Oh boy, can we stop laughing now? No? Oh OK. While that’s going on, it’s time to continue on one of SW19’s favourite pastimes, Franchise Bashing. They really have had a shit couple of days haven’t they? Firstly, BRG yesterday says that bankrupcy is a legit option. This in SW19’s view was to put pressure on both the Football League and Milton Keynes Council (how ironic). The FL in particular were oh-so-conveniently meeting today to decide whether or not to let them go to a temporary stadium in the MK Toilet Bowl. No rats smelt there.
This morning, Koppout was on Radio 5, giving the usual tired old spin. However, he did make a couple of points (I didn’t hear the interview – I was in bed – but he reportedly sounded nervous and not confident at all) that were ear-pricking. Firstly, he blamed the meeja for concentrating on “another team” – AFCW – and not giving any coverage to Franchise. Now, given that AFCW have bigger crowds, even somebody like Koppout could have seen that. The other point is that yes, if things don’t get going by 2004, then the plug WILL be pulled. Nothing we didn’t know, though keep that last sentence in your mind, it gets better. Oh, and he said that the FL decision was a “formality”.
Anyway, this afternoon, the Football League met and TBH I was 99.99% convinced that they would say “yes”. Except they didn’t. They “deferred the decision”, requiring more information. So in other words, they are trying to drag this process out as long as possible without trying to reject it. A sensible move – you could bet Wankelmann’s coke supply that if a “no” decision was made at 2.30pm, at 2.31pm Rent Boy would be round the lawyers instructing the FL to think again.
So where does this put the whole she-bang now? In serious limbo, that’s what. If anything, this is the worst thing that could have happened to Franchise. If the FL had said “yes”, Rent Boy would have been on the phone to Pickfords immediately. We all can guess the consequences of a “no” decision, so this one is the next best thing. Are the FL trying to bankrupt Franchise by stealth? And what exactly have MKFC forgotten to put in their submission? Apologies for nicking off the WISA press release, but you would think that something as big as this would be properly thought out by Franchise? Yeah, I know. Wouldn’t surprise me if it relates to the Denbigh thing – Asda’s joint application is likely to be called in, IKEA seem to have decided to go to Northampton instead and planning permission is still nowhere in sight.
What can Franchise do? They have obviously burnt their bridges here in the city of London. They are having to bus people down at great expense from the town of Milton Keynes. They can’t now go to MK as promised on Boxing Day, which will seriously piss off those who live in MK (Franchise not fullfilling promises made to fans? Surely not). Even a trip up to the MK Shopping centre on Tuesday didn’t exactly inspire people – it certainly wasn’t mentioned on their web site. Is the whole thing falling apart? Well, KIR is likely to recall his loans in December, he might just hold off until then to see what happens if/when this info is submitted, though if it was too (ahem) dodgy in the first place then it may never see the light of day.
Straight afterwards, Koppout got hold of London Tonight (associated with the Koppout meeja clan, naturellment) and claimed that BRG was misquoted. So, he spent all that time defending a misquote. Yeah. Either he’s lying, or the level of communications between Koppout and BRG are so bad that neither of them know what the other is saying. Given the way that the whole operation is running itself, I suspect that BRG is nearer the “truth” than Koppout. Anyone can see that that club cannot afford to keep going much longer. They have a cheap kit, their sponsorship deal must be negligible, Gareth Ainsworth is now on a third of the wages he was on, they haven’t bought anybody, really – are we seeing the last throw of the dice?
Will it be sad if they finally collapse and die? No, it wouldn’t. They deserve all of this. I have no sympathy for them, for any of them (Mark Williams and Neil Shipperley excepted of course). The thought of being at SP waving to Uncle Reg on the day they are announced bankrupt is almost wet dreamish. Some may want to dance on it’s grave, though I will suggest they do that before I take a massive shit on it
While I still think that they will somehow – somehow – keep going, I can’t see much of a way back for them now.
Meanwhile, we can sit back, laugh and contemplate watching us play Walton this Saturday