Excellent start to the season . Debut goals for 2 forwards and strong showing by Wharton points to us being much better placed for scoring goals than some had feared.

No goals in this team apparently.

I think 2019-20 was 13,873. That was the season interrupted by Covid and 2 of the 5 home games we lost were against Leeds and West Brom who were the top 2 teams and who would brought significant travelling support to boost the average attendance.

You are right in what you say about attendance levels in this division in the periods you are quoting but it's worth adding that attendances in the 1960s in this division were roughly similar to what they are now and were much lower in the 1970s and 1980s.

With many of our players clearly still improving I think we can finish in the top 6.

I don't think that's true. However there were reported to be bonuses for promotions from divisions below the Premier League which of course could only ever be gained if we had been relegated.

He's 21 later this week so really needs to be pushing for first team action fairly soon ; perhaps a loan out to Division 2 or National League would be a good move.

What did Ronnie and Dougie win ?

Yes, a post that puts things in perspective. In each of the last 5 seasons 2 of the promoted clubs have been in receipt of parachute payments, despite usually there only being 5 clubs or so who have them- the other 19 clubs getting the 1 other spot. The odds are stacked against the clubs who don't have parachute payments.

I don't think betting offences necessarily reflect the club the player is at. Toney continued betting after he joined Brentford and nobody would call that a club without a real setup and manager.

It means less debt as what was debt owed by the club to Venkys London Ltd is converted in to shares.

I would imagine a lot of clubs outsource catering.

And yet attendances continue to rise.

Parker has a good track record in getting teams promoted from the Championship to the Premier League.

The debt comes on to the football club.

Maybe the ridiculous deals at Leeds were given in exchange for the players signing up for punitive relegation clauses ?

It baffles me that those who are so keen to criticise the forum don't put themselves forward to be part of it.

Clearly more successful.

For a brief period in the 80s when David Pleat/Ray Harford was manager they were bigger than us. Otherwise not.

If you are right about the relegated clubs then the jobs in the Premier League at Spurs,Palace and possibly Leeds and West Ham will be available. Won't Potter and Rodgers be looking there first ?

The FF is made up of people who give up their free time without reward to represent supporters' views. If you don't like their approach why not apply to be one of them ?

The money from India is put in to Venkys London Ltd in the form of share capital. That company then puts the money received in to football club in the form of debt. As at 30 June 2022 the debt from the club stood at £144m. Since that date there appears to have been a further £2.3m put in from India which presumably has been passed on to the club. From time to time debt outstanding by the club is converted in to equity - effectively writing off the debt.

Yes. Carrick's record doesn't reflect on our manager. However it does reflect on his predecessor Chris Wilder who looks like a busted flush, especially when you look at what he has done at Watford (albeit I think that is now a very difficult job).

I think that the Venkys London accounts have a March year end and the football club has a June year end. Because the training ground sale took place in June 2021 (I think) it meant the sale features in different years for the 2 sets of accounts.

Unfortunately these "frees" are usually not what it says on the label; players and agents allow contracts to run down so that there will be significant agent and signing on fees when they are out of contract.