The Survival Stakes!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 15/03/2003

RELEGATION is normally a costly exercise for those clubs who have to make the dreaded drop. But this season will prove to be even more financially painful.

Clubs in the first division are presently receiving financial support from the FA and premier league clubs, which was agreed to be in the form of grants of approximately £300,000 and an interest free loan of £500,000.

Clubs have already received the first payment and the second one is due in August.

But the first division clubs that are relegated will not receive the August payment of £320,000 but will instead receive some help from the clubs who are promoted to the premier league.

Those three promoted clubs will pay a total £100,000 to the three relegated clubs to ease the pain of relegation.

That means that the relegated clubs will only receive the hardship money set for second division clubs.

I addition to that, in Grimsby Town's case it has previously been stated that relegation will mean a £1m shortfall in income.

This is a very significant amount of money to lose and it could quite easily put the club in a financially downward spiral that could prove difficult to recover from.

So relegation is not the answer to Grimsby Town's woes, as some of the pundits are espousing. It could be a financial nightmare that could drive the club into an even lower division.

The results of the last 10 games therefore are not only vital to maintaining first division status; the financial future of the club in the long term could depend on them.

I am sure that Mr Groves would be aware of that situation and so too the players who are looking to renegotiate their contracts during the Summer. So one could expect to see a more concerted effort from the squad, which we saw an indication of at the Notts Forest game last Wednesday!

Here's hoping so!

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