Rage Online

&quotSideshow Rob&quot wrote:The Edwardian football authorities

Surely not?

I've gone for Franchise, pretty much for the same reason as Smileyman.

Although... by some strange quirk of fate Sw*nd*n have a habit of changing divisions at the same time as we do (think last season, and 1996 when we both went up, as examples) - so their promotion could possibly be a good omen for the playoff adventure to come...

Nah buggrit, I still want them to stay down.

I'd rather see a real football club go up than a franchise. The longer Milton Keynes struggle, the fewer fans they'll have, the more likely they are to get relegated/go bankrupt/both. The sooner that happens, the better.

&quotSmileyMan&quot wrote: Plus if franchise get promoted them we shouldn't have to give them our money. I just feel sorry for Milton Keynes the town, which will now never be able to get a real home football club up and running without the stigma attached. And the general Franchise boycott seems to be doing the job - without money they'll go bust eventually. Hopefully we'll pass them on their way out.

I would have thought that if they get promoted their gates are likely to rise, and the likelihood of them going bust would be reduced. I also think that their gates are worryingly high as it is and with the move to their new stadium imminent, going bust is not going to happen. Oh how I hope I am wrong.

&quotSideshow Rob&quot wrote:

&quotDLT&quot wrote:If Wigan were not funded by Mr Whelan they would not be in the Premiership.

I suppose Arsenal should also be kicked out as well Baboo!

The Gunners were unfairly promoted into Division 1 ahead of Tottenham depite Spurs finishing above them in Division 2. The Arsenal Chairman did a tawry deal with the Football League. The Edwardian football authorities were untrustworthy and put the interests of the wealthiest clubs above that of the game as a whole. Some things never change.

actually, tottenham were in division 1 and relegated at arsenal's expense if i remember correctly (it came up in a quiz recently).

the particularly impressive fact about the arsenal chairman's tawdriness is that arsenal were only 5th in the second division at the time!

&quotI don't follow this huge ehtical argument about franchise&quot .........

Blimey, next you'll be saying that Chelsea are good for the game and that it's perfectly acceptable for Russian Oligarchs to extort state funds and throw them at a European football clubs in the hope to gain profile and protection through it.

Working in MK (in fact I can see the hockey stadium from my window) I know the reason why the crowds are high is because they give a very large number of tickets to kids each week. These include kids from catchement areas that would previously have been areas which provided some Oxford fans - Buckingham for example.

They also do things such as give people a new MK kit should they bring in any kit for any other team when they were on Sky recently in order to make it look like the people who were given free tickets were actually fans.

The new stadium was built in order to get a Asda on a prime site in the town and the stadium will have the 'largest conference centre' in the south and be used for under 21 matches and concerts. I will be interested to see if the owners continue to fund the losses once they have taken their cut from the deal going through - hopefully not and they'll slide into oblivion.

Still rather Slumdon stayed down though.

I voted for Slumdon to be promoted.

Still living in hope that Wimbledon AFC will overtake MK Dons one day. They're in a play-off position at the moment I think?

&quotGeoff&quot wrote:I voted for Slumdon to be promoted.

Still living in hope that Wimbledon AFC will overtake MK Dons one day. They're in a play-off position at the moment I think?

AFCW have lost a lot of goodwill in NonLeague circles recently over a player registration row. They were given a massive points deduction (all points gained while the 'illegal' player was playing) in the same way as Altrincham were hammered last season.
However, being who they are, they attracted support from MPs, the media and offers of free legal support and lo and behold their punishment was cut to just three points on appeal (whereas the Alty appeal was thrown out last year).
Few actually argue that this is not a more reasonable penalty, but there is a definate sense among clubs and fans at this level of there being one rule for one and another for the rest.

Anyway, as a result, they are still just about in the playoff zone, but whether they'll make the Conference South next season remains to be seen.

BTW - I'm another for the Slumdon camp

&quotty cobb&quot wrote:Working in MK (in fact I can see the hockey stadium from my window) I know the reason why the crowds are high is because they give a very large number of tickets to kids each week. These include kids from catchement areas that would previously have been areas which provided some Oxford fans - Buckingham for example.

They also do things such as give people a new MK kit should they bring in any kit for any other team when they were on Sky recently in order to make it look like the people who were given free tickets were actually fans.

The new stadium was built in order to get a Asda on a prime site in the town and the stadium will have the 'largest conference centre' in the south and be used for under 21 matches and concerts. I will be interested to see if the owners continue to fund the losses once they have taken their cut from the deal going through - hopefully not and they'll slide into oblivion.

Still rather Slumdon stayed down though.

Thanks for this update Ty. I worked in MK for 17 years until 2 years ago, also very close to the Hockey Stadium(Hockey ?? - when was the last time hockey was played on there) . I feel slightly more happy now I know that they are artificially inflating gate figures.

&quotMooro&quot wrote:

&quotGeoff&quot wrote:I voted for Slumdon to be promoted.

Still living in hope that Wimbledon AFC will overtake MK Dons one day. They're in a play-off position at the moment I think?

AFCW have lost a lot of goodwill in NonLeague circles recently over a player registration row. They were given a massive points deduction (all points gained while the 'illegal' player was playing) in the same way as Altrincham were hammered last season.
However, being who they are, they attracted support from MPs, the media and offers of free legal support and lo and behold their punishment was cut to just three points on appeal (whereas the Alty appeal was thrown out last year).
Few actually argue that this is not a more reasonable penalty, but there is a definate sense among clubs and fans at this level of there being one rule for one and another for the rest.

Anyway, as a result, they are still just about in the playoff zone, but whether they'll make the Conference South next season remains to be seen.

BTW - I'm another for the Slumdon camp

I think this had the slight whiff of the FA covering themselves in case it turns out West Ham messed up the Mascharano and Tevez registrations. A high profile case like that could have caused problems.

A sensible decision though, however it was arrived at.

I'd rather see Slumdon that mk dons promoted.

However, being who they are, they attracted support from MPs, the media and offers of free legal support and lo and behold their punishment was cut to just three points on appeal (whereas the Alty appeal was thrown out last year).

It is worth noting that Altrincham fans backed AFCW in their appeal though. The Dons got a hell of a lot of support from fans at all levels. There seem to some people intimating sour grapes from fans of other clubs, but basically everyone I know was genuinely pleased that the decision went the way it did.

&quotBaboo&quot wrote:No debate in my mind - Slumdon, however much they are hated in these parts, are a real genuine football team. Franchise stand for everything that is the opposite of true genuine sporting competition. I still can't believe that they were allowed to get away with it. Crowds have nothing to do with it. On that basis Wigan &amp Watford should be thrown out of the top flight without a ball being kicked to be replaced by Sunderland and others with a larger fan base. Colchester for all their on field achievement should be dumped back down the league a division or two and promotion should be denied to the Iron.

Agreed.

On the ethical issue of attendance or not Boris, its easy. NOT.

I'll watch us play them at home (if we ever do), but I won't pay them any money, or ever visit the Franchise place.

&quotneilw&quot wrote:&quotI don't follow this huge ehtical argument about franchise&quot .........

Blimey, next you'll be saying that Chelsea are good for the game and that it's perfectly acceptable for Russian Oligarchs to extort state funds and throw them at a European football clubs in the hope to gain profile and protection through it.

No. What I will say is if the powers that be haven't got the ability to stop Chelsea doing as you say, they shouldn't stop franchise FC either. Stop both and I will agree with you Neil.

Somewhere in the history of Wimbledon FC the fans sold their club and it became a business (same as all other clubs who searched for capital to create success). When they happened they surrender control of 'their' club.

I didn't hear the fans moaning when Hamman took over. Wimbledon out performed their resources for many years and had amazing success. If their fanbase had expanded to match their success the move would not have happened.

As John points out, AFC Wimbledon have done their own 'Chelsea' recently and used their superior size to over power their league body.

And for the comments on MK Dons marketing activities. I reckon our supporters would worship Merry and Co even more if he tried the same type of initiatives.

&quotDLT&quot wrote:

&quotneilw&quot wrote:&quotI don't follow this huge ehtical argument about franchise&quot .........

Blimey, next you'll be saying that Chelsea are good for the game and that it's perfectly acceptable for Russian Oligarchs to extort state funds and throw them at a European football clubs in the hope to gain profile and protection through it.

No. What I will say is if the powers that be haven't got the ability to stop Chelsea doing as you say, they shouldn't stop franchise FC either. Stop both and I will agree with you Neil.

Somewhere in the history of Wimbledon FC the fans sold their club and it became a business (same as all other clubs who searched for capital to create success). When they happened they surrender control of 'their' club.

I didn't hear the fans moaning when Hamman took over. Wimbledon out performed their resources for many years and had amazing success. If their fanbase had expanded to match their success the move would not have happened.

As John points out, AFC Wimbledon have done their own 'Chelsea' recently and used their superior size to over power their league body.

And for the comments on MK Dons marketing activities. I reckon our supporters would worship Merry and Co even more if he tried the same type of initiatives.

The Chelsea situation and Franchise situation are completely different.

Much as I despise what Abramovic has done, he has not stolen a fotball club from one community and given it to another.

Franchise however, have stolen the legitimate League membership of one club so they could place it in another completely different community, a long way from its natural home, so a greedy property dealer could get his dela whilst circumventing the need to start at the bottom of the football league pyramid.

If Frnachise do stay down (and I hope they do just to minimise their possible income and make it more likely that they will fall into oblivion) and we have to play them, I'll be visiting AFC instead.