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Something For The Weekend (30)

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The excellent Something For The Weekend is back

Hi there and welcome to my latest edition of something for the weekend. Unfortunately I was run of my feet last week and wasn`t able to write anything for any of you who like to read my musings. I haven`t felt to good and work has been pretty manic with the auditors in. Speaking off auditors, the past couple of weeks see the annual occurrence of some clubs getting into financial trouble with Rangers, Port Vale and Portsmouth hitting some big difficulties. It`s amazing really that for all the money that goes into football, that even more goes out of it. On Monday night I watched one of Sky Sports News` special report and this one was on football finance.

David Gold co-owner of West Ham was on and had some interesting views on the subject. He said one of the biggest problems was the football creditors rule as it allows clubs to spend and speculate with monies they are owed, knowing that if troubles is forthcoming debts can be mutually wiped out. An example of sorts recently was Everton signing Jelavic from Rangers, who still owed Everton £1.5m from ten years ago, allowing Everton to pay less for the player, but is it any wonder clubs like Rangers are in trouble when they still owe £1.5m from a deal ten years ago. Apparently the football creditors rule is being reviewed by a judge as to whether it is legal. Mr Gold said that as an owner of West Ham he would want the rule to stay, but as a businessman says the rule should be scrapped and would support that decision saying it would force clubs to operate like more normal businesses. Mr Gold was also pretty scathing regarding the tax man. He was saying for all their ‘war` on football that HMRC do not seem to go into clubs and check the books like they would in his other business. He was also critical of the way they collect the tax (or don`t as it were). Unpaid tax was the main reason clubs seem to enter administration, yet they let clubs build up tax debt and not collect. It makes you wonder why they aren`t ‘knocking` on the door every quarter when monies are due. Something really needs to change in football, but it never seems to happen.

Away from the serious financial issues of football, it was great to see Rover pick up another three points last week thanks to a late finish from Andy Doorman. To be honest I`ve not been a great fan of his, thinking that he is a bit anonymous at times meandering around the centre circle , but it was nice to see him get forward and grab a goal. We are pretty safe now and whatever hopes people may have of a late run for the play-offs, I think that is a bit of an ask. We have been picking up points whilst Mark McGhee keeps rotating a few players around, no doubt as he looks to see what options he has round the club and start planning in earnest for next season and hopefully a proper promotion push. Part of the rotating and moving players has seen Byron Anthony and Scott McGleish recently leave on loan. Both are out of contract in the summer and it would be a surprise to see either here next season which would be a bit of a shame, but we have to move forward. Byron often generates a mixed opinion amongst Rovers fans and whatever peoples opinions on his ability I don`t think many would ever doubt his effort. As for Scott McGleish it`s a bit of a shame. A top pro who always has a smile on his and always geeing people up. It has been said he has wanted to move back to London and closer to his family and he is winding down his career, whilst Rovers need to move on. It obviously hasn`t worked out quite how we all would of liked and when Paul Buckle brought him in, you thought it was to fire us up the table and to promotion. That said I would hope his experience and enthusiasm has rubbed off on some people, especially the younger players and someone like Elliot Richards in particular has learnt a lot off of Scotty.

This week sees us take on (hang on let me check), um Macclesfield and again another decent chance to pick up 3 points and no doubt keep us in and around 16th place as we don`t seem to have moved much even with recent results. Again I wouldn`t be surprised to see a couple of changes to the starting line up as Mr McGhee tries to keep players fresh and give opportunities to some others. Hopefully with some of the recent departures we might get to see a couple of youngsters like Lamar Powell, Jordan Goddard, Shaquille Hunter involved and also a chance for Kayne McGlaggon to show if he is worth a deal beyond the end of the season.

The past couple of days has been quite nice and if the sun is out on Saturday it should make for a nice afternoon of football. Whatever you Gasheads are up to have a good one.

UTG!

imon `Sprout` Phillips

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