Right now we have several clubs fighting for their very existence. A lot of the problems they face have been self induced.
Clubs spending too much money on players and wages. New Stadia or improved facilities have also been involved in the bringing to the knees of so many clubs.
In recent years we have had Rotherham and Bournemouth docked 17 points for their failure to remain stable and affluent.
Southampton built a stadium and then had a most important player injured. He was not replaced well enough and we end up in trouble, docked 10 points and dropping two divisions.
Crystal Palace have just managed to survive after a lot of last minute negotiations. Many were waiting for them to fold and disappear for ever.
Luton were punished for monetary irregularities and were awarded the largest ever point deduction meaning relegation to the Conference.
Many other clubs have faced money problems and usually it has come from the greater cost of competing against a drop of income.
There are many arguments that can be used to lay the blame on someone for overspending. The temptation to push just that little bit more for the pot of gold grows yearly.
Why you ask should chairman be tempted to spend money they don’t have. As a Saints fan I feel that I am lucky.
A year ago we were in trouble for overspending, in theory. I prefer to say we were pushed over the edge because our then chairman failed to replace a player we depended on.
When we got relegated from the Premier League we suddenly hit the skids. The drop in money allied to the loss of a couple of players and the high premiership wages left us in a mess.
A mess which we nearly failed to survive. I know others will give a different picture but at the end of the day life is all about opinions.
What can we do to help other clubs? What should we demand? Should we be able to demand a larger cut from the wealth being shared so unfairly?
I don’t know all the answers but one thing is for certain. We could end up losing a lot of clubs very soon unless something is done and done soon.
In Italy there was a major blow dealt to 21 clubs this week. Serie B side Ancona and 20 other sides from the Italian lower leagues have been barred from competing next season.
The Italian Federation issued a statement explaining the decision. They said that after the country’s football finance watchdog deemed the club’s balance sheets too precarious the decision had to be made.
Serie B side Ancona plus 20 sides from the Lega Pro have been told that they will not be readmitted to their various championships. This is after the consideration of Covisoc’s findings.
Like all other leagues the Italians have been hit by the credit crunch. The global economic crisis had already seen 15 other semi-pro clubs relegated a league because of their money problems.
The leagues in our country will soon see more and more clubs heading down a similar route if the excessive amounts of money paid to the top teams is not shared with smaller clubs more fairly.
I would like to see the Premier League say that they will cut the prize for being relegated to a much lower total. I would also like to see the money shared amomg the top tier teams reduced, to be shared equally among the rest of the leagues.
Pie in the Sky wishes but wishes for someone somewhere to realise just what is happening to our game. When supporters of clubs that have tried say they don’t want to return to the top tier because of the shenanigans it is time to take note.
I hope that it is understood that these ore the views of the writer and not the official views of Vitalsouthampton.
Though to be frank. I do believe our current chairman could offer some realistic targets in the bid to save our game.
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