Conference trucks::football;1

    
    Shame about Maidstone, but the fact is that they made the decision to
    sell their ground in Maidstone and play elsewhere in Kent, clubs that
    do this are never going to be able to generate much of a following and
    therefore much income.
    
    As for Barnet, any club run by one of the biggest ticket-touts in the
    country, Stan Flashman, is IMHO, already tarnished, why should other
    clubs put money straight into his pocket.
    
    Incidently, Everton announced they are �3.6 million in dept - any
    donations should be sent to Goodison Park, Liverpool L4.... :-)
    
    Paul

During the off season when Maidstone were reported to be in trouble, there were
rumours that Wycombe Wanderers, who came second in the Vauxhall Conf, would get
promoted to replace them.
Seeing as how it is so near the beginning of the season, is there any chance that
they will be promoted now?

    If Barnet are supposedly under the financial cosh, then where's all
    the money gone from the record breaking non-League transfers? It 
    was'nt too long ago that the club was touted as being one of the
    few solvent outfits in the 4th and Non Leagues. 
    
    barry.
    
    

    re .2
    
    Maidstone will not be replaced in the league according to Radio 5
    reports.
    
    Jim.

	re .0

>    Yesterday Maidstone United became the second Football League club to go
>    under and resign from the league. Their debts are reported to be a mere 

	Where do you get "second" from?

	Maidstone United
	Aldershot
	Newport County
	Accrington Stanley
	.
	.

	Tony

    
    In fact, Maidstone are the 13th club to leave the league (either
    through failing re-election, relegation or bankruptcy) since the war.
    
    Tim

    I forgot to say recently, ie the last six months.
    
    I was trying to explain the fact that in this financial football
    climate, with clubs having money to burn (�3 for Geoff Thomas) that
    this sort of thing shouldn't be happening. 
    
    I apologise if I've offended all you Newport County etc fans by
    omitting them.
    
    Jim.

    
    3 quid for Geoff Thomas. That's a bit of an overstatement !
    
    Stephen C.
    

    Well I did say money to burn :-)
    
    Jim.

    
    
    Although it's sad clubs like Maidstone, Aldershot go under
    I don't think it's to bad a thing cos there are plenty of well run,
    well supported Non league clubs ( Wycombe Yeovil Woking etc ) itching
    to take their places. It's even sadder IMO to let badly supported 
    teams linger around.
    
    Just my opinion of course.
    
    
    CHris 

    The new Aldershot started its campaign in the Diadora League Div 3 I
    think this weekend and won. Maybe there is life after the football
    league. This club has been born out of the old one and was started by
    the fans. The club badge is a pheonix rising from the ashes.
    
    According to club chairman, the new 'shots plan to be back in the
    league within 10 years.
    
    Jim.

    re: .10
    
    Does this mean we can get rid of Wimbledon and Luton?
    (he says hopefully)
    
    Ian

So Maidstone are gone from the league, a mere 650K in debt. Ok - its a pity if 
you live in Maidstone (or wherever in Kent), but why should you ask the likes 
of Liverpool, Arsenal, etc ('big' clubs) to fork out to save them. 

What did Maidstone, Barnet, Halifax etc. ever do for Liverpool and the others? 
Nothing but hold them back. 92(ish?) professional clubs answering to each other 
is not viable, so just let the few well run well supported clubs have their cake
and eat it - bring top class facilities and football to the fans and get a proper
league running.

Can you blame Arsenal for forking out millions of quid to have a modern stadium 
rather than wanting to help out the Maidstones of the football world. If 
Maidstone F.C. isn't viable then get rid of 'em. Maybe soon you might see some 
world-class players playing somewhere in England, not Italy. The mediocrity of 
current English players being well demonstrated in Sweden earlier on this year. 
If you actually have some talent playing in the top league in England, then maybe
skill and ability could have a more important place in the game than the hard men 
with little skill but plenty of destructive power who enable the likes of 
Wimbledon to remain in the top division year in year out.

So let Maidstone go, - who needs them?

 - Kevin

    >What did Maidstone, Barnet, Halifax etc. ever do for Liverpool...
    
    Get a life you muppet. Where the hell do you think players come from?
    They don't just turn up on Liverpools doorstep, ask for a game and
    become international players. Most players come up through lower
    league football. It is a learning process (something I suggest you do
    when researching your facts).
    
    eg Ray Clemence - Scunthorpe
       Kevin Keegan - Scunthorpe
       Ian Rush     - Crewe
       David Platt  _ Crewe
    
    These are just 4 examples of top flight players, past and present who
    have come from what you would probably call crappy no-hopers. Platt is
    apparently worth 6 million. What price these lower division clubs now,
    eh?
    
    Jim.

RE: .14


I was tempted to put in a similar reply to yours myself.
However, If the players are/were good enough then they'd only have shone some place
else.
I don't like the way the smaller clubs get a bad deal myself but with such low
attendance figures & the like how the hell can you expect a club to survive!
This country must have so many clubs with too few supporters than any other I'd have
thought!!!

What I don't like is the impression the bigger clubs give: ie - they don't give a S**t!

Si
 

    
    	slight correction - I think Ian Rush started at Chester.

    
    
    	I could be wrong but..I'm I right in thinking that Maidstone 
    	never actually played a league game in Maidstone itself ?
        (they played at Dartford for a while i think) 
    
    	Perhaps this gives a clue to their none support and demise ?
    
    
    	Chris
    
    

           > .I'm I right in thinking that Maidstone
           > never actually played a league game in Maidstone itself ?
    
    No you are not. The Ground was in the Borough of Maidstone, and I seem
    to recall that it had been bequested for the purpose of playing
    football. A lot of money was made out of selling the ground for
    a supermarket, but the club didn't get it. There is a sordid story in
    there, but I don't know if a book about it was ever published. 
    
    ..Kevin.. (new in here, born in Maidstone)

    
    re. last
    
    A new record for the longest time ever taken to reply to the previous
    note!
    
    
    Jeff
    
    

Nah. Someone just responded in the New_Hampshire notesfile to 
a note over 9 years old! 

Try that in an internet newsgroup <g>.