Spring News

Three youngsters have been offered their first professional contracts.....they are....Jarvis Cleal, Ollie Tomlinson & Rubin Wilson.

 

Division One clubs have failed to agree to end the season early.....they will try again by video conference on Monday to come to a conclusion.

Division Two clubs meet by video link-up later this afternoon.

 

It seems we are UP.............

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52679614

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/2020/may/efl-statement/

 

Sounds promising....needs ratifying by the EFL of course.....Stevenage would do well out of it if they stay up.

Would help Ryan Lowe to retain his players for next season.....assuming we can afford Div One wages.

 

Hi chaps hope you've all been well....if only L1 voted the same but very optimistic it will happen COYG!

 

I think the important sentence is this from the EFL:

"Having considered the protocols and costs that would be required to be met to conclude the current season, League Two Clubs have unanimously indicated a preferred direction of travel to curtail the campaign in line with the framework outlined by the EFL Board."

This seems to endorse what's being proposed.

 

The correct decision I think. Not done and dusted so no cheers until it is but as said by others it does look promising.

 

It is looking very favourable. I can understand everyone's frustrations , but it is a very complex situation. It was particularly heartening to hear everyone in L2 put their vested interests aside and make decisions for the greater good of the EFL. Hopefully L1 and the championship will follow suit. I think that the only way that we wont be promoted is if the season is completely voided, and I think that is unlikely.

 

Given the history of last minute disappointment I think most Argyle fans will hold off cheering too loudly at the minute Lyndie. At best there might be a muffled hurah!!

I wish I had a crystal ball and could see what was around the corner. There isn't an end in sight currently with no football irrespective of the loosening of the lock down. It isn't only that though that is going to affect clubs for a long while to come. There is likely to be a whole load of unemployment to come and that can only spell a lower gate for clubs like Argyle. We aren't as badly off as some though. I'm waiting for a club to hit the skids good and proper and possibly fold over this. There has to be a fair few who are going to be touch and go at the very least.

 

Absolutely sensible. The cost of playing behind closed doors is eyewatering for all clubs and there is the potential for more than a few to disappear. Without ticket money and hospitability income the numbers just don't stack up and the amounts we would receive from TV /iFollow etc are no where near enough to compensate for the losses. I think we will be okay , but that's about it, and relative to other clubs it is a good place to be. There are going to be huge adjustments to player wages across football (including probably a salary cap) but with so many unknown unknowns it is really difficult to make decisions about next season yet.

 

I can see that there's a sliding scale from the Premier League, where if games aren't played, huge sums must be paid back to the TV companies, to League 2, where the cost of maintaining a full squad for what, two extra months, outweighs any benefit from playing the games. I think this is a fair solution. Those that have only recently dropped out of the top 3 may complain, but then, that happens on the final Saturday of every regular season too.

What happens though? League 1 is currently one team short following the demise of Bury. If 4 go up from League 2 and only three come down, does 1 come up from the National League as well as Stevenage staying where they are?

 

That notdistant is the $64,ooo question isn't it. We aren't close to a decision yet on what exactly happens so everything is on hold.

As far as Argyle is concerned, the last 4 home games were heading to be fantastic paydays for the club and in accordance with it's dip out history that was of course scuppered. If we had continued to be heading for promotion and even the top we would have had no less that 14000 for any of those games as a minimum. I think we would have gone up if the season was finished and possibly as the No.1. That revenue would have been great to start next season but now everyone is going to be counting the cost. There are still questions to answer about this season and the non starting of those 4 games and what the Season Ticket holders should or shouldn't be offered back. It may not be important to me if I got a discount next time or a refund this time but it will be to plenty of others who may lose their jobs soon. That's another negative to cross. It certainly takes the shine off the football.

 

So if the playing season is over.....

Alex Palmer, Tyreeq Bakinson, Ryan Hardie, George Cooper & Josh Grant are no longer Argyle players having returned to their parent clubs.

And also....

Tafari Moore, Ryan Law, Tom Purrington & Rubin Wilson have returned from their loans.

 

There is a contracted date for loanees plym so perhaps none of them have returned as such. Until the contract expires the current arrangements apply unless of course the parties decide differently between them. Don't know about anyone else but the who is in or out questions is something I just can't even start to think about at the moment. My more pressing question is when can I go and watch a game again. Until then it's hard to be enthused about any of it.

 

Palmer, Hardie, Cooper and Grant would be keepers if affordable

 

Cooper we know is on our want list......Peterborough's valuation is more than we want to pay at present.

 

Alex Fletcher has announced that he is leaving the club.....was Ryan Lowe not offering him a contract for next season ?

 

I doubt he was going to. Fletcher has never quite cut it for any Manager he has been under and that may say something about his attitude. It cannot be said that Lowe is not one to play kids because he has give chances to those that he considers worthy of one. We have seen a few like Fletcher over fairly recent times who looks like they could make it but somehow just lose their way. Best of luck to the kid but perhaps it his himself who needs to look at his future and what he really wants. For me he only ever showed glimpses.

 

Palmer is a keeper anyway.....

 

Have I missed something ?.....weren't Div One video conferencing yesterday.....I haven't seen any statement saying if they had come to a conclusion....or if they are still meeting further today.....