Cod Almighty | Diary
Ask not for whom the US conglomerate tolls
8 October 2021
Basque Diary writes: I'll start with the news. Our FA Cup fourth round qualifying tie versus Bromsgrove Sporting is now on the telly and an early kick-off. Over on the twattersphere the person in charge of the Telegraph's twitter feed has given Woking the ammunition required to get a win against us tomorrow and then there's the Scunny sniggers. Strewth.
Our Lincolnshire neighbours Scunthorpe United sit bottom of division four with only one win in ten games so far this season. Their lowly yet familiar plight has resulted in some rather boorish gloating from some of our supporters on social media this week.
Shouldn't we be enjoying our own success anyway, rather than revelling in the failure of others? It's not like we have been enjoying loads of success in recent years. In any case, the Iron's demise is a reflection of a worrying trend in English football – clubs mismanaging finances and then a quick tumble down the leagues. Again, something that should be familiar to some of those lauding it over Scunny this week. We should be interested in our neighbour's downfall.
Most concerning is the transfer of ownership of Scunthorpe's ground, Glanford Park, from the football club to a company owned by the chairman. Clubs at this level have one true asset: their ground. Once that is gone there is nothing to fall back on should the worst happen.
Derby County's chairman, Mel Morris, sold himself Pride Park back in 2019 and their ground and training facilities are in an ownership mess leaving the Rams to the mercy of American investment group MSD. They are in administration, have received a points deduction and are staring relegation in the face. They, like Scunny, gambled big on wages to get promoted and missed out, and if this goes wrong it can fail spectacularly. This is why Town fans should be interested. It's in our interest to get these practices banished from our game. Reading, Wednesday and Villa have pulled similar tricks.
Scunthorpe United supporters, of course, have no say in this and are the real victims. Derby owe money to an American investment company who no doubt agreed to loan them money knowing they would make a profit. They weren't interested in the sporting side. Burnley have borrowed similarly – this is why they play dull football that ensures top flight safety. Financial investment to make a profit. Winning a cup is a nonsense for their owners as it might risk their cash cow top-flight status. The American influence on our sport is endangering clubs and the sporting integrity of the competitions.
We need to take an interest in the wider game because what is happening elsewhere could be on your doorstep sooner than you think. A strong Grimsby Town needs a strong Scunthorpe and a strong Lincoln City. It's mutually beneficial. Ignoring their demise is ignoring the ills of our game and contributing to the wealth gap within it.