Possible GFC Future | Vital Football

Possible GFC Future

jogills

Vital Football Hero
I've started a new thread because I don't want to get tied up in how the season ends, or what is going on at other in dividual clubs.

We are in a weak position. The FA, & PFA owe us nothing and the EFL is subordinate and dominated by The Championship. Higher authorities may favour the continuance of local, community based clubs but will have little interest in the structures and heritage so dear to us.

Salary caps have been motted and will come in de facto, if not mandated. We have also heard talk of minimum numbers of young players. We think that a number of clubs will simply cease to exist and "normal" football may be a long way off.

What if we end up being pressured to play development squad youngsters from a PL club? West Ham with the Scally connection? If we refuse they might simply try Ebbsfleet. I'd be interested to hear what possibilities others have considered.
 
Maybe the number of full time clubs is unsustainable. A move to part time status for lower league clubs is a real possibility.

How many other major footballing countries have five tiers of national leagues and over 100 fully professional teams?
 
I appreciate I havent been to Gillingham for a game in 5 years, but I am Gillingham born and I know what the club means to many people in the area and beyond! I am scared that Gillingham will be one of those clubs who cannot continue and end up disappearing!
 
What if we end up being pressured to play development squad youngsters from a PL club? West Ham with the Scally connection? If we refuse they might simply try Ebbsfleet. I'd be interested to hear what possibilities others have considered.


Isn't that what we do now via loans ?

The soton boys we have now would meet that criteria

I think we will come through this less damaged than other clubs as we have the fourth, third or second lowest budget anyway.

Football needs to change. Rest assured scally will do his level best to get us through this, it's in his interest given what the club pays him.

We will be ok. Other clubs maybe not.

I am not against a more regional league if that helps with costs.
 
I appreciate I havent been to Gillingham for a game in 5 years, but I am Gillingham born and I know what the club means to many people in the area and beyond! I am scared that Gillingham will be one of those clubs who cannot continue and end up disappearing!

Mozzer, the Gills need all the support it can get. I don't know your circumstances but hopefully you could get along to Priestfield a few times a season which would help.
 
Mozzer, the Gills need all the support it can get. I don't know your circumstances but hopefully you could get along to Priestfield a few times a season which would help.

Live in Buckingham, work most weekends, odd weekend off I want to do stuff with the wife and kids! Takes priority over football! Not an excuse, its life! Before 2015 hardly missed a game home or away!
 
Perhaps I haven't made myself clear enough. The current football infrastructure is going to be way too big and expensive to maintain. Small clubs trying to maintain a full development structure and paying a complement of adult players will be impossible for many. If approached by bigger clubs looking to take on some of those costs and structures; could we resist.

Imagine if a PL club used all our facilities for their development squad and paid for it all then what would we be willing to surrender. Would we agree to play a number of them regularly? Would we surrender rights to youngsters brought in at 15/16 in exchange for the sponsor club underwritiung even more of our costs. I don't see any help from the PL as such but these sort of arrangements might be seen as mutually beneficial.

I am not advocating anything but just wondering about what might happen. Left to our own devices our future gets smalkler and more local. Would Priestfield be viable and what sort of standard of football would retain any interest. Perhaps crowds will return and we may escape such indignities but I'm not confident.
 
Live in Buckingham, work most weekends, odd weekend off I want to do stuff with the wife and kids! Takes priority over football! Not an excuse, its life! Before 2015 hardly missed a game home or away!
Oh ok, sorry I thought you were local'ish.
Makes complete sense, if your user name was Buck-Gills I would of had a clue(y)
 
Oh ok, sorry I thought you were local'ish.
Makes complete sense, if your user name was Buck-Gills I would of had a clue(y)

Not been local thankfully since 2004, but still attending the games! All the best!
 
Perhaps I haven't made myself clear enough. The current football infrastructure is going to be way too big and expensive to maintain. Small clubs trying to maintain a full development structure and paying a complement of adult players will be impossible for many. If approached by bigger clubs looking to take on some of those costs and structures; could we resist.

Imagine if a PL club used all our facilities for their development squad and paid for it all then what would we be willing to surrender. Would we agree to play a number of them regularly? Would we surrender rights to youngsters brought in at 15/16 in exchange for the sponsor club underwritiung even more of our costs. I don't see any help from the PL as such but these sort of arrangements might be seen as mutually beneficial.

I am not advocating anything but just wondering about what might happen. Left to our own devices our future gets smalkler and more local. Would Priestfield be viable and what sort of standard of football would retain any interest. Perhaps crowds will return and we may escape such indignities but I'm not confident.

My dad always said to me, everything has a price. If it is a choice between continuing or dying all options would be considered.

There are too many clubs spending spending spending chasing unrealistic dreams.

Maybe this is the wake up call the football industry needs in this country.
 
What about the possibility of some clubs merging? Could that work? Clubs do merge from time to time to benefit both parties!
 
What about the possibility of some clubs merging? Could that work? Clubs do merge from time to time to benefit both parties!
Merged with a bigger club we would just be swallowed up and there would be no need for Priestfield or our players or management etc.Merge with a smaller club how is that going to help us?Unless you are talking Maidstone there is no local club that draws a crowd worth having.For a few clubs I can see that a route they could consider. For Gillingham there is no other club that we could merge with that would leave the resulting club better off and still in Medway towns.
 
What about the possibility of some clubs merging? Could that work? Clubs do merge from time to time to benefit both parties!

I’m struggling to think of any merged football clubs. Especially in England. Except non-league like Gravesend with Northfleet many moons ago.

Mergers in any code of football normally result in the death of one, and often the alienation of both sets of supporters.

And in UK, I can’t think of any clubs that would willingly merge with another nearby club. Most local clubs are sworn enemies.
 
I’m struggling to think of any merged football clubs. Especially in England. Except non-league like Gravesend with Northfleet many moons ago.

Mergers in any code of football normally result in the death of one, and often the alienation of both sets of supporters.

And in UK, I can’t think of any clubs that would willingly merge with another nearby club. Most local clubs are sworn enemies.
This is a list of merged clubs and they are either non-league, a very long time ago, or both.

 
This is a list of merged clubs and they are either non-league, a very long time ago, or both.

Thanks for sharing that information interesting.It does provide proof that football league mergers have been as good as non existent. But in non league it is still happening and that is where it could make sense for teams to join forces to cut costs.
 
Thanks for sharing that information interesting.It does provide proof that football league mergers have been as good as non existent. But in non league it is still happening and that is where it could make sense for teams to join forces to cut costs.
Don't tell Wayne but it was a wiki copy and paste. :grinning:

I find the Ipswich one strange, merging a football and rugby club, might explain their tactics though.
 
The mixed sports thing wasn't unique. Again from Wikipedia:

Associazione Calcio Milan was founded in 1899 by Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin (from Nottingham, England) as the Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club.[1][2] Although the club itself claims 16 December of that year as its foundation date, historical evidence show that the club was actually founded on 13 December 1899.[3] Edwards, a former British vice-consul in Milan and well-known personality of the Milanese high society, was the club's first elected president. Initially, the team included a cricket section, managed by Edward Berra, and a football section, managed by Kilpin.

I think the pressure to submerge our costs in a bigger club while putting a team out under our own colours may be unavoidable. I hope not but if things drift on too long it might be our only way to keep the flag flying.
 
I remember the Dagenham and Redbridge merger. Redbridge were a division higher than Dagenham (conference IIRC), yet Dagenham,s name is put 1st as I suppose they were to use and play in Dagenham.