A Quick Guide to England's Financially Stricken Clubs

As the 2009/10 term draws to a close, we can look back on a season that has been riddled with financial difficulties at all levels of English football. Here is a quick guide to how financial struggles have left the most pertinent clubs and how it all might have been so different:

Premiership

Portsmouth

Probably the most recognisable current case of club mismanagement that saw Pompey have a bittersweet season. Deducted 9 points for entering administration and facing relegation from England's top division as a consequence, the Avram Grant led side miraculously reached a second FA Cup final in 3 years. They now await a decision on whether they are to be granted a European Football License from governing body FIFA (which seems improbable) which would allow them to see Europa League football at Fratton Park whilst mounting a charge for promotion from the Championship next season.

Championship

Crystal Palace

The Londoners sit 2 points above the drop in the Championship having had 10 points deducted for their financial faults. Before entering administration the then Neil Warnock managed team were challenging for a playoff spot. Since, their experienced manager defected to cash-rich London rivals Queen's Park Rangers, with Paul Hart now taking the reins.

League One

Southampton

Like their fellow Southern rivals Portsmouth, the former Premiership

stalwarts have had increasingly worsening finances since their relegation from the top-flight in 2006, after 27 years in England's premier competition. They now lie in 8th place in England's third tier having had 10 points deducted for entering administration before this season began. Without the point penalty they would be at 6th in the league, pushing for automatic promotion with a playoff place guaranteed.

League Two

The only professional English division not to have a club enter administration this season, but has still seen one of the most controversial financial stories of the year. Notts County sit top of the league with 2 games to play thanks to their early season policy of attracting otherwise unfeasible targets with imagined riches and ungrounded promises (Just ask Sol Campbell). They will most probably pay the price perhaps by entering administration next season whilst in League One, having robbed a worthy club the chance of promotion this term. Without County's financial aberration you could move everyone around them one place up and offer Rotherham a duly earned promotion after their own financial turmoil that saw them deducted 17 points last year.

Blue Square Premier

Chester City

Thee Cheshire club have paid the ultimate price for their financial problems, having been expelled from the league for failing to attend fixtures and ultimately liquidating as a result. Chester now look to create a new football team for the city under the guidance of a group of dedicated supporters; City Fans United. Chester's affect on the league is that all results involving them have now been expunged, despite some protestation from aggrieved clubs who beat Chester, and one less club will be relegated.

Blue Square North/South

Farsley Celtic

 

Like Chester, the Yorkshire club are now defunct as a result of financial inadequacies with all their results in the league expunged. Farsley, who once boasted Micah Richards as a youth player on the books, dissolved in March this year owing £750,000 in unpaid taxes. Like the BSP one less club will be relegated from BSN as a result of Farsley's expulsion. The Southern section, however, remains conspicuous in its relative financial security with no clubs facing point deductions.