The Macc Lads need help

[Dawsey]

http://macclesfieldtown.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=962&p=2&stid=8398824

We've helped Wrexham, Donny, Bury and Bournemouth to name a few, lets now add Macclesfield to those names.

 

[sullyupthewing]

Bloody good idea, lets get loads of Seagull logos on there.

 

[Turkey]

On Monday morning, Macc Town were a club with strong links to the community, who, despite a lowly League ranking and small attendances, had as bright a future as any other club in the League.

By 4pm, they became a club on the verge of extinction.

I won't bore you with the details, but Macc Town were charged by the FA of misusing a Football Foundation grant which paid for a new stand. At no point did the money go near the playing staff, and the club gained no competitive advantage (no points were docked).

Our current board (which bears no relation to the board of 4 years ago which committed the offences) plead guilty to those charges, and they were fully co-operative with the FA at every stage of the investigation.

Naturally, we were mainly optimistic about the outcome of the FA's enquiry. Of course no-one expected a pardon from the FA, but we did expect a substantial but even-handed fine that would see justice done without unnecessarily hampering the considerable efforts we've made in building a community club.

After all, the FA (according to their website) are about 'Promoting the development of the game amongst all ages, backgrounds and abilities in terms of participation and quality. This also involves promoting the availability of the sport to the greatest possible number of people.'

Perhaps I am being particularly short-sighted, but I am unsure how giving Macc a £300,000 levy to pay in six weeks quite ties in with this. Sadly it will almost certainly prevent us from helping the FA to achieve these laudable goals, due an imminent lack of existence on our part. Perhaps there is a clause in the FA's many regulations which exempts Macclesfield from this having to do any of this tedious 'promoting the availability of sport' stuff.

Samuel Johnson is always good for a quote, and he once said 'An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.' And so it is the case here, because this is a punishment that will aid nobody. £195,000 will admittedly go to the Football Foundation, but the benefits of that will be entirely outweighed by the loss of a community football club.

By fining Macc so harshly, the FA are in fact failing in their fundamental obligation to promote football, which is a much higher injustice than the extinction of a tiny club in Cheshire.

Of course, I implore you to donate to this scheme because it will directly save my club. But I also offer this as a referendum against the damaging bureaucracy of the FA, and ask you to consider that by assuring the future of Macc Town, the goals of 'promoting the availability of sport' are upheld. If the FA can't do this, then we must.

 

[Starry]

My cousin works for the FA. I notice the Macc Town fans failed to mention how their club took money from the FA and failed to spend it on paying the contractors and such. Also how they failed to declare the full and proper sponsorship of the stand, instead giving a false amount so as not to impact on the amount they'd receive from the FA. And yes it's not fair if fans lose out over the actions of their baord (previous board I think - the men who did this have left now, I believe)

Maybe the FA could have been more lenient with the time scale of repayment, but the punishment is fair and just, in line with other punishments for similar offences.

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

My cousin works for the FA. I notice the Macc Town fans failed to mention how their club took money from the FA and failed to spend it on paying the contractors and such. Also how they failed to declare the full and proper sponsorship of the stand, instead giving a false amount so as not to impact on the amount they'd receive from the FA. And yes it's not fair if fans lose out over the actions of their baord (previous board I think - the men who did this have left now, I believe)

Maybe the FA could have been more lenient with the time scale of repayment, but the punishment is fair and just, in line with other punishments for similar offences.

Valid points Starry but we'd be hypocrits to dismiss their problems due to it being the fault of a previous board wouldn't we?

Good luck to the Macc.

 

[Starry]

Valid points Starry but we'd be hypocrits to dismiss their problems due to it being the fault of a previous board wouldn't we?

Oh yeah, I wasn't saying that at all!

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

And it's hardly the fans fault.

It was Ridsdale, not the Leeds fans who got you lot in the mire Starry.

P.S. Off to the Carol Service, and will be thinking of your little girl.

 

[Starry]

P.S. Off to the Carol Service, and will be thinking of your little girl.

Thank you. It really means a lot to my family and I.

 

[The Large One]

£1.25 duly sent. Peasy. Do it.

 

[dougdeep]

It wouldn't let me.

 

[shaolinpunk]

i read about this on another site, and duly contributed.

 

[the wanderbus]

donated, & will be giving the web adress to a mate who posts on millwalls board

 

[Kent Seagull]

Done, even I can afford £1.25!

 

[Leekbrookgull]

If you think you have problems just look at Stockport County!!

 

[oapdodge]

Done from another site. Come on Albion fans lets get behind this one and help save another club.

 

[sams dad]

Done

 

[northstandnorth]

done

 

[Windmill]

Have done my bit - they will be updating all the pixels tomorrow. Come on Brighton fans show Macclesfield you care!

 

[enigma]

If you think you have problems just look at Stockport County!!

Their owner isin the 100 richest men in football in the UK according to 442.

 

[Biscuit]

Done.