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Article in todays Express by Tim Gow stating that the owners of the ‘big four’ teams..Manchester, Sheffield, Belfast and Notts are expected to lead the fight against the ISL’s £50,000 EACH cash demand on each club at todays board meeting. The league want the cash to stop them falling into debt after Decembers LOSS MAKING All-Star Game
Well well well..that’s interesting innit?
In debt by now…spending more than is going out? Does that ring a bell anywhere? Are we going to hear a unified condemnation of this type of occurrence by fans of all teams a la last season?
Any Chesterfield FC care to guess the likeleyhood of Mr Lea tipping up this amount, especially, after he's funded the ISL to the alleged tune of £300,000 this season already. This is an indicator of the dire financial state that the ISL could be in, what's happened to Mr. Lea's £300,000 and whats happened to the profit (assumed by myself) from the ripoff finals weekend last April. I'm afraid the ISL is like a ship with no rudder, going nowhere fast.
But doesn't the ISL include the owners ? If so won't they be asking themselves for the money ? Maybe the rich owners (?) of Bracknell and Ayr could fund the deficit direct !!!!!
I read a posting some days ago, on ITS I think, that basically, the ISL was really controlled by the seven owners of the clubs. If this is the case, how can they ask themselves for extra cash and then refuse.
Or am I just being thick as usual (do I hear cries of probably). Anyhow, on this subject, what is the logic behind an all star game in the first third of the season?
If the ISL are strapped for cash now then there'll be big trouble at the playoffs. Last year things couldn't have worked out better for the ISL with regards to the playoffs (cash wise)
We heard that they were in stuck up to the Nottigham weeknd but the way the results went meant a large Sheffield contingent which swelled the coffers - Nottingham being so close etc etc.
Now, the Steelers won't reach the finals so that's one chunk out. Manchester's fan base has fallen as has Sheffields. There's the protesters in Sheffield that will make their point by staying away from ISL organised events and there are the stay aways on top.
The charges at Nottingham were more expensive than we had seen before. Cash crisis - you ain't seen nothin' yet.
.. the guy is a continued liability, and has cost them more already than it would take to buy him off. Keeping him on because of his severance clause is a false economy.
I've also heard that each owner is currently putting in 10,000 a month as it is to keep the ISL afloat.
The ISL were counting on the estimated 1.2 million from the TV deal to balance the books as this money was already spent but as PTV have blown them out and Sekonda have stepped back (although I believe still supportive) until a TV deal is done, the ISL have found themselves in severe trouble.
Without the additional money, the ISL will find it very difficult to survive in the long term. The only salvation would be at least 2-3 new franchises next year to help offset the money these guys are having to plough in, a valid TV deal with BBC/ITV sport/Sky and the full resumption of the Sekonda sponsorship.
The ISL are critised over there promotion of the league but I think it's clear that there is no money available for anything. Premium TV are not blameless for the problems and the ISL cannot currently sell the TV rights to anyone else.
