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Ben Hayes - Charlton Athletic programme

The Championship

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The sad tale of Wolves

Submitted by WG on Tue, 07/05/2013 - 16:51

When I first started watching football in the 1950s, Wolverhampton Wanderers were one of the top teams in the country, if not the top team (although their Black Country rivals West Bromwich Albion were also in there).  For a small boy, a visit of Wolves to The Valley was the equivalent of Manchester United today.

Rovers lose Berg case

Submitted by WG on Mon, 29/04/2013 - 12:41

Blackburn Rovers have lost the High Court case over former manager Henning Berg.   They have been ordered to pay out his £2.25m two-and-a-half year contract in full which means a further payment of £843,000 net.

Judge lambasts Rovers

Submitted by WG on Sat, 27/04/2013 - 12:17

Judges are usually very restrained in what they say in court.  But Judge Mark Pilling was outspoken in his criticism of the conduct of a court case relating to the sacking of former Blackburn Rovers manager Henning Berg.   Sitting at Manchester High Court, he described the way in which Blackburn Rovers had behaved as 'utterly unforgiveable'.

Will Cherries stadium plan bring support boost?

Submitted by WG on Tue, 23/04/2013 - 07:00

Promoted to the Championship, AFC Bournemouth are intending to expand their ground over the summer to provide an extra 3,000-4,000 of capacity.   At present the ground only has stands on three sides (which always feels odd) and has a capacity of less than 10,000.

Cardiff's long road back

Submitted by WG on Wed, 17/04/2013 - 08:41

When I started watching football in the early 1950s, Cardiff City seemed to be an established top flight side. In fact, when I checked back, they spent just 15 years in the top flight, finally leaving in 1962, although they are the only team outside England to have won the FA Cup.

Venky's open dialogue with Blackburn Rovers Supporters' Trust

Submitted by WG on Tue, 16/04/2013 - 12:45

In a surprising but welcome development, it appears that Venky's, the owners of Blackburn Rovers, are willing to engage in dialogue with the Supporters' Trust which is something they have been seeking for some time.  A personal letter was sent to Blackburn supremo Anuradha Desai and she has replied asking for more information about the Trust's intentions.

Crystal Palace improve financial results

Submitted by WG on Tue, 09/04/2013 - 14:37

Crystal Palace have reported a trading loss after tax of £2.2m for twelve months to June 2012.   This compares with a loss of £9.4m in the previous corresponding period.   It also compares well with recent results from other Championship clubs who do not benefit from parachute payments or wealthy foreign owners.   Charlton, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday have all reported larger operating losses.

The club also has £13.3m in hand in respect of player sales.   This is thought to be largely the result of the sale of Zaha to Manchester United.

Ofcom rules against Ken Bates

Submitted by WG on Mon, 08/04/2013 - 12:25

Ken Bates has always been a controversial figure in English football.  Although no verified figures are available, it is believed that he has shown that it is possible to make money out of football.  But then he would argue that he effectively rescued Chelsea and then Leeds United when they were on the floor.

Scale of Ipswich losses raise concerns

Submitted by WG on Sat, 06/04/2013 - 10:22

Concerns have been expressed about the future direction of Ipswich Town after the club recorded a loss of nearly £16m in the financial year ending June 2012. The club has found the Championship a tough competition this year with so many clubs with parachute payments or funded by wealthy owners.

Admittedly, Ipswich enjoy a benefactor in the shape of Marcus Evans who is now owed more than £72m by the club. But questions have been raised about how long his largesse can continue. There have been rumours of a £5m cut in the playing budget for next season.

The contrasting challenges of Serie A and Serie B

Submitted by WG on Fri, 05/04/2013 - 12:20

There are some signs of improvement in the finances of Italian Serie A clubs with the overall level of club debt down, although it remains substantial.   It is thought that Uefa's financial fair play rules are having an impact on the financial discipline shown by clubs.