With Hartlepool worried about that 3-point penalty, it's also possible that our end of season could be subject to further complications.
Southend today managed to fend off their winding up order, having been given a further seven days to pay their c£400K tax bill.
Their chairman, Ron Martin, says the transfer of funds is imminent, but recent pronouncements from Southend have not exactly inspired great confidence.
So if the worst came to the worst, and Southend were to be wound up next Wednesday, what would happen to their remaining fixtures? Sure they will play Brighton on Saturday, but their other three matches (Oldham (A), Stockport (H) and Southampton (A)) would still have to be accounted for.
If they are unable to fulfil those fixtures, would their 43 results be expunged, or would the FL award points to those three outstanding opponents?
Nobody should want to see a club fold, and indeed from a selfish viewpoint it would do our position more harm than good if the expungement option were to come to fruition, as we would lose four points while most other clubs around us would lose fewer.
Orient, who lost twice to Southend, would be happiest with the rearranged table, while Wycombe would gain two points on us, and each of Hartlepool, Oldham and Gillingham would gain one apiece.
The lower reaches of the table would then look like this (apart from the fact that this weekend's matches would have been played in the meantime):
Yeovil------- 40 45
Hartlepool--- 40 45
Leyton O---- 40 45
Oldham*----- 40 44
EXETER------ 40 42
Gillingham---- 40 41
-------------------
Tranmere---- 39 37
Wycombe---- 40 36
Stockport*-- 41 25
* yet to play Southend
Potentially just one more sign of off-field circumstances screwing up a great competition......
Southend today managed to fend off their winding up order, having been given a further seven days to pay their c£400K tax bill.
Their chairman, Ron Martin, says the transfer of funds is imminent, but recent pronouncements from Southend have not exactly inspired great confidence.
So if the worst came to the worst, and Southend were to be wound up next Wednesday, what would happen to their remaining fixtures? Sure they will play Brighton on Saturday, but their other three matches (Oldham (A), Stockport (H) and Southampton (A)) would still have to be accounted for.
If they are unable to fulfil those fixtures, would their 43 results be expunged, or would the FL award points to those three outstanding opponents?
Nobody should want to see a club fold, and indeed from a selfish viewpoint it would do our position more harm than good if the expungement option were to come to fruition, as we would lose four points while most other clubs around us would lose fewer.
Orient, who lost twice to Southend, would be happiest with the rearranged table, while Wycombe would gain two points on us, and each of Hartlepool, Oldham and Gillingham would gain one apiece.
The lower reaches of the table would then look like this (apart from the fact that this weekend's matches would have been played in the meantime):
Yeovil------- 40 45
Hartlepool--- 40 45
Leyton O---- 40 45
Oldham*----- 40 44
EXETER------ 40 42
Gillingham---- 40 41
-------------------
Tranmere---- 39 37
Wycombe---- 40 36
Stockport*-- 41 25
* yet to play Southend
Potentially just one more sign of off-field circumstances screwing up a great competition......
