Clubs agree salary cap for L1 and L2

[andrew p long]

Yes, done on the back of a fag packet I suspect. The principle is one thing but unintended consequences are a real problem. The first was the incentive for potentially affected clubs to splash out before the vote - in signing players on expensive lengthy contracts and/ or extending existing contracts ( anything done after the proposals were made but before the outcome of the vote doesn’t count).

so predictably the first consequence of this cap is *increased* expenditure

 

[Rosencrantz]

Yes, done on the back of a fag packet I suspect. The principle is one thing but unintended consequences are a real problem. The first was the incentive for potentially affected clubs to splash out before the vote - in signing players on expensive lengthy contracts and/ or extending existing contracts ( anything done after the proposals were made but before the outcome of the vote doesn’t count).

so predictably the first consequence of this cap is *increased* expenditure

That was always going to be the case. All the clubs knew this was going to be discussed and voted on and it would have to deal with the problem of existing contracts. They were never going to retrospectively enforce a cut off point so whenever the rule came in there was an opportunity for clubs to get players signed on big contracts before the rule came in.

There will always be those club owners who will take advantage of any loop hole and they have done so. The best the EFL could hope for is that it will take the effect they want eventually.

 

[Banksy]

One thing is for sure , any team winning this league probably won’t be doing it on a level playing field.

 

[Antony Moxey]

I completely agree with the sentiments about money in football. However, there are already rules in place to try and improve financial sustainability. Why not adapt and better enforce the current SCMP rules rather than introduce a rushed and badly thought-through salary cap. If the EFL can't enforce the rules you already have what makes them think they will be able to enforce the new rules any better. Also, as the PFA pointed out yesterday the EFL have not made it clear how they think this salary cap will in practice actually make the situation any better or how they have chosen the wage levels for the cap. As for the comparisons with American sport it's worth remembering that their system is deliberately non-meritocratic with no promotion and relegation and a draft that is designed to try and make teams as even as possible.

But the point I was making regarding American sports was if they can manage policing multi million dollar contracts in all their sports, including the recent half billion dollar contract awarded to Patrick Mahomes in the NFL then it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of football to do the same with what are, in comparison, minuscule contracts, even at the top level. It’s basically change, and football doesn’t like change unless it’s doing the changing led by the Premier League.

 

[iscalad]

One thing is for sure , any team winning this league probably won’t be doing it on a level playing field.

Our pitch isn't level.

 

[Rosencrantz]

A bit more detail regarding named squad numbers and u21 players that is part of the new salary cap rules in an article from Ipswich's point of view. Unsurprisingly they were against it.

https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2020/august/marcus-evans-on-salary-cap/

I do think limiting clubs to 20 players aged 21 or over might be a problem when that limit comes in. 22 for this season sounds more reasonable for an 18 man squad. It will put a limit of 980 professionals aged 21 or over in Leagues One and Two. It would be interesting to know the numbers for last season.

 

[Rosencrantz]

As an addition to the above I cannot find anywhere else that confirms the squad sizes and u21 rulings as part of the salary cap rules. So maybe it is still under discussion. It's strange it wasn't mentioned in the EFL statement if it was agreed and voted on, but hey, it's the EFL.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Our pitch isn't level.

As Ant Moxey for one should know, having surveyed it !

 

[Antony Moxey]

As Ant Moxey for one should know, having surveyed it !

I surveyed it before it was relaid the first time, it was up and down like a fiddler’s elbow. Not surveyed either of the new pitches, just looking at it, although still very ropey looking late on in the season, it does appear to be pretty flat.

As an aside when I did Plymouth’s pitch before all their development work (I have another story about that that I might have told in the past ) the slope on their pitch was a shocker. The corner to the right of the away end nearest where that huge flight of steps dropped down to the away turnstiles was over half a metre lower than the half way line and the corner at the other end of the goal line.

 

[Billy The Fish]

You did tell the pitch story and it's a beaut !