14/05/2010 : Football League Blog : Hearn Calls For Double Relegation For 'Cheating' Clubs

14 May 2010 : Hearn Calls For Double Relegation For 'Cheating' Clubs

Leyton Orient Chairman Barry Hearn wants the issue of clubs falling into administration to be put on the agenda for the Football League AGM in June. Hearn has been a long-standing critic of the current system, but was recently joined by Sheffield Wednesday Chairman Lee Strafford along with another campaigner in Hereford United's Graham Turner.

Whilst there's been plenty of talk of the current 10 point deduction as being too lenient, as yet there's been no action, with perhaps those that currently moan being fearful that their club will be one of the first to fall foul of any more draconian measures that might be voted in. Hearn therefore deserves credit for being the first to demand that it gets put on the table. Speaking to Sky Sports, he repeated his accusation that clubs who junked their debts caused by overspending were cheating:

"Clubs that spend more money than they can afford, that go into administration, have been guilty of cheating, nothing less. They are fielding a team they couldn't afford to field in a level playing field situation. It is a horrible thing to say because no one wants to be accused of cheating, but we have allowed a system within football to evolve where clubs are almost incentivised to gamble. They are gambling with the future of their club and they are gambling with the future of the game."

In the past, Hearn has talked about wanting a single relegation for any club falling into administration. However, he is now going for the jugular - demanding that any club who suffers an insolvency event should be sent down two divisions, and he plans to put it to a vote amongst his fellow Chairmen:

"In June, at the chairman's conference, I am proposing a rule change. I am saying that any club that goes into administration should be relegated two divisions. It is draconian as a penalty but it has to be. We have to show the world we have the ability of governance, that we are not prepared to put up with cheating at any level. We would all love to be in the Premier League, we would all adore to be in the Champions League, but we have to live in the real world and we have to have rules. If we can't govern ourselves, sooner or later government or someone else will come in and govern for us. Let's see how the 72 chairman vote in June and say enough is enough."

Hearn's fears about the government stepping in to regulate the game are certainly not out of the question. Whilst it will be difficult to predict how the new coalition government will look at football, former Labour Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe and former Culture Minister Andy Burnham have both demanded action from Football's current governing bodies, whilst the subject was debated earlier this year in the House of Commons. There has also been persistent pressure from Government body HMRC (aka the Taxman) for football clubs to clean up their act.

Football Clubs though do not want to be ruled by Government, and as a consequence, the Football League have already made plans to cut down on clubs who don't pay their taxes on time with serious sanctions being put in place for any clubs breaching those rules from July 1st 2010.

However, that may not be enough to bring back credibility to football. A total of 25 Football League clubs have gone into administration since 2002, with a 26th in Portsmouth becoming the first Premier League club to record an insolvency event, two years after their massive overspending had bought them an FA Cup winning team and a place in the UEFA Cup. With Pompey heading to Wembley again on Saturday, whilst junking a huge proportion of their £138 million debt, Hearn feels that leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth:

"I think there have to be very serious questions about the legitimacy of their place in the FA Cup final."

For now, the question will be which Chairmen will support Barry Hearn in his quest for justice. He ought to at minimum be able to count upon the support of the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Hereford United. It would also be a major shock if Yeovil Town Chairman John Fry did not back such a move. Fry's whole ethos has been one of prudence and the balancing of books, and trying to compete in a division where other parties are overspending and then junking their debts must be hugely frustrating to someone whose principles are built entirely upon not spending what you can't afford. Hearn can surely count on his support.

Thereafter, it's a bit of a minefield. The likes of Southend United Chairman Ron Martin, whose club came close to oblivion earlier this season, ought to support Mr Hearn, given that he claimed the moral high ground, stating he would not take the club into administration in any circumstances. The likes of Oldham Athletic, Bristol Rovers and Gillingham, who have all publicly stated that they are reducing their playing budgets to live within their means also ought to be supportive.

But as was said at the start of this article, Football Chairmen have historically been wary of becoming turkeys voting for Christmas, often bouncing rule changes where it doesn't suit their immediate short term situation. What we don't know is how many clubs are putting out a bullish public message about their finances, whilst privately sweating over whether the next big bill will send them over the edge of a cliff. Perhaps this is where we need each Chairman to come out and publicly back Hearn's cause. Any Chairman who believes in honesty, integrity and fair play within the game would surely have no hesitation in doing so?

Comments On This Article

HHH said ...

Happy to say this site has been banging this particular drum for about eight or nine years - from a time when it was not just a very minority view, but probably seen by most as eccentric heresy.

However, to adapt the Groucho Marx quotation, it is a bit concerning to now belong to a club that accepts people like Mr Hearn as members. :-)
14/05/2010 18:38:15

Palm Beach Glover said ...

As I write this Swindon are dicking it out with Charlton....one wonders, given the blog:
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/features/blog.asp?BlogId=195
exactly where Swindon will find the funds from to stay in the Championship, - should they win....
14/05/2010 20:45:52

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