football he’s probably more interested in the fact that some pretty boy in Manchester getting paid £120,000 per week is considered a slave, albeit a well-paid one, and also that rules are there to just be made up as they go along.

Well Mr Mawhinney you sir are an absolute disgrace to this game. You are presented with a blueprint to take football forward and one that looks after and protects its stakeholders, i.e. the fans and all you do is throw it back in our faces.

Loyal Luton stands 100% behind the 2020 team and all that they stand for. We commend Gary, Stephen and Antony as well as all the investors for all that they have done so far and for standing behind their beliefs. Clearly the FA and FL have shown that cheating wins, yet more than ever we are determined to maintain the moral high ground for honesty and transparency and hold our heads high. We know the incredible effort that the 2020 team is putting in and it must be heart-wrenching to get treated like they have by the authorities, however, we are not defeatist and we will all carry on fighting to ensure we survive.

I have had many mails asking what we do now. The message is simple. WE STICK TOGETHER.

There will always be a Luton, a Luton we will love and no-one will ever take this away from us. The authorities may try to bully us but they will never win. We should all get season tickets and support this great club more than ever and show the football authorities what true loyal fans really believe in.

Also we all have to take stock and above all make sure that we enjoy the next nine or ten months. Football brings us all together and will not part us so let’s have some fun on this roller-coaster of a journey.

We also are extremely grateful for a manager and great person such as Mick Harford at the helm. His words post this decision are truly eye-watering and epitomise the immense legend that he is and he also gets our full 100% support.

The season kicks off tomorrow at Borehamwood and for those interested in going there is a regular train service on the Thameslink and it is likely that the new Loyal Luton flag will make its debut.

Further information will be forthcoming in respect of the appeal taking place next week but in the meantime please all try to enjoy the weekend.



Kevin Lennon
Chairman
 




Leaving aside all the comples issues, I do find it sad that Luton Town & their fans, a club i have always despised, are faced with this situation and a 30 points deduction is almost a fatal blow to the club.

I too have disliked Luton since first going to Kenilworth Road in my early teens with my dad but am really saddened by their plight.

However, the underlying CVA issue isn't complex at all and the tragedy for Luton and the other teams (including Leeds if you like) who are/will be/have been faced with these points deductions is that this situation is created by the Football League's own rules that the members (ie the Clubs) themselves have approved and presumably continue to support.
 


Timbo

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
4,322
Hassocks
The thing is, sadly nobody gives a f***. Watch any sports news program and you might get a couple of lines on this about 20 minutes in. Its all very well, Luton fans/chairman/other fans saying right, enoughs enough. Nothing will happen because the main news of the day is Ronaldo is out for 12 weeks.
 


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