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Stockport County – Wot, No Admin

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So Thursday 26th came and went and the prediction that County and perhaps half a dozen other clubs would enter administration proved to be a wrong one.

No announcement was made and so therefore I can tell you that as of now, Stockport County are still alive and struggling.

All I can gather is we have funds to carry on for another few (rumoured 30) days by which time… what exactly? Have we received stop-gap funding?

Well, we have lost Gary Dicker, on loan to our chums at Brighton until the end of the season. What’s the betting this move will become permanent. Has Dicker had a fall out with Jim Gannon? Has Jim Gannon seen something more in Matty Mainwaring, meaning Dickers days were numbered? Or could it have been that for financial reasons, one more body off the wage bill and (just speculating) early funds coming into the club from Brighton with an ‘understanding’ regarding Dickers future?

Whatever, we do have the feel of a once well-heeled family selling the family silver in order to repair the leaking roof. Further, it feels like the family motor is going to need replacing next month and we may have to sell other treasured heir-looms just to carry on.

Are we merely delaying the inevitable? Are we the drowning man who has surfaced for the third and last time?

Once again we are all in the dark, and despite the embargo placed on the owners, (er.. that’s the Trust. No honest.) we really need some kind of statement from the Trust Board as to what the situation now is.

So what should we think?

All is bleak and the end is nigh (and that reminds me.. whatever happened to the ‘Jesus Saves / The end is Nigh’ chap that used to walk up and down outside the main stand before games 10 years or so ago?).

Or do we think we have a lifeline and that we all should try to use this period of time to enable the club to make it to the end of the season and hope for something positive happening during the close season?

I reckon we should take the latter approach. Let us do what we can to get as many people crammed into Edgeley Park for the remaining three games. Yeovil, Walsall and the Friday night is County night, last game of the season rip-snorter against our dear friends from Crewe.

What can you do to help? Get to all three home games and support the lads and have some fun. Bring a mate, wife, mistress, partner, son, daughter, elderly relative or just drag someone in off the streets. Let us see if we can give Martin Reed, Sean Connolly et al the time they need to work some magic and pull a rabbit out of the hat.

What is there to lose?

‘Ol Pop.

ps forgot to say, apparently if we do go into Administration before the end of the season we do not necessarily have to suffer a minus 10 points start next season. The rules on this make Duckworth-Lewis look like a modern day GCSE Maths paper so don’t ask me to explain. For one thing I can’t be bothered and for another that is defeatist talk. And we will have none of that around here…..

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8 comments

  • Silver Surfer says:

    The Chairmans Statement is to say the least upbeat, substantial funds have been invested in the Club to secure the immediate financial future. Where from? Question What is immediate? Why then was Gary Dicker loaned to Brighton. Was this the beginning of a clearout?The Brighton Chairman stated that the deal helped County’s Financial Situation. At the end of the season is this going to be a free transfer so that no Vat is payable. I know we need all the money we can get but did we need the loan fee at this moment in time. Crunch time could be this summer when there is no income coming in.

    Lets all play our part in getting this Club back onto an even keel as soon as possible and ensure that this situation never arises again.

  • cropped says:

    Well said SS. I also reckon Dicker has been effectively transferred and not loaned. So a clever bit of work sorts us out now but as this article suggests, are we selling the family silver and will the cupboard be bare in July? Cannot see how Gannon could stay in these circumstances without outside investment coming in… maybe we will get that in the summer and maybe the Trust will actually get to vote on it?

  • Silver Surfer says:

    Thanks cropped. How about this scenario. Sean Connolly leads a consortium that purchases the Club Shares and they take control. Gannons problems solved. The Trust may have to take a back seat. Club would then be run on a commercial basis with hopefuuly other investors coming on board. (At the Fans meeting our Financial Director stated that there had been no requests for Financial Information for anybody.) The Annual Accounts for year ending summer 2008 do not yet appear to have filed at Companies House. Deadline is 30th April 2009. Its going to be an interesting summer. I would also suggest that there will be launched during the coming weeks a number of initiatives

  • animo_et_fide_825 says:

    The more cash us the fans can inject during the remaining games will be a huge help then by the sounds of things.I myself was gutted to hear about dicker but if it’s beneficial to the club’s financial situation then who can argue??whats the point in having good players when theres no club to have them play for??If this is the pattern of play starting to emerge though does that mean other lads are next??we do need a modest playing team as the other end of the sword is that come next season we have no money and no players and so get anihilated every weekend which will then lead to tiny gates.Oh,and i’m not holding my breath on Gannon staying.He loves the club as we all do but theres only so much he can put up with and work with.Fingers crossed though and everyone get to the remaining home games!!! Last push for the blue n white army.I O County!

  • cropped says:

    SS and 825, I would like to think that Sean Connolly’s appointment must be more than a short term ‘get the club sold’ mission. I hope, as you hypothesise SS, the Mr Connolly will head up a consortium and we are run properly and that enough money is available to Jim Gannon to want him to stay. Otherwise, as you say 825, Jimbo must surely be off in the summer.

    Just to add I am a Trust member and was very pro-Trust but their actions (or lack of them) in the last month or so leads me to think they have thrown in the towel and our future must lie away from a Trust run club,. Maybe the Trust’s day will come again in a few years.

  • Silver Surfer says:

    Cropped. I do not think they(The Trust) have thrown in the towel. I have the view that events have been taken out of their hands. According to the Mail on Sunday our Chief Executive Mark Maguire is quoted as saying that April is the month. Have I missed his re-appointment or do the MOS know something we don’t or is it an “error” on their part.

    On a positive note please join me in Congratulating Stockport Boys on reaching the the Final of the FA Schools Trophy. Incidentially playing football the “Gannon” way. WELL DONE TO YOU ALL.

  • Buzz Lightyear says:

    If they went into adminstration and get a points deduction, it would not mean relegation and a fresh start next season

  • dazza71 says:

    Good luck in the future County, nobody likes to see clubs struggling.

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