Mashed Potatoes

They meet just the one group of supporters, who have to be representative of the fanbase as a whole, and have to hold "regular" meetings. Separately the EFL currently require 2 meetings a year to be held with a fans forum although it remains to be seen if that requirement will continue now this legislation has been introduced.

I think you're right - a question for the club is what are their plans for establishing the supporters group now that the legislation has been enacted.

It isn't the people who operate the place who would have their licence to operate revoked but the club, which would not then be allowed to participate in English football in the top professional leagues thereby rendering the club insolvent - it's not going to happen just for the sake of the occasional difficult meeting with supporters.

I don't think that will happen. As stated above, the new law places a statutory obligation on clubs to hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters. Any club which was in breach of that obligation could potentially have their licence to operate withdrawn by the Independent Regulator.

Isn't it more likely that we will have them "well sussed" ?

Yes, I was aware of the requirement regarding future plans for fan engagement. The problem of course is that the language in the Act and the explanatory notes is so vague that it will be some time before anybody can be sure of what quite is going to be required of our or any other club. In the meantime provided meetings continue to go ahead I suspect that delays of a few weeks in the release of minutes will not be seen by the Regulator as an issue.

I think the EFL rules - which to a degree may be superseded by the new rules in the Football Governance Act - are that clubs are required to meet twice a season with a representative group of supporters. Not sure what the rules if any are regarding the release of minutes but I doubt if a delay of 2 or 3 weeks in release of the minutes means that those rules have been broken.

The recently enacted Football Governance Act requires that clubs hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters.

How can you know what he was offered ? Maybe it was fair and what he's looking for is excessive - I don't know, nobody on here does.

Even if the player has been offered a new contract on no worse terms ?

Yes, he will certainly have suitors - the question is whether he and his agent have significantly over-estimated the size of the financial offer that he can command.

They showed a lot of ambition when Mel Morris owned them - too much as it turned out because it bankrupted them.

Well, it's a point of view I suppose.

I'm not too sure what you mean by "private entities" but on the face of it you seem to be saying that Jack Walker should not have been allowed to buy the club.

That's a big "if". The minister has already stated that the government are opposed so it will only pass with a big backbench rebellion.

Birmingham's owners only previous experience of this division was 2 years ago when their dreadful decision making resulted in them being relegated.

It's not spin to point out that many of the problems that arise at clubs result from owners putting clubs on an unsustainable cost base and are then unable to continue - that is pointed out in the explanation for the financial sustainability tests required in the forthcoming Football Governance legislation

A one season legend - like Andy Crawford

Come off it - he singlehandedly ensured we weren't relegated.

OK -Thanks

Per the rules we have to be able to do so.

Not sure that bankruptcy would suffice for an existing owner provided a club was continuing to pay their way and could demonstrate that they could continue to do so.

It happens rarely. As we have seen at Reading there were problems over a period of years regarding non payment of wages and taxes before the owner was required to sell.

We were relegated from the Premier League in 2012. At the time parachute payments were paid to relegated clubs for the next 4 years so were still being received in 2015 and 2016.

Thank you for this. I think the club with its history and excellent Academy would attract potential purchasers without too much difficulty. The difficult issue would be negotiating a price.