terrier10
Frank Worthington Terrier
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Posts: 1,998
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Post by terrier10 on May 23, 2020 17:28:47 GMT 1
Huddersfield Town Chairman Phil Hodgkinson discusses the future of football - Phil Hodgkinson backs attempted completion of the 2019/20 campaign - Town’s Chairman urges the EFL to discuss 2020/21 now - Watch the full interview below on #HTTV Huddersfield Town Chairman Phil Hodgkinson is happy to complete the current 2019/20 campaign - but believes there are much bigger issues that the EFL and that football should be discussing. Danny Cowley’s First Team squad will return to training on Monday (25 May 2020) ahead of a proposed completion to the current season, which will be played behind-closed-doors. Town’s Chairman explained that he agrees with the EFL’s framework to complete the campaign, but believes there is a far more important issue that needs solving now. “The season should be completed when it’s safe to do so and there should be relegation and promotion. “Everyone has worked hard; we are three quarters of the way through the season. “We are on board with that, but there’s a much bigger issue that needs to be discussed in tandem with that.” The bigger issue is the future of football, not just the Sky Bet Championship, but all the way up and down the football pyramid. With the uncertainty regarding revenue clubs will receive, the potential of playing games behind-closed-doors, and the huge outgoings that all football clubs have, there’s an increasing concern that football clubs may not make it through the COVID-19 situation. “We are in the middle of a pandemic. The Government have confirmed categorically that there will be no crowds at sporting events until such a time where there is a vaccine; that’s looking like it could be 2021,” detailed Hodgkinson. “What that means for football, at every level, is that there will be no match day revenue, no income coming through. It’s very unlikely that there will be much through sponsors, advertising, season ticket sales, corporate hospitality, everything. Football will be without income other than broadcast income. “As we’ve all been reading for the last few weeks, the broadcaster are very much invoking clauses that relate to displacement of games and looking to claw back hundreds of millions of pounds this season, and probably next as that won’t start on time either; that’s going to have a significant affect all the way down the football pyramid. “For me, it’s all well and good talking about finishing the season, which is great because everyone wants that to happen, but you can’t agree to finish the season in these circumstances until there has been discussion, dialogue and agreement on how the football pyramid can survive a prolonged period without any revenue at all. For me, that’s a much more important discussion and agreement, which needs to take place than the completion of the season – it needs to happen in tandem.” Town’s Chairman continued: “We are being asked to fund costs to cover the season, testing and other additional things, which is absolutely fine – I have no issue with that at all! But there are clubs further down the pyramid, who aren’t in the same situation as us, being asked to do the same thing, but there’s no solution in place to tell them whether that extra expenditure will take them further down the road to going out of business; that’s the reality of it. “What I’m saying is that we need to have that dialogue and come to those conclusions now, at the same time we are discussing completing the season. Football without the revenue will not have the pyramid and football needs the pyramid. “Let’s not pretend that football didn’t cause this problem, it did. Football has created the position we are in. What we have now is the opportunity, with this COVID-19 pandemic, is to get football back into a place where it’s run better. Football has caused this problem and football should fix it. If this isn’t solved, you could be looking at 40, 50, 60 clubs in the pyramid ceasing to trade within the next six to 12 months; that’s how big this problem is.” Hodgkinson raised his concerns to the EFL, but they have yet to be acted upon. “I’m astounded… I wrote a letter to the EFL a week ago, to the EFL Executive who is dealing with this, asking for this to be discussed along with our ongoing discussions about completing the season. I’m really disappointed that I haven’t received a reply. “We’ve distributed that letter to every football Chairman in the EFL pyramid and have had positive feedback and so on, but someone needs to pick this up.” The longer the wait for discussions regarding the upcoming season, the greater Hodgkinson’s worries grow about the future of the game. “The authorities need to address this now. There needs to be an acceptance that football has created this situation and football needs to get itself out of it. We’ve got an opportunity of fixing this longer term. “I genuinely fear, it’s an absolute reality, that if we don’t have those discussion now and agree on how football is going to look after itself during a period with barely any revenue or income, then we’re going to be looking at a situation where we lose more than half the clubs in the pyramid and even more at non-league level. There are clubs that are on the verge and we’re not having the discussions. “I’m genuinely fearful for football if the authorities don’t get together now with the PFA and the other organisations and put something in place so that football can continue at every level whilst we get through this horrible pandemic we are going through.” You can watch Phil Hodgkinson’s full interview below on #HTTV. www.htafc.com/news/2020/may/towns-chairman-wants-answers-on-future-of-football/
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Sparrow
Frank Worthington Terrier
Posts: 1,892
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Post by Sparrow on May 23, 2020 17:38:30 GMT 1
Some interesting stuff there from our chairman.
50% wage cut....salary caps....less money in the parachute payments....broadcasters demanding millions back from clubs.
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Post by Chips Longhorn on May 23, 2020 17:56:27 GMT 1
Phil.. A man who hasn't had much luck so far and his skin colour suggests he has either been hiding away under a sunbed or he is on the lash each day. Keep going Phil lad and let's hope we are meeting down the jss again soon
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Post by impact on May 23, 2020 18:17:07 GMT 1
Good statement IMO. He's spot on whrn he says football has created this problem.
One hopes this leads to more sensible spending. I highly doubt it, however.
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Post by overtonterrierspirit on May 23, 2020 18:24:12 GMT 1
That’s a good well balanced statement from him. Nice to see that he’s being proactive in sending the letter to the authorities.
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Post by Made In Yorkshire on May 23, 2020 18:56:30 GMT 1
Good statement IMO. He's spot on whrn he says football has created this problem. One hopes this leads to more sensible spending. I highly doubt it, however. I'm wondering if football clubs much further down the pyramid think that. I suspect they don't. The problem is with the pointy bit of the pyramid, not the base and middle.
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bogart
David Wagner Terrier
Posts: 2,815
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Post by bogart on May 23, 2020 18:58:42 GMT 1
Though as expected the EFL say and do nothing. Are they hoping for a saviour to come riding over the horizon so that they do not have to make a decision by themselves. They are in the pockets of the PL who do not give a fig about anything except themselves. Their performance reminds me of some bloke in Rome think he was called Nero.
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Post by impact on May 23, 2020 19:02:40 GMT 1
Good statement IMO. He's spot on whrn he says football has created this problem. One hopes this leads to more sensible spending. I highly doubt it, however. I'm wondering if football clubs much further down the pyramid think that. I suspect they don't. The problem is with the pointy bit of the pyramid, not the base and middle. Is it? When clubs at all levels, certainly in the football league, get more money they spend it. They don't stay within their means. If they did then we wouldn't have the issues clubs have where they are struggling to survive after just 2 months' interrupted cash flows. How many clubs outside the top flight make profits? The odd one? And they are usually at the bottom of their leagues. That is a football issue, not just a Premier League issue.
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Champers
Andy Booth Terrier
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Post by Champers on May 23, 2020 19:21:02 GMT 1
No reply from the EFL? Don't worry, Phil, I'm sure they'll get round to it when they've finally finished doing everything they can to keep Leeds happy.
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Post by Galpharmer on May 23, 2020 19:26:14 GMT 1
He doesn't expect fans to be attending games till 2021, but renew your season card now.....
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2020 19:35:26 GMT 1
Good statement IMO. He's spot on whrn he says football has created this problem. One hopes this leads to more sensible spending. I highly doubt it, however. He is correct about football bringing on these problems themselves and also to discuss the way foreward and that should be discussed before any of the remaining games are played.
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Post by Boaty McBoatface on May 23, 2020 19:37:34 GMT 1
"The Government have confirmed categorically that there will be no crowds at sporting events until such a time where there is a vaccine; that’s looking like it could be 2021,” detailed Hodgkinson."
Have I missed something, when did the govt say that?
They may not produce a vaccine for at least another year, maybe longer. That's the end of football as we know it cause there won't be 20 football clubs left by the end of this.
If this is true, they really do seem determined to wreck every single aspect of society, as presumably this will apply to any event where social distancing can't be controlled.
Also will you have to produce a vaccine certificate to get in anywhere in future? Extremely worrying especially as I have absolutely no intention of taking a vaccine, particularly a Bill Gates vaccine (produced by Matt Hancock's company).
1984 here we come...
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Post by HuddsTerrier on May 23, 2020 19:53:25 GMT 1
Good statement from PH
It’s true clubs at all levels are making more in revenue than ever before but it’s all lost in player wages
Bury was the canary in the coal mine - others will go to the wall unless the madness with player wages isn’t addressed
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Post by Essex Terrier on May 23, 2020 20:04:57 GMT 1
Though as expected the EFL say and do nothing. Are they hoping for a saviour to come riding over the horizon so that they do not have to make a decision by themselves. They are in the pockets of the PL who do not give a fig about anything except themselves. Their performance reminds me of some bloke in Rome think he was called Nero. Robert de ?
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Post by Captainslapper on May 23, 2020 20:07:02 GMT 1
"The Government have confirmed categorically that there will be no crowds at sporting events until such a time where there is a vaccine; that’s looking like it could be 2021,” detailed Hodgkinson." Have I missed something, when did the govt say that? They may not produce a vaccine for at least another year, maybe longer. That's the end of football as we know it cause there won't be 20 football clubs left by the end of this. If this is true, they really do seem determined to wreck every single aspect of society, as presumably this will apply to any event where social distancing can't be controlled. Also will you have to produce a vaccine certificate to get in anywhere in future? Extremely worrying especially as I have absolutely no intention of taking a vaccine, particularly a Bill Gates vaccine (produced by Matt Hancock's company). 1984 here we come... Much like the rest of life, If youre in a group that is vulnerable to C19 or live with someone whos vulnerable, don't go to the game. Sorted.. now get on with it.
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Post by rastrick32 on May 23, 2020 20:11:49 GMT 1
"The Government have confirmed categorically that there will be no crowds at sporting events until such a time where there is a vaccine; that’s looking like it could be 2021,” detailed Hodgkinson." Have I missed something, when did the govt say that? They may not produce a vaccine for at least another year, maybe longer. That's the end of football as we know it cause there won't be 20 football clubs left by the end of this. If this is true, they really do seem determined to wreck every single aspect of society, as presumably this will apply to any event where social distancing can't be controlled. Also will you have to produce a vaccine certificate to get in anywhere in future? Extremely worrying especially as I have absolutely no intention of taking a vaccine, particularly a Bill Gates vaccine (produced by Matt Hancock's company). 1984 here we come... Much like the rest of life, If youre in a group that is vulnerable to C19 or live with someone whos vulnerable, don't go to the game. Sorted.. now get on with it. I've heard that if you renew your SC before Monday, Town will give you a free zorb to go to the matches in. That's a good deal and great forward-thinking from PH.
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Post by Headless Chicken on May 23, 2020 20:14:19 GMT 1
He doesn't expect fans to be attending games till 2021, but renew your season card now..... Not a broken record at all are you.
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Post by Galpharmer on May 23, 2020 20:24:30 GMT 1
He doesn't expect fans to be attending games till 2021, but renew your season card now..... Not a broken record at all are you. Probably. He's admitting he's selling a product that's almost certainly not available though.
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Post by mmmmmmbenza on May 23, 2020 20:26:15 GMT 1
This has fallen quite nicely for him to be fair, at least he's got an excuse for not spending any brass in the near future.
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Post by Million Dollar Babies on May 23, 2020 20:35:48 GMT 1
This has fallen quite nicely for him to be fair, at least he's got an excuse for not spending any brass in the near future. We already didn't have any to spend so not much has changed. It's probably forced our hand though in terms of selling Grant and O'Brien (if there is anyone in a position to be able to buy them)
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Post by Chips Longhorn on May 23, 2020 20:46:51 GMT 1
This has fallen quite nicely for him to be fair, at least he's got an excuse for not spending any brass in the near future. We already didn't have any to spend so not much has changed. It's probably forced our hand though in terms of selling Grant and O'Brien (if there is anyone in a position to be able to buy them) This is the thing. By the time we ever get to see town in person, it's likely that the team, and indeed the game of association football, will have changed beyond all recognition.
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Post by isleofmanterrier on May 23, 2020 21:12:01 GMT 1
The bit where he says the premier league need the pyramid caught my attention.
Unfortunately I don’t think they give a toss about the lesser clubs and are that obsessed with the ‘product’ they’ve created, they’d quite happily move forward with an ‘elite league.’ The big clubs and the premier league bosses will be looking out for themselves here so I can’t see the ideas Phil has for passing money down through the pyramid happening.
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Post by Headless Chicken on May 23, 2020 21:59:51 GMT 1
This has fallen quite nicely for him to be fair, at least he's got an excuse for not spending any brass in the near future. Yeah, bet he's delighted owning Town in this predicament. Some of you are unreal.
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Post by Headless Chicken on May 23, 2020 22:01:56 GMT 1
Not a broken record at all are you. Probably. He's admitting he's selling a product that's almost certainly not available though. Arguably they could take the STs off sale, but they're not exactly shoving em down our necks and he's openly saying things that are likely to discourage people buying them.
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Post by mmmmmmbenza on May 23, 2020 22:02:44 GMT 1
This has fallen quite nicely for him to be fair, at least he's got an excuse for not spending any brass in the near future. Yeah, bet he's delighted owning Town in this predicament. Some of you are unreal. Oh lighten up.
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Post by Headless Chicken on May 23, 2020 22:04:14 GMT 1
Yeah, bet he's delighted owning Town in this predicament. Some of you are unreal. Oh lighten up. Hard to spot sarcasm on here atm.
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Post by Galpharmer on May 23, 2020 22:14:51 GMT 1
Probably. He's admitting he's selling a product that's almost certainly not available though. Arguably they could take the STs off sale, but they're not exactly shoving em down our faces and he's openly saying things that are likely to discourage people buying them. They should take them off sale, yes. They should also stop folk having to pay installments for them.
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Post by Chips Longhorn on May 23, 2020 22:17:15 GMT 1
Probably. He's admitting he's selling a product that's almost certainly not available though. Arguably they could take the STs off sale, but they're not exactly shoving em down our faces and he's openly saying things that are likely to discourage people buying them. A lot of people have purchased full season tickets for 20/21. They should be offered a full refund immediately.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2020 22:23:51 GMT 1
Arguably they could take the STs off sale, but they're not exactly shoving em down our faces and he's openly saying things that are likely to discourage people buying them. A lot of people have purchased full season tickets for 20/21. They should be offered a full refund immediately. Is season 2020/2021 not happening?
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Post by Headless Chicken on May 23, 2020 22:29:00 GMT 1
Arguably they could take the STs off sale, but they're not exactly shoving em down our faces and he's openly saying things that are likely to discourage people buying them. A lot of people have purchased full season tickets for 20/21. They should be offered a full refund immediately. I know, I have. I'd not heard what Phil alluded to before that interview, but prior to that was more than happy for it to play out. There may never be a vaccine though, so not sure how accurate his comment was.
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