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Luton manager Kevin Blackwell has suggested that the football authorities may want to reduce the number of clubs. Of course, in any other industry exit and merger is a normal mechanism, but football clubs are different because they are often a core part of a fan's personal identity. Blackwell's remarks were provoked by Luton's serious problems: 'Luton have been in administration three times in nine years. In other words, they've caused the authorities more problems than any other club. And from that perspective we're not arguing. But you have to question whether the football authorities are actually quite happy to see football shrink. Natural wastage, you could say - let some clubs go to the wall and reduce the league.'
Luton have multiple problems. Not only have they been in administration since 'Black November', but the Football Association also announced 55 disciplinary charges concerning payments to agents and two directors resigned from the board. Blackwell's predecessor, Mike Newell, is suing for wrongful dismissal and could win a six figure sum. Administration is no picnic. Their match ball suppliers rang the club and asked for the balls back because they had not been paid for. The club could not afford the £500 to pay for a red card appeal, so they had a whip round but lost anyway. The administrators have calculated that they can save £5,000 by stopping overnight stays before games, so they arrived at one fixture half an hour before kick off. Blackwell is donating his wages to the club's trainees, but the players in the main squad have received their wages in only two-and-a-half weeks in the last nine weeks, and some of them are on only £145 - £400 a week. The Football League has ordered that the squad be cut to 16 players. Players are having to be sold off.
Given that the club is losing £400,000 a month, the £500,000 they hope to earn from today's FA Cup tie against Liverpool should at least ensure that the players are paid for another month. However, Liverpool turned down a request to donate their 45 per cent share of the gate money to the stricken club. The administrators have set a deadline of 5pm Monday for offers from prospective buyers and two are thought to be interested.
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