I was in Croatia recently. A nice part of the world, and a country which had Ivan Klasnic. Remember him?
They do, and the guy there who asked if I remembered him also knew we were in a bit of a mess nowadays. That was on Wednesday, and just a few hours later the Chester game was called off, and earlier today the Preston game has also gone, amid unconfirmed reports the entire squad has walked out en masse and a takeover that still hasn’t happened.
And we know what Football Ventures want now. They want the hotel, and are reluctant to proceed without it, only that the separate administration process there has to run it’s course. And we’ve probably had enough damage done to the club now where it’s terminal in one way or another.
The worst-case scenario, this isn’t sorted out within the next two weeks, we don’t start the season, and we’re surely kicked out of the league. We could even still be liquidated. Either way would finish the club as we know it.
And even if this is sorted out, it’s far too late in the day. We’ve played one senior pre-season friendly effectively, the York game featured youngsters only, with the more established lot ‘not ready’ (whatever that meant), then we at least had a game against Al-Ittihad. But as it stands, we now only have one remaining game, at Oldham next weekend, then we might play Wycombe. And if we get taken over and announce a truck load of loan signings, good luck getting them all to gel straight away, having hardly played. Add in the points deduction – which by the way EFL, would you fancy confirming what that is going to be, or are you busy deciding which shop will host the next League Cup draw? – and no price on another relegation will be too short.
But as long as they have that hotel, that’s all that matters, right?