2019/20 Lower & Non-League Thread: Still featuring Sunderland AFC

It looks like another lower league club could be in some difficulty, this time it's League Two club Macclesfield Town. Six players from last season joined a winding-up petition to claw back up to three months of unpaid wages. Once the money was paid they tried to dismiss the petition, but it has now gone to HM Revenue and Customs which means Macclesfield Town will be in court again. I think it's their third time in four months.

They aren't in as bad shape as Bury and Bolton, but things are looking a little grim for the Silkmen.

On a positive note, Carlisle went to Championship side Barnsley and absolutely routed them 3-0. In the end the score flattered the Tykes as Carlisle were far and away the better side and were unlucky not to score a couple more, hitting the cross bar a couple of times and a couple of fine saves from the Barnsley goalkeeper keeping the score reasonable.

Had a read about that. Not often you see a club directly name players lodging legal action against them, or blaming the players for "trying to shut down the club". Sad to see, seems we're probably going to see more and more clubs start to fall into financial ruin these days. When you have clubs like Salford with big budgets coming into the leagues, the other clubs need to spend to contend and end up wrecking themselves

Great win for Carlisle though. Who do you face next? Wednesday were supposed to play Bury, but are awaiting them to sort themselves out
 
Had a read about that. Not often you see a club directly name players lodging legal action against them, or blaming the players for "trying to shut down the club". Sad to see, seems we're probably going to see more and more clubs start to fall into financial ruin these days. When you have clubs like Salford with big budgets coming into the leagues, the other clubs need to spend to contend and end up wrecking themselves

Great win for Carlisle though. Who do you face next? Wednesday were supposed to play Bury, but are awaiting them to sort themselves out

Macclesfield Town are another club with a fairly long and interesting history (they have folded twice, before rising again) but they have only been a league team since 1997 and only made it back last season. Perhaps they have over reached their capabilities and are now struggling a little. It has happened to numerous clubs in England and Scotland over the over the last 50 years, some fold, some drop down the various tiers in pyramid.

We have Mansfield this weekend at home and in Carabao Cup we are away to Rochdale on the 26th.
Interesting little stat (for me anyway) appeared this morning, Carlisle are unbeaten in their last six cup away fixtures against opposition in higher divisions. We have won four and lost two in penalty shootouts. One of those losses was at Anfield in 2015. Rochdale are currently in 5th in League One, so I'm hoping we can extend this little streak to seven.
 
Tricky start to the season, however a good game overall. A point against Ipswich is going to be massive if we can get it. Never a dull moment following Wimbledon!
 
Consecutive 2-0 defeats over the last 4 days sees Carlisle sitting just outside the relegation places. I feel a real survival dogfight happening this season.

Oldham have got off to a terrible start and are currently 23rd with only a draw from their first 4 games. A number of former Division One teams (which haven't made it back to the top flight since the formation of the EPL) have been relegated to the fifth tier over the last 15 years, Carlisle being the first in 2004, it would be amazing to see a former PL team relegated out of the Football League.
 
Dec 30, 2003
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I think Bolton and Bury deserve a bit of leeway given their incredibly long history.

Any organisation that's as old and famous as they are deserve every chance to survive.

1895 Bury entered the football league, Bolton were founding members in 1888.

Huge shame if either fell over.

Sorry to say but EPL money is wreaking havoc a few leagues down.
 
Bury to be expelled from the EFL on Friday.
Not true, Bury have until Midnight Friday to prove their financial stability. The EFL is currently considering extending this deadline
 
Sorry to say but EPL money is wreaking havoc a few leagues down.

Don't know that Premier league money is to blame for mismanagement of finances.

It's hard at the lower levels but Bury and Bolton have been managed appallingly for a long while now.

Hope they both get out of the s**t fwiw. It's no good seeing clubs die.
 
Alty down to 10 men against Darlington in the first half after the centre back was stretchered off and sent off in the same incident.

Got 1-0 up against the run. Keeper was stretchered off in added time. No subs so the left winger went in goal. Darlo score from a free kick. 1-1.
 
Nov 17, 2013
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Bolton's expulsion from the EFL imminent :'(

In just over 24 hours, the club will have its membership of the EFL revoked. Over and above that, the club is currently not in a position to carry on trading and, as such, the process of closing down the company will commence on Wednesday.

This will ultimately lead to its liquidation, the expulsion of the club from the EFL and the inevitable loss of over 150 jobs. More than that, it will devastate a community for whom the football club is a beacon of hope and expectation.

 

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Bolton's expulsion from the EFL imminent :'(




Without knowing the full extent of everything. Has the previous owners stripped them of their assets?

You would think that Bolton would have the supporter base to Phoenix up very quickly and successfully.
 
Bury's membership to the Football League has been withdrawn, their 11th hour takeover bid fell through and now they have been expelled.

Bury's Football League Membership Withdrawn

I don't think there are any Bury supporters who post on this board, but it's a sad day, nearly 135 years of history is wiped away.

RIP Bury.
 
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Bolton's takeover bid has also fallen through and the Football League has given them 14 days before they will have their membership withdrawn.

The potential of two clubs being withdrawn from League One is going to have huge ramifications further down the pyramid. I would expect only two clubs being relegated from League One and four promoted from League Two, but what happens further down?

Do the bottom two of League Two (Carlisle is a chance of being one of those on recent form) get a reprieve this season? The last time a team was kicked out of the Football League (Aldershot and Maidstone United in 1992) the team that finished last in the fourth tier (Yes, it just it happened to be Carlisle) stayed up.

What happens in the National League and the tiers below?

Interesting times ahead.
 
Oct 8, 2004
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Bury have been expelled by the English Football League after a takeover bid from C&N Sporting Risk collapsed.

The League One club had been given until 17:00 BST on Tuesday to complete the deal, having been granted an extension to Friday's initial deadline.

Bury are the first team to drop out of the EFL since Maidstone's liquidation in 1992.

League One will comprise of 23 clubs for the rest of the season, with only three teams to be relegated.

 
My understanding is they can reapply to join the Football Association next season, but it will be in a lower level. When Aldershot were kicked out of the old Division Three (fourth level) in 1992 they were readmitted the following season into the Isthmian League Division Three, which was five levels below, Maidstone United were also kicked out 1992 and dropped seven levels. Even AFC Wimbledon when they were admitted into the Football Association in 2003 it was in the ninth level.

I doubt they would allow Bury or Bolton (if they are also kicked out) back in as high as the fifth, at best I would think sixth or seventh. At worst probably ninth.
 
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