As my club Chesterfield teeters on the edge of the drop into non-league football it is worth noting that teetering on the financial edge is not uncommon a step down from Division 2.
In 2015, before it was sold, Hartlepool was a debt-free club. Increased Oil Recovery, its owners, had overseen promotion and play-off campaigns, but when the oil dried up so did their finance. Disaster struck when Gary Coxall and JPNG, a recruitment firm took over. Coxall charmed everyone, but by the time he left in May last year the club was in complete turmoil. A late goal from Newport took Hartlepool out of the league and though they have so far avoided going into administration, which would mean a ten point deduction, the debts linger, and a £48,000 tax bill was only paid by a supporter, who set up a JustGiving page to save the club. There is, however, still a chance they will tumble into liquidation. They are officially up for sale, but even an interested local businessman willing to put in £1.5 million reached the conclusion that much more would be needed to make a difference. He withdrew, despite being a life-long fan. Things look bleak.
Look down the table from Hartlepool and you'll find Chester. They know about liquidation. Eight years ago Chester City went out of business and Chester FC, a community owned club, rose from the ashes. Promotions drew the crowds, the club was flourishing and made it all the way back to the Vanarama, before that winning run stalled and crowds began to dwindle. Eventually the club went public and announced that £50,000 had to be raised to survive even another month. Fortunately £45,000 has been raised so far and further events are planned. Resignations at board level and continuing cash injections raise hopes that the club can be saved, but relegation remains a strong possibility.
Further up the table manager John Still was hoping to take Dagenham & Redbridge back into League 2, but majority share-holder Glyn Hopkin announced he was pulling his funding following a campaign by Daggers fans to remove managing director Steve Thompson from his post. The loss of that money forced Still to sell on three key players. Morgan Ferrier went back to Boreham Wood, Sam Ling headed for Leyton Orient and skipper Scott Doe by mutual agreement ended up at Whitehawk. Hopkin had invested £1 million, renovating the stadium and overhauling the squad to get back in the Football League, but was upset by protest flags displayed by Daggers fans at recent away games. With a wage bill of £40,000 a week suddenly unfunded, Dagenham had to sell players to able to pay the others this month, but it is understood they do have enough to see out the season.
Elsewhere Torquay were struggling even before their lottery-winning owner was forced to sell out. Property developers took over and though encouraging noises about the future emerge from the club it continues to wobble uncertainly along a cliff-edge in Babbacombe, side-stepping first relegation, then financial ruin. Further down the pyramid, several Northern League clubs are known to be financially in danger of emulating their bigger neighbour Hartlepool, and perhaps more disturbing is the tale of nouveau-riche Billericay Town, financed by millionaire Glenn Tamplin, who is currently steering clear of the Bostick Premier leaders as he is at the centre of police investigations into blackmail and threatening behaviour concerning a player. Elliot Kebbie, once a budding star at Man Utd, Leeds and Atletico Madrid was signed by Billericay on £1,000 a week. Two weeks later Tamplin tried to sack him with the offer of a £5,000 pay-off. Kebbie refused the offer and the allegation is that threatening texts started and large unwelcome callers appeared at his family home. Unfortunately for Mr Tamplin, Kebbie's mum has connections with the Metropolitan Police. So now he has an even more protruberant worry than a former player apparently displaying more than his pennant in sex videos .......
In 2015, before it was sold, Hartlepool was a debt-free club. Increased Oil Recovery, its owners, had overseen promotion and play-off campaigns, but when the oil dried up so did their finance. Disaster struck when Gary Coxall and JPNG, a recruitment firm took over. Coxall charmed everyone, but by the time he left in May last year the club was in complete turmoil. A late goal from Newport took Hartlepool out of the league and though they have so far avoided going into administration, which would mean a ten point deduction, the debts linger, and a £48,000 tax bill was only paid by a supporter, who set up a JustGiving page to save the club. There is, however, still a chance they will tumble into liquidation. They are officially up for sale, but even an interested local businessman willing to put in £1.5 million reached the conclusion that much more would be needed to make a difference. He withdrew, despite being a life-long fan. Things look bleak.
Look down the table from Hartlepool and you'll find Chester. They know about liquidation. Eight years ago Chester City went out of business and Chester FC, a community owned club, rose from the ashes. Promotions drew the crowds, the club was flourishing and made it all the way back to the Vanarama, before that winning run stalled and crowds began to dwindle. Eventually the club went public and announced that £50,000 had to be raised to survive even another month. Fortunately £45,000 has been raised so far and further events are planned. Resignations at board level and continuing cash injections raise hopes that the club can be saved, but relegation remains a strong possibility.
Further up the table manager John Still was hoping to take Dagenham & Redbridge back into League 2, but majority share-holder Glyn Hopkin announced he was pulling his funding following a campaign by Daggers fans to remove managing director Steve Thompson from his post. The loss of that money forced Still to sell on three key players. Morgan Ferrier went back to Boreham Wood, Sam Ling headed for Leyton Orient and skipper Scott Doe by mutual agreement ended up at Whitehawk. Hopkin had invested £1 million, renovating the stadium and overhauling the squad to get back in the Football League, but was upset by protest flags displayed by Daggers fans at recent away games. With a wage bill of £40,000 a week suddenly unfunded, Dagenham had to sell players to able to pay the others this month, but it is understood they do have enough to see out the season.
Elsewhere Torquay were struggling even before their lottery-winning owner was forced to sell out. Property developers took over and though encouraging noises about the future emerge from the club it continues to wobble uncertainly along a cliff-edge in Babbacombe, side-stepping first relegation, then financial ruin. Further down the pyramid, several Northern League clubs are known to be financially in danger of emulating their bigger neighbour Hartlepool, and perhaps more disturbing is the tale of nouveau-riche Billericay Town, financed by millionaire Glenn Tamplin, who is currently steering clear of the Bostick Premier leaders as he is at the centre of police investigations into blackmail and threatening behaviour concerning a player. Elliot Kebbie, once a budding star at Man Utd, Leeds and Atletico Madrid was signed by Billericay on £1,000 a week. Two weeks later Tamplin tried to sack him with the offer of a £5,000 pay-off. Kebbie refused the offer and the allegation is that threatening texts started and large unwelcome callers appeared at his family home. Unfortunately for Mr Tamplin, Kebbie's mum has connections with the Metropolitan Police. So now he has an even more protruberant worry than a former player apparently displaying more than his pennant in sex videos .......