Obviously the big talking point not only at Pride Park, but within the division this week has been the EFL decision to charge Derby with making excessive losses and not meeting P&S rules!
Now I have been critical of Mel Morris during his ownership of the club and let's be honest money has been wasted on some very average players. The way in which we have been managed financially has been careless to say the least! However, for the EFL to sign off accounts, approve the sale of the ground and the amount its sold for and then to come back eighteen months later change their mind is bang out of order and speaks volumes about the incompetence of the league!
The club have acted in good faith and have since planned their financial projections based on accounts approved by the EFL!
Of course I am far from happy that the books shows us making big losses month on month after such good housekeeping by the previous owners GSE. Mel Morris though has acted in accordance with the rules and should the EFL dock the club points it would be nothing short of scandalous!
The EFL aren't the greatest governors in the world of professional sport. They have had such twits as Brain Mawinney being their vocal mouthpiece in the past. The Football League is the oldest and most recognisable brand in the world being the original professional league and what do they do? They change it's title!
My take is that this is a knee jerk reaction to threats made by the likes of Steve Gibson who after years of splashing the cash sees his own Middlesbrough club struggling on the field and with a half empty stadium too!
If Morris still has written proof of the League's approval of the ground sale and the figure (Which was adjusted after a request by the EFL) I fail to see how they can then move the goalposts eighteen months later!!
An independent panel will make a ruling, but should this go against Derby County I would expect Mel Morris instructing his legal team to challenge this in the courts. This could drag on for months or even longer!
Should this end up in the courts, the league would be ill advised to apply any sanctions in the meantime! Imagine a points deduction, relegation and then Derby winning in the courts! A very large can of worms would be opened and then the EFL could see themselves paying massive damages.
Hopefully common sense will prevail and Derby County Football Club will move forward with new investment form Henry Gabay and a strategy to reduced losses! There is a at long last signs that the Academy is producing more goods and that within itself could and should ease the pressure on the finance department.
In the meantime all we fans can do is to keep turning up and cheering our team on from the stands! Being a fan of 50 years I can recall the days when we were minutes form going out of business. many fans will recall the days of the Three Amigo's! We have had bad dark days before and we were in a much worse place during those times! Get your backside to the games and keep the faith!
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