Last week we reported on the options for challenging the decision of the Football Disciplinary Committee not to reimburse Town fans who bought tickets for the Blackpool match.
Now we find ourselves looking again at the management of the Football League in the light of the high-profile offer for Alex Smithies from QPR, a club still facing a hefty fine of some £58m for contravening the League’s rules on Financial Fair Play.
That fine had been held in abeyance following QPR’s promotion to the Premiership but their relegation at the end of last season should have been a signal to impose the fine.
Indeed, there was talk then of QPR not being admitted to the Football League at all unless the fine were paid.
The fine has not been paid and some sort of settlement is still being negotiated. Yet QPR are not only playing in the Championship but are apparently free to trade in the transfer market. Can this be right?
The FL will tell you that, first and foremost, it is there to represent the interests of its members, ie the clubs, but surely the majority of clubs cannot be happy at the way QPR apparently flout FFP?
And where do supporters’ interests stand in all of this? It’s time we had a bit more honesty from the FL administration.
The Football League was one of several topics discussed at yesterday’s meeting with Town’s Chief Executive Nigel Clibbens and members of his staff.
The QPR situation is a complex one, maybe largely of the FL’s own making, but HTSA is happy to report that the club remains very supportive of our attempts to obtain recompense for Town supporters who travelled to Blackpool.
Huddersfield Town as a club remains committed to FFP and has every intention of remaining well inside the extended limit of acceptable losses but this clearly puts us at a disadvantage when competing for players etc.
The message, though, remains the same and was reiterated by Dean Hoyle at Tuesday’s Q&A session: the financial disadvantage is viewed as a challenge and an opportunity, borrowing a boxing metaphor, to punch above our weight.
So long as supporters see that translated onto the pitch then all true Town fans will surely get behind the message and the team.
In July and August of this year more than 70 supporters opted to renew their HTSA membership, some of these supporters even elected to go for the £10 for three years option.
If you have not yet joined or your membership has lapsed, please consider (re-)joining. HTSA is the voice of the fans. Please help us to make that a loud and clear voice.
Today’s Free Draw number, 62563, is worth £220. If this is one of the three numbers printed on your HTSA membership card send details of your full name and postal address by text to
07725 036109 or by email to trevwhitehead@virginmedia.com before 19.08 tomorrow, Friday August 21.
You will receive your £220 cheque by return of post. The winning number last week was 63416 and was worth £210, the holder of the winning number, S Megson, did not claim the prize.
