Echo News Southend United in talks with striker and chairman Ron Martin hopes to clear embargo next week

[londonblue]

We get £250k straight up. Rest to be decided

But we were in League 1 when the season was curtailed. We should get a League 1 amount.

 

[Micky]

As I understand it, each League 2 club will receive £250,000 PLUS a share of £15m based on estimated loss of gate receipts. In spite of the fact that our playing record has been dire over the last few seasons, the attendances have not been as bad so we should be in with a chance of a decent figure to cover the lost gate receipts. In addition to this, we can apply for a "monitored" loan, which cannot be used for transfer fees or player wages.

I should have made it clear that the share of £15m is between all clubs in League 1 and League 2.

 

[londonblue]

I should have made it clear that the share of £15m is between all clubs in League 1 and League 2.

...and £250,000 is the minimum a League 2 team will get.

 

[Micky]

...and £250,000 is the minimum a League 2 team will get.

Its the guaranteed figure, to which the compensation for lost gate receipts will be added.

 

[Shrimper]

But we were in League 1 when the season was curtailed. We should get a League 1 amount.

It'll be based on this seasons clubs. Otherwise Barrow and Harrogate miss out

 

[Barry.C]

It seems the £15m not immediately allocated for lost gate receipts has to be applied for to a panel. Unless Ive misunderstood it, it is for lost gate receipts last season and this.. So presumably an element of our bid will include last season

Hopefully Ron would already have known this was the way things were travelling so can get the bid in sharpish

We are still under the embargo although that is depressing for all clubs and those in a similar position. Maybe the EFL felt the sums involved cover the amounts owed to HMRC, so that when we receive the funds we can knock off the remainder of tax we owe

It was reported in early November that the EFL were considering dropping sanctions against clubs that hadnt paid their tax bills. There is now close liaison between the EFL and HMRC over clubs tax affairs. The HMRC make sure the EFL are aware of problems

In October EFL tax defaults across the league totalled £77.6m. Hence it was reported that the EFL at a meeting on 4th November discussed changing the embargo rules and clubs would then be informed in writing. Clubs remained unhappy about this not going far enough and wanted the 12 point penalty to be dropped as well for going into Administration, given the dire straights they were in

League club chairman had a meeting on the 9th November so I assume Ron would know what was going on, HMRC had already agreed to delay tax payments owed by clubs until October when they would be payable and of course November would have added as we know extra tax costs 8 clubs were on life support loan payments from the EFL , with a further 12 thought to be in need .

Why Ron couldnt say a little bit more is beyond me at the moment

The Government didnt step in and help either, probably peed off that the Premier League spent over £800m in transfers alone during the window. However they managed to give the Arts £1.3bn and naff all to football

This is a tiny sticking plaster, and Im still unclear whether Ron can now quickly clear the remaining tax debt and get the Embargo lifted pronto

This is a move in the right direction but a slim lump of wood life raft for part of this season. The EFL said they would ensure a lower league club would never go out of business again, so what will they do for future seasons to ensure the integrity of the league??

 

[Barry.C]

Sorry it was the Premier league who said that not the EFL ( never go out of business again )

 

[londonblue]

It'll be based on this seasons clubs. Otherwise Barrow and Harrogate miss out

Ho hum! I was actually being facetious, but actually my view is that we should get the average of League 1 and League 2, i.e. a bit of both. That said, if it is designed to cover lost gate receipts and is only a minimum it doesn't really matter.

 

[kentblues]

It seems the £15m not immediately allocated for lost gate receipts has to be applied for to a panel. Unless Ive misunderstood it, it is for lost gate receipts last season and this.. So presumably an element of our bid will include last season

Hopefully Ron would already have known this was the way things were travelling so can get the bid in sharpish

We are still under the embargo although that is depressing for all clubs and those in a similar position. Maybe the EFL felt the sums involved cover the amounts owed to HMRC, so that when we receive the funds we can knock off the remainder of tax we owe

It was reported in early November that the EFL were considering dropping sanctions against clubs that hadnt paid their tax bills. There is now close liaison between the EFL and HMRC over clubs tax affairs. The HMRC make sure the EFL are aware of problems

In October EFL tax defaults across the league totalled £77.6m. Hence it was reported that the EFL at a meeting on 4th November discussed changing the embargo rules and clubs would then be informed in writing. Clubs remained unhappy about this not going far enough and wanted the 12 point penalty to be dropped as well for going into Administration, given the dire straights they were in

League club chairman had a meeting on the 9th November so I assume Ron would know what was going on, HMRC had already agreed to delay tax payments owed by clubs until October when they would be payable and of course November would have added as we know extra tax costs 8 clubs were on life support loan payments from the EFL , with a further 12 thought to be in need .

Why Ron couldnt say a little bit more is beyond me at the moment

The Government didnt step in and help either, probably peed off that the Premier League spent over £800m in transfers alone during the window. However they managed to give the Arts £1.3bn and naff all to football

This is a tiny sticking plaster, and Im still unclear whether Ron can now quickly clear the remaining tax debt and get the Embargo lifted pronto

This is a move in the right direction but a slim lump of wood life raft for part of this season. The EFL said they would ensure a lower league club would never go out of business again, so what will they do for future seasons to ensure the integrity of the league??

The EFL either enforce the rules for all or waive them for all. The latter needs the support of the member clubs which appears not to be there.
At the moment our embargo was left in place in the last window whereas as other clubs were apparently we given a waiver or extension of the default notification period allowing them to sign players when they should have been under an embargo as well. Now we have the EFL paying the wage bill of certain clubs yet (so far) no action against those clubs which under the rules there should be (as there was against us).
Its all very well trying to create a distinction between pre and post COVID but the EFL's rules don't and whilst COVID has been going on we have cleared the WUO debt and continued to pay our players.
We should be punished by the correct application of the rules (and have been) but we should not be disadvantaged by the failure to do so for others.
The EFL cannot really change the rule about deductions for administration- 10s of clubs would take advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity to walk away from their debts gaining an unfair advantage versus those that didn't or didn't need to.
The not paying players wages should similarly be subject to sanction even if COVID is accepted as mitigating circumstances- again a question of fairness as above.
Unlike in the last window the embargo rules are either applied correctly for all or not- if they are suspended then given that the wage caps are in place there is the argument that there is still control over spending now anyway. So its acceptable if all clubs agree. Otherwise embargoes are employed as per the rules and the great majority of L1 and L2 clubs will be under an embargo for all sorts of reasons in the next window.
Its a mess..

 

[Westcliff DGS]

We get £250k straight up. Rest to be decided

you have to apply for some from the extra 20 million, then it comes with conditions and if they are not met It becomes a loan and has to be repaid

 

[Dubai]

I have never understood the thought that Ron pockets any cash himself. We don't ****ing make any money to pocket.

Sure, he might make some money in the long run but he isn't living off our $20 a game ticket money.

 

[Blue Yonder]

I may be missing something but surely £250k doesn’t come anywhere close to covering the losses clubs will have suffered over the last 9 months. That’s little more than a months wages for some lower league clubs.

 

[londonblue]

I may be missing something but surely £250k doesn’t come anywhere close to covering the losses clubs will have suffered over the last 9 months. That’s little more than a months wages for some lower league clubs.

All it has to do is make up the shortfall. For example, if a team would normally have, say, 2,500 at their matches (a mixture of both season and matchday tickets), but have only sold, say 1,000 season tickets, then the amount they actually need would be for the extra 1,500 per match. I don't know what the average gate is in League 2 (or the average number of season tickets per club), but I would wager we're quite close to the top of that (in normal circumstances).

Don't also forget the £250,000 is the minimum.

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Rochdale receiving £375 k and chairman has stated its about 2 months lost gate/ salaries
So no where near survival, but a token helping hand

 

[Westcliff DGS]

All it has to do is make up the shortfall. For example, if a team would normally have, say, 2,500 at their matches (a mixture of both season and matchday tickets), but have only sold, say 1,000 season tickets, then the amount they actually need would be for the extra 1,500 per match. I don't know what the average gate is in League 2 (or the average number of season tickets per club), but I would wager we're quite close to the top of that (in normal circumstances).

Don't also forget the £250,000 is the minimum.

The way I read it was a minimum of 375k for league 1 teams, and a minimum of 250k for league 2 teams which is 15 million minimum there is a 30 million pot so likely most clubs will get more than the minimum. Then, from the remaining 20 million, you have a monitored grant you can apply for. That comes with conditions, and if they are met then fine it stays as a grant, if not then you re pay that additional amount and it is treated as a loan.

Hopefully i have that wrong but thats how i took it

It is meant to cover the shortfall but as Lloyds are not paying out any funds from ST’s as yet it is more than just the shortfall. From what I understand Lloyds will only release one games worth of ST’s funds after the 12th any that were for previous games will stay with them until all fans can return as as a precaution against any refunds if the season is curtailed. That part is pure scandal are they going to pas son the interest to the clubs affected, different issue though.

 

[londonblue]

The way I read it was a minimum of 375k for league 1 teams, and a minimum of 250k for league 2 teams which is 15 million minimum there is a 30 million pot so likely most clubs will get more than the minimum. Then, from the remaining 20 million, you have a monitored grant you can apply for. That comes with conditions, and if they are met then fine it stays as a grant, if not then you re pay that additional amount and it is treated as a loan.

Hopefully i have that wrong but thats how i took it

It is meant to cover the shortfall but as Lloyds are not paying out any funds from ST’s as yet it is more than just the shortfall. From what I understand Lloyds will only release one games worth of ST’s funds after the 12th any that were for previous games will stay with them until all fans can return as as a precaution against any refunds if the season is curtailed. That part is pure scandal are they going to pas son the interest to the clubs affected, different issue though.

That's how I see it too. The only difference is that I would imagine that the season ticket money is taken into account (whether or not it's been release by the credit card company) since it will be paid eventually. Otherwise clubs that have sold season ticket will get double bubble.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

That's how I see it too. The only difference is that I would imagine that the season ticket money is taken into account (whether or not it's been release by the credit card company) since it will be paid eventually. Otherwise clubs that have sold season ticket will get double bubble.

Yes agree it has to be i was just hilighting the joke that as games have been played that some hasnt been released

 

[Benfleet A1]

I have never understood the thought that Ron pockets any cash himself. We don't ****ing make any money to pocket.

Sure, he might make some money in the long run but he isn't living off our $20 a game ticket money.

You pay dollars? No wonder we're skint.

 

[londonblue]

Yes agree it has to be i was just hilighting the joke that as games have been played that some hasnt been released

Indeed. Although I suppose some of it may have been released without us being told. To be fair, there's no real reason why we should be told...

 

[Westcliff DGS]

Indeed. Although I suppose some of it may have been released without us being told. To be fair, there's no real reason why we should be told...

Agree there isnt, but my knowledge from working in the industry is that they are still to release any finds to any clubs they are utilised by