CHAPEL END CHARLIE

You made me think of this for some reason : Anything could happen in the next half hour !

As far as I'm aware the only responsibility of the Administrator is to maximise the return to the clubs creditors - that's legally binding . The longer term interests of SFC have nothing to do with it .

MLT told us the exact opposite of that on Friday did he not :confused: - I don't think Matt knows very much about the finances behind this bid in all honesty so I'd take his pronouncements on the money matters (genuinely intended I'm sure) with a pinch of salt . It would inspire more confidence if the Pinnacle Bid came up with a consistent story and stuck to it .

Now here's a prominent member of North London's Jewish community with loads of cash and very interesting earlobes : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dein Does he know our prospective new owner by any chance ?

They could borrow from ITV 4's abundant supply of 'On The Buses' , or if mindless violence is required to replace Millwall than Tom & Jerry will suffice .

The short answer is that the Football League have 'form' for destroying clubs (Luton) and there's no reason to believe they're going to do SFC any favours at all - quite the opposite in fact . The narrow self interest of other clubs could regard the elimination of SFC and it's replacement in the league structure with some minor club as a competitive advantage . Never underestimate the stupidy or selfishness of powerful men . I'd argue that anyone adopting this attitude would be wrong however , it can't be a good thing for the League or be in the wider interests of the game that large tracts of central southern England are devoid of a major football club , that children have no team to follow (except on TV) , and that whole city's have no club . Unfortunately those in charge of the Football League don't seem to share a love of the game or any appreciation of it's long history and traditions .

Well according to this contracted players only become free agents after not being paid for two weeks : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6587064.ece Could all be academic anyway

The cheques in the post .

That's all fair comment . But Pinnacle have established proof of funds with the Administrator and they have convinced Leon Crouch and MLT that they are serious players so I'm clinging to a desperate last hope that somewhere in the background this bid is real (with a properly wealthy backer) and not just the dream of some 'no money' fantasist . All I can say to those behind the Pinnacle project is that if you want to retain any remaining credibility among the fanbase you better complete this deal - today .

It would appear life has decided to vomit on our collective duvet again , but there again it could all be sorted out by teatime - who knows ?

I haven't been this excited by the prospect of an centre spread since 1979 .

I keep hearing people belittling the importance of the 10 points (3 wins & a draw etc) but when you think about it those points could be crucial next April/May - at either end of the table . Unless we are in some tedious midtable position they are quite likely to be important I'd say so a few days trying to establish a right of appeal (if possible) with the FL could well be time well spent .

Does the Football League fall into the category of a 'Regulatory Body' ? - if so : http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judgment_guidance/judicial_review/index.htm

TL shows good judgment in not talking to Meridian - take that Fred Dinage

So MLT's manager preferences : 1- Nigel Pearson - not going to happen 2- Kevin Keegan - would be great but unlikly 3- A N Other - odds on favorite

"Nothing in life is certain except death, taxes and the second law of thermodynamics" - Seth Loyd

You can rest assured that SLH (& Mark Fry) have obtained/seen a legal opinion that the PLC structure Rupert designed meant will could avoid the FL's 'Sporting Sanction' regulations regarding administration , or at the very least we have an arguable case . Unfortunetly if you ask any two lawyers a question your likley to end up with three different answers .

A few points regarding Southampton Football Club and the FL's so called 'Sporting Sanctions' : 1- If a CCC club massively overspends but gets promoted as a result there is no sanction applied - you have in effect not only gotten away with it but you've actually been rewarded for your 'crime' . 2- As Stockport County FC proved last season the punishment applied depends not on the gravity of the offence but on the league position of the club upon entering administration - that's like having completely different speeding fines on the M3 compared to the M27 . I defy anybody on here to compare SFC with Stockport's case and then cogently argue this rule is just and fair . 3- The record shows the vast majority of our debt was incurred not in overspending on players (the intention behind this rule surely) but in financing the move to St Marys . Is it not in the best interest of the game that clubs are encouraged to invest in modernisation rather than punished for doing so ? 4- As others have already pointed out according to the letter of the law the football club has not entered into administration , so ergo the relevant sanction can not apply . Yes we all know SFC & SLH were in effect the same entity but that's not the point , if the FL have failed to word their regulations adequately then that's their problem not ours . If they want to change the rules then they can't do so retrospectively - that really is 'moving the goalposts' and quite improper any lawyer would argue .

It's actually a good thing we have more than one party interested in buying the club . While most on here want the Pinnacle bid to succeed (a point of view I happen to agree with) having a fall back option(s) may well come in handy if the front runner drops out . I see no good reason to insult the other groups just because we prefer MLT & co , I find that attitude both ungracious and unnecessary .

There's an important point of principle involved here - should the FL as a quasi legal governing body abide by and operate within its own regulations or can it do as it pleases and coerce member clubs into accepting whatever arbitrary decisions it imposes while (in effect) denying recourse to any proper appeal process ? They have us over a barrel of course as we desperately need to get this takeover completed and get on with preparations for next season - but that doesn't make their actions right or even legal . Someone will one day test the FL's rather highhanded administration of the game in a court of law (perhaps even to the level of a Judicial Review) where 'bully boy' tactics and making up the rules as you go along may not prevail quite as easily as they seem to in the world of football .

So are we saying the FL are threatening to withhold SFC's registration unless we agree not to appeal their 'let's make it up as we go along' points deduction ? - if so I find that quite scandalous :mad:

I'll go with Friedrich Nietzsche on this : But there again he was a miserable old barsteward

Having undergone two separate periods of jury service I can confirm (from bitter experience ) that it's almost impossible to get 12 people to agree on anything - the prospects of getting everyone on here 'singing from the same hymn sheet' must rank alongside Pompeys chances of being voted European Capital of Culture

KK would be an excellent (if unlikly) appointment IMO , the sheer ambition of signing a manager of this calibre and reputation would truly signal to the football world just how serious our prospective new owner is about restoring SFC to its former glories . It should go without saying Keegan would only accept a challenge of this magnitude if he felt there was a genuine prospect of achieving something worthwhile here , otherwise why would a manager of his standing bother coming down to a L1 club ? Whoever ends up managing the team before any real success can occur the need for significant investment in the club is quite obvious - this level of spending can not possibly be funded my the kind of income generated in the lower leagues . If we really see Kevin Keegan appointed as manager in the next week or so then you can rest assured SFC will truly be a (very) rich man's plaything for the first time in its long history .

Can 'Due Diligence' findings be transferred from one party to another , or would any new bidders have to start from scratch ?