Rival Watch

[tidus_mi2]

I do think they have assumed most Championship players will be out of the World Cup at the group stage, probably will for us as I'd be surprised if Ghana + Canada make it out of the group.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

I think the fixtures cancelled for the Queen could have been left to the clubs to re-arrange....putting the games in just before the world cup is ridiculous given how many games have been played recently. There are several mid week dates available in the new year even allowing for cup replays.

And most championship sides will go out in round 3 or 4 as will play U23 sides like in the league cup...there are more lower league sides left in the league cup

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Huddersfield officially up for sale, Dean Hoyle citing health reasons as to why he can't continue but is still willing to write off the clubs debts in the meantime until a new owner is found. No shock there, they've been struggling for cash for a couple of seasons now.

Wigan Athletic have failed to pay their players on time for the third time this season. Many players are now said to be considering their futures at the club and that third parties have been approached to find potential buyers for the club, at a price touted to be around £15m, close to five times what the current owners paid to get the club out of administration back in 2021. Despite this, Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year deal at the club.

Huddersfield are in enough trouble as it is, but this is likely to put another downer on Wigan, who are struggling for form in the league.

[Sutekh]

Huddersfield officially up for sale, Dean Hoyle citing health reasons as to why he can't continue but is still willing to write off the clubs debts in the meantime until a new owner is found. No shock there, they've been struggling for cash for a couple of seasons now.

Wigan Athletic have failed to pay their players on time for the third time this season. Many players are now said to be considering their futures at the club and that third parties have been approached to find potential buyers for the club, at a price touted to be around £15m, close to five times what the current owners paid to get the club out of administration back in 2021. Despite this, Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year deal at the club.

Huddersfield are in enough trouble as it is, but this is likely to put another downer on Wigan, who are struggling for form in the league.

Might Wigan fall foul of the FL and get points deducted for failing to pay staff on time?

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Huddersfield officially up for sale, Dean Hoyle citing health reasons as to why he can't continue but is still willing to write off the clubs debts in the meantime until a new owner is found. No shock there, they've been struggling for cash for a couple of seasons now.

Wigan Athletic have failed to pay their players on time for the third time this season. Many players are now said to be considering their futures at the club and that third parties have been approached to find potential buyers for the club, at a price touted to be around £15m, close to five times what the current owners paid to get the club out of administration back in 2021. Despite this, Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year deal at the club.

Huddersfield are in enough trouble as it is, but this is likely to put another downer on Wigan, who are struggling for form in the league.

Might Wigan fall foul of the FL and get points deducted for failing to pay staff on time?

Maybe but it depends how many times this has happened. One source has claimed 3 times this season, another has said twice this season, the BBC has reported twice in 2022 etc, so it's a bit inconsistent. It will depend on their financial situation ultimately, but if they are struggling to pay players, for whatever reason, I can imagine sanctions will be issued before long.

[Stranded]

Slightly bored this lunchtime, so decided to "predict" the final table. Calculated by taking the PPG over the last 8 games, using that to calculate the points over the remaining games.

Key points

QPR win the league with 101 points, Burnley go up with them on 97.

Play-offs will be made up of Swansea, Millwall, Blackburn and Luton.

Relegated will be Huddersfield in 22nd, Wigan in 23rd and WBA propping up the table finishing 13pts shy of safety.

Big movers are Coventry who storm to a 7th placed finish whilst Norwich are the big losers, finishing on 47pts just 4 clear of safety.

We finish a very comfortable 9th with 63pts, finishing 17pts shy of the play-offs but 20pts clear of danger - lovely, boring mid-table finish.

1 QPR 101
2 Burnley 97
3 Swansea City 95
4 Millwall 86
5 Blackburn 84
6 Luton Town 80
7 Coventry City 77
8 Birmingham City 65
9 Reading 63
10 Watford 61
11 Stoke City 60
12 Sheffield Utd 60
13 Preston 58
14 Rotherham 56
15 Cardiff City 56
16 Hull City 54
17 Sunderland 54
18 Blackpool 49
19 Middlesbrough 47
20 Norwich City 47
21 Bristol City 46
22 Huddersfield 43
23 Wigan Athletic 42
24 West Brom 33

[Snowflake Royal]

You can't push reorganised games late in the season when you haven't even reached the point most games get postponed.

If you organise a fixture in March instead of October and then lose 3 games over winter and can't fit them all in because you wanted to spread the early ones you're negligent.

[Nameless]

Huddersfield officially up for sale, Dean Hoyle citing health reasons as to why he can't continue but is still willing to write off the clubs debts in the meantime until a new owner is found. No shock there, they've been struggling for cash for a couple of seasons now.

Wigan Athletic have failed to pay their players on time for the third time this season. Many players are now said to be considering their futures at the club and that third parties have been approached to find potential buyers for the club, at a price touted to be around £15m, close to five times what the current owners paid to get the club out of administration back in 2021. Despite this, Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year deal at the club.

Huddersfield are in enough trouble as it is, but this is likely to put another downer on Wigan, who are struggling for form in the league.

Might Wigan fall foul of the FL and get points deducted for failing to pay staff on time?

Yes. League rules were changed earlier this year.
Late payment is classed as wages not being paid within 2 days of due date. Penalties vary but caninclude significant points deductions. Immediate embargo on player registrations . Seen as a big warning of a club in financial trouble

[Stranded]

Staff at companies based at the CBS Arena have been told to clear their desks as the company owning the stadium are likel to go into administration meaning access may be barred.

Coventry are able to play this weekend having made a significant payment to ACL (the stadium operators) to ensure it is staffed etc. If ACL go into admin on Monday then Tuesday's game is likely to be postponed.

Coventry apparently in talks with the EFL about potentially arranging a groundshare somewhere but if they do not have a home ground to play in, they could be fined, deducted points or even ejected from the league.

[Nameless]

Staff at companies based at the CBS Arena have been told to clear their desks as the company owning the stadium are likel to go into administration meaning access may be barred.

Coventry are able to play this weekend having made a significant payment to ACL (the stadium operators) to ensure it is staffed etc. If ACL go into admin on Monday then Tuesday's game is likely to be postponed.

Coventry apparently in talks with the EFL about potentially arranging a groundshare somewhere but if they do not have a home ground to play in, they could be fined, deducted points or even ejected from the league.

Have to say it would’ve very harsh on Cov to be punished for something essentially beyond their control.

[Stranded]

Staff at companies based at the CBS Arena have been told to clear their desks as the company owning the stadium are likel to go into administration meaning access may be barred.

Coventry are able to play this weekend having made a significant payment to ACL (the stadium operators) to ensure it is staffed etc. If ACL go into admin on Monday then Tuesday's game is likely to be postponed.

Coventry apparently in talks with the EFL about potentially arranging a groundshare somewhere but if they do not have a home ground to play in, they could be fined, deducted points or even ejected from the league.

Have to say it would’ve very harsh on Cov to be punished for something essentially beyond their control.

Yes and no - it is the club's responsability to have somewhere to play home games - if a club doesn't own a stadium then there is always the risk that if the stadium becomes unavailable i.e. due to a situation like this and their tenancy doesn't cover contingency, then they could be in breach of that requirement.

[Nameless]

Staff at companies based at the CBS Arena have been told to clear their desks as the company owning the stadium are likel to go into administration meaning access may be barred.

Coventry are able to play this weekend having made a significant payment to ACL (the stadium operators) to ensure it is staffed etc. If ACL go into admin on Monday then Tuesday's game is likely to be postponed.

Coventry apparently in talks with the EFL about potentially arranging a groundshare somewhere but if they do not have a home ground to play in, they could be fined, deducted points or even ejected from the league.

Have to say it would’ve very harsh on Cov to be punished for something essentially beyond their control.

Yes and no - it is the club's responsability to have somewhere to play home games - if a club doesn't own a stadium then there is always the risk that if the stadium becomes unavailable i.e. due to a situation like this and their tenancy doesn't cover contingency, then they could be in breach of that requirement.

Not sure how you could have a contingency though. Best a club can do is to have a proper legal contract ensuring they can play their fixtures. It would cost a lot of money to have to have a second ground on standby that would guarantee you could play 23 fixtures on predetermined dates. There just aren’t enough grounds around !

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Have to say it would’ve very harsh on Cov to be punished for something essentially beyond their control.

Yes and no - it is the club's responsability to have somewhere to play home games - if a club doesn't own a stadium then there is always the risk that if the stadium becomes unavailable i.e. due to a situation like this and their tenancy doesn't cover contingency, then they could be in breach of that requirement.

Not sure how you could have a contingency though. Best a club can do is to have a proper legal contract ensuring they can play their fixtures. It would cost a lot of money to have to have a second ground on standby that would guarantee you could play 23 fixtures on predetermined dates. There just aren’t enough grounds around !

As true as that is, that's not the fault of the people who would issue sanctions to Coventry though in such circumstance. Yes, there aren't that many/any grounds around to have on standby, but they don't "have" to play their home games at the CBS Arena, which would be where they would fall foul.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Huddersfield officially up for sale, Dean Hoyle citing health reasons as to why he can't continue but is still willing to write off the clubs debts in the meantime until a new owner is found. No shock there, they've been struggling for cash for a couple of seasons now.

Wigan Athletic have failed to pay their players on time for the third time this season. Many players are now said to be considering their futures at the club and that third parties have been approached to find potential buyers for the club, at a price touted to be around £15m, close to five times what the current owners paid to get the club out of administration back in 2021. Despite this, Leam Richardson has signed a new three-year deal at the club.

Huddersfield are in enough trouble as it is, but this is likely to put another downer on Wigan, who are struggling for form in the league.

Might Wigan fall foul of the FL and get points deducted for failing to pay staff on time?

Yes. League rules were changed earlier this year.
Late payment is classed as wages not being paid within 2 days of due date. Penalties vary but caninclude significant points deductions. Immediate embargo on player registrations . Seen as a big warning of a club in financial trouble

Not that we should know but I haven't seen anything suggesting that they are under any sort of embargo or any sort of penalties incoming? Not saying that there isn't, but it just seems to be aa bit quiet on that front, although I don't doubt there are things we don't know.

[Stranded]

Might Wigan fall foul of the FL and get points deducted for failing to pay staff on time?

Yes. League rules were changed earlier this year.
Late payment is classed as wages not being paid within 2 days of due date. Penalties vary but caninclude significant points deductions. Immediate embargo on player registrations . Seen as a big warning of a club in financial trouble

Not that we should know but I haven't seen anything suggesting that they are under any sort of embargo or any sort of penalties incoming? Not saying that there isn't, but it just seems to be aa bit quiet on that front, although I don't doubt there are things we don't know.

EFL list clubs under embargo here: https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/embargoes/

Just Coventry and us at the moment.

[Nameless]

Yes. League rules were changed earlier this year.
Late payment is classed as wages not being paid within 2 days of due date. Penalties vary but caninclude significant points deductions. Immediate embargo on player registrations . Seen as a big warning of a club in financial trouble

Not that we should know but I haven't seen anything suggesting that they are under any sort of embargo or any sort of penalties incoming? Not saying that there isn't, but it just seems to be aa bit quiet on that front, although I don't doubt there are things we don't know.

EFL list clubs under embargo here: https://www.efl.com/-more/governance/embargoes/

Just Coventry and us at the moment.

Rule 54.5 quite clearly states that non payment of wages means no player registrations are permitted. Various clauses apply.
No actual mention of points deduction in that specific rule but I can’t be bothered following the trail of wider offences and punishments !
I do believe that if a player is not paid for 2 months they are free to leave the club on the basis of breach of contract.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Can't understand that one with Wigan then - I guess only time will tell to see what happens.

In regard to Coventry's embargo, is this the same one that they were placed under in 2021 when they were one of 10 clubs to be placed under an embargo? I'm being lazy and not looking at the regulations that's all.

[Nameless]

Yes and no - it is the club's responsability to have somewhere to play home games - if a club doesn't own a stadium then there is always the risk that if the stadium becomes unavailable i.e. due to a situation like this and their tenancy doesn't cover contingency, then they could be in breach of that requirement.

Not sure how you could have a contingency though. Best a club can do is to have a proper legal contract ensuring they can play their fixtures. It would cost a lot of money to have to have a second ground on standby that would guarantee you could play 23 fixtures on predetermined dates. There just aren’t enough grounds around !

As true as that is, that's not the fault of the people who would issue sanctions to Coventry though in such circumstance. Yes, there aren't that many/any grounds around to have on standby, but they don't "have" to play their home games at the CBS Arena, which would be where they would fall foul.

You would think the league requirement is for a club to have a contract in place for a home ground that meets league regulations and is available for all potentialmatch days. What more can a club do ? Plenty of clubs don’t own their ground, if their landlord breaks the contract the club is not at fault.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Not sure how you could have a contingency though. Best a club can do is to have a proper legal contract ensuring they can play their fixtures. It would cost a lot of money to have to have a second ground on standby that would guarantee you could play 23 fixtures on predetermined dates. There just aren’t enough grounds around !

As true as that is, that's not the fault of the people who would issue sanctions to Coventry though in such circumstance. Yes, there aren't that many/any grounds around to have on standby, but they don't "have" to play their home games at the CBS Arena, which would be where they would fall foul.

You would think the league requirement is for a club to have a contract in place for a home ground that meets league regulations and is available for all potentialmatch days. What more can a club do ? Plenty of clubs don’t own their ground, if their landlord breaks the contract the club is not at fault.

Yes - and Coventry do. That doesn't mean to say they are mandated to a ground though. They don't have to play their games at the CBS Arena, but that's their choice to do so. If it's not fit for purpose, it's not the league's fault either, Coventry decide where they play their games, not the league. Harsh as it may be, that's the truth of the situation. I'm sure there will be some sort of plan in place for excruciating circumstances, such as the landlord breaking the contract.

[Nameless]

As true as that is, that's not the fault of the people who would issue sanctions to Coventry though in such circumstance. Yes, there aren't that many/any grounds around to have on standby, but they don't "have" to play their home games at the CBS Arena, which would be where they would fall foul.

You would think the league requirement is for a club to have a contract in place for a home ground that meets league regulations and is available for all potentialmatch days. What more can a club do ? Plenty of clubs don’t own their ground, if their landlord breaks the contract the club is not at fault.

Yes - and Coventry do. That doesn't mean to say they are mandated to a ground though. They don't have to play their games at the CBS Arena, but that's their choice to do so. If it's not fit for purpose, it's not the league's fault either, Coventry decide where they play their games, not the league. Harsh as it may be, that's the truth of the situation. I'm sure there will be some sort of plan in place for excruciating circumstances, such as the landlord breaking the contract.

I’m pretty certain clubs are not allowed to just change grounds whenever they want. They nominate a ‘home ground’ as part of their entry I Tom the league each season and that is where they play. If at the time of doing that the Ricoh met all the criteria then Cov are in the clear.
The bit about it being the league’s fault isn’t relevant, no one isn’t talking about blaming the league. It just seems very harsh to punish Cov if they have done everything but the rules. There could be lots of reasons a ground becomes unavailable through no fault of the club (it burnt down, a sinkhole opened up, a nuclear weapons research establishment in the area had a leak......) would the club have points deducted then ?