I presume that wouldn't be an option, I suspect the contract he signed in August contained permanent terms that would come into play in January.

According to the Telegraph we've got three 'heavyweights' coming up this week. Not the language I'd use to describe second tier fixtures at West Brom and Swansea but hey ho. Also seems we're coming up against 'promotion chasers' Leeds tomorrow, a side that sit a massive 5 points above us in the table.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/oct/18/blackpool-takeover-valeri-belokon-owen-oyston Good article on the state of play at Bloomfield Road.

Difference is Matty you know the truth or if not you spend time researching the facts. The buffoons in the Telegraph have only been on the scene for the last few years and probably don't spend much time researching the truth or go back into the history books. They're being naughty at the moment. In the absence of any discontent at results and performances they're stirring it up about numbers through the turnstiles. Meanwhile positivity galore in their Stanley columns. Don't recall much doom and gloom around Burnley's gates rarely breaking past 12,000 on their way to promotion or the rows of empty seats in the Premier League yet they're getting well stuck in to crowds at Rovers even though they have risen, albeit not as much as hoped.

The Premier League and Sky Sports control football via the money they exert. I've no doubt they would prefer it if the big city clubs occupied their 20 slots instead of the unfashionable small clubs like Huddersfield, Burnley, Watford etc. It's no surprise to see increasingly elaborate ways of weighting things in favour of the 'big' clubs in an increasingly desperate attempt to see them back in the top flight.

Anyone would think with the way they're going on it's the first time we've been lucky enough to play them or they've pummeled us on a regular basis. We've played them 10 times in the league since relegation and as far as i can recall only lost to them three times, all by narrow margins, and 2 of those were under the 'stewardship' of Coyle. Nor is them bringing 7000+ a new thing or a game-changer. It hasn't done them any favours in the past.

Is putting season tickets on sale in February or October rather than June or December going to reduce the number buying them? Almost certainly not. I can't think of one single reason why anyone would not get one with a wider window than we currently have. Is putting them on sale in June or December going to reduce the number buying them? possibly. Why? Well, in the summer months once the season has ended people go away and do other things. They get out of 'football mode' and find other things to occupy themselves, other things to spend their disposable cash on, holidays, don't have football on their mind. Contrast with Feb/March and if you're playing well, winning games and people are going down to Ewood enjoying themselves every fortnight the chances are one or two might push the boat out and get a season ticket whilst they're enjoying themselves. Yes a lot of those who turned up vs Oxford were morons and were out for a day on the drink and to act stupid and wouldn't have a season ticket if they were given away. I'm not suggesting that 15000 more people would have signed up just because they went to that one-off game. But a few might. If 20 of those 15000 extra fans went into the shop before/after that game, perhaps after a few pints, perhaps in the heat of the moment having just had a brilliant day out, and signed up for a ST then an early release was justified. But we'll never know. Those people went home, slept on it, sobered up, then we had a month with no games before finally releasing increased prices.

Sharpe is mistaken if he's saying clubs haven't been compensated for the red button. It may not come in the form of a specific payment but will come with the League's agreement through an increased payment to all clubs. As I said the other day - why on earth would any club consent to the red button introduction if they weren't to be well compensated for it?

Nobody in the Championship can spend £20 million on one player unless a) They sell someone for a huge amount to generate the funds or b) They are almost certain to get promoted and have one eye on next season knowing there is little to no chance they will be in the Championship. A very small number of clubs could afford £20 million and unfortunately for them FFP rules would make that virtually impossible to do.

The EFL continues to stick to the claim that the Checkatrade Trophy project has been a success. Everyone knows it has been a disaster for the competition and crowds yet they still claim it has worked. They're on a different wavelength. For them success is all about how much cash comes in from sponsors and media. Nothing else matters.

I care because it is another example of a club facing arguably bigger challenges than we are that has taken the decision and made the effort to get a head start on sales by putting them on sale in October rather than leaving it until December. They aren't the only ones. Norwich have announced their half season ticket prices this week. They've got the luxury of 20,000+ turning up every week yet still make the effort. I bet if you go through the leagues there are plenty of others who won't wait until December, just like there were lots and lots of clubs who got their full season tickets on sale in February or March rather than June. 'No point any sooner'. I'm sure that's the cavalier taking it for granted attitude that saw the 27,000 crowd v Oxford come and go without the opportunity to commit to a season ticket and why hardly any of those people could be persuaded to come back, and why a promotion season failed to see a significant rise in crowds. Clearly very well paid executives at rival clubs feel there is a point in making it sooner. If that decision results in a mere 10 people making a decision to buy a ticket then surely it is worth doing? Again it comes back to the basic theory - the wider your sales window the more time and opportunity people have to buy the product. The narrower the window the less chance people have to sign up and get the money together or be persuaded. What possible harm could it do to follow other clubs and get them on sale earlier?

I'm sure Sky need the consent of the EFL to alter the package they currently offer. I'm sure that the decision to allow the red button facility this season will have been debated between member clubs at the AGM and approved on the basis that the increase in tv money would easily offset any losses in ticket revenues. I'm also sure that the EFL clubs and board (who supposedly act on behalf of member clubs) could turn around to any broadcaster and make it clear under no circumstances can they broadcast live matches between 3pm and 5:15pm. Maybe I'm being naïve or missing the point here but I still don't get why this stunt from Eleven Sports and La Liga is such an issue. I've seen it reported in a few papers and understand there is a lot of concern about it but again if the EFL are determined to stop it happening I'm not sure what anyone can do about it. The problem develops when the EFL starts conceding ground and allowing things to happen, and once the door is slightly ajar it probably won't be closed again. La Liga is a different country and different rules. They seem to have no problem enforcing a UK blackout on satellite broadcasts, forcing pubs and customers to pay higher prices than people in Europe do for live football. So one rule for England and another for abroad isn't a problem. As far as I'm concerned they could broadcast Spanish/Italian football 24/7 on UK tv, I find it boring, so long as they don't extend that to English matches. Sky can surely only do what their agreement with the League allows them to do.

Yes I thought that but surely if League clubs were so concerned then they would be able to agree between themselves that no broadcaster can show live English games on a Saturday. If there's a problem with foreign games being shown live then don't allow any English games to be broadcast. Presumably we're getting into territory of it being discriminatory to pick between nationalities of the EU or something on those lines and they will claim that any live broadcasts have to be treated the same regardless of country.

I seem to recall something about clubs getting an increase in exchange for the red button service. If they don't then why on earth have they allowed it to come in?

Brentford have confirmed Thomas Franks as their new 'head coach'. Was their assistant, previously manager of Brondby.

Yeah, so it needs to be one or the other. If they're desperate to accept the money then they have to use a significant chunk of it to persuade people to go to games rather than watch on tv. Alternatively, which i would prefer, though I can see why others wouldn't, is to send the money back to Sky and return to how it was before this season.

a) Go back to how it was - stop red button streaming and Ifollow coverage, or strictly limit it to midweek fixtures and not weekends. b) Use the increased tv income to significantly reduce ticket prices and increase the incentive to attend games.

The average match ticket price for the Riverside for an adult (ignoring the ridiculous surcharge) across all the equally ridiculous pricing categories is £21. If this season continues as I expect it to then there will only be about 12 home Saturday 3pm games e.g. approx. half our home games will be on TV and will be held at times that are difficult to attend (Saturday mornings, Midweek, Saturday tea times). You could therefore buy individual match tickets for the 3pm Saturday games for a total of about £250, and stay at home and watch all the others on TV, whilst saving £100 on the price of a season ticket. I'd personally never do such a thing, but I fall into the bracket of devotion on a religious level, have the disposable income and live 15 minutes from the ground. I can easily see other people who live further away, or who don't have the same determination to attend games, starting to wonder about it.

I'm not sure about it only affecting clubs with 'limited fanbases'. I can see it affecting everyone in Leagues One and Two and at least half of the Championship. One or two might cart on for a few years getting 20,000+ gates on Saturdays. Only had to look at Derby's crowd when we played there the other week. Last few years it has been 27000+ even midweek, when we played it was a good 4000 down on the last few years. I'm sure that will at least partly be due to the game being on the red button.

I'd introduce a system where the clock stops when the ball goes out of play. So mucking around on throw ins, goal kicks, free kicks achieves nothing as the clock isn't running. Same whenever the game stops due to 'injury' or for the referee to have a word with someone. Perhaps pass responsibility for timekeeping to the 4th official or someone in the stands. Cut out any more of stuff like that disgraceful 40 odd minutes of play in Cardiff v Burnley.

I don't understand why this is such an issue. Are they worried that people are going to stay at home to watch La Liga games rather than go to English matches? Surely the impact of allowing foreign games to be broadcast between 3-5pm is going to be minimal. The only potential issue I can see here is that if Eleven Sports are allowed to broadcast Italian or Spanish games between 3pm and 5pm then Sky Sports might claim it is discrimination that they are not allowed to show English games, but surely the League, acting on behalf of it's member clubs, can uphold such a thing?

Yep, and if you notice the red button games are not advertised with the same gusto as the standard TV games are. e.g. when we were at Bristol City there was no mention of it being on TV until the Friday beforehand when it popped up on Sky's fixture list as being on the red button. Same when Bristol played Sheff Wed the other week. Our game v Leeds has at no stage been promoted as a live game, instead apparently only moved on 'safety' grounds, yet conveniently Sky are able to put their precious Leeds on once again and have started putting mentions up on their advertising channel (Sky Sports News). That's before getting on to the IFollow scandal affecting League One and Two clubs when the blackout doesn't apply and all games including Saturday 3pm ones can be viewed online for less than a match ticket. It's going to take a significant drop off for them to accept what they are doing is damaging but certainly in the lower leagues I would expect that to happen.

You've hit the nail on the head with this. I think the term is 'taking people for granted'. Clubs want to have their cake by way of a big fat cheque dropping through the letterbox from Sky Sports but also want to eat it by having full grounds and healthy crowds to 'enhance the product'. Taking people for granted by advertising season tickets and putting prices up without warning them that easily more than half of home games could be moved away from 3pm Saturday to midweek, Friday nights, Saturday lunch or tea time. Not really bothered once people are paid up because the rewards of Sky cash are far greater than a few disgruntled ST holders. Club isn't bothered whether they turn up or not as long as they renew next summer. Irony is that Sky's broadcasting of all midweek games and Friday night fixtures is having a massive impact on gates, that much is obvious from the footage whilst it might not be reflected in the official figures released, yet they presumably don't accept or appreciate that this in the long run is only going to damage their precious product and atmospheres in grounds and make it less appealing to the neutral.

Got to admit that thought did enter my head earlier today, didn't want to be accused of being a conspiracy theorist though!

Maybe not moved but still taking place at times when people might well embrace the opportunity to not bother going and stay at home and watch it on tv from the comfort of their armchair on the red button. Too many incentives to not bother going. Yes its a fact of life that there will be some midweek games and there always have been, but its also a fact that crowds drop noticeably for those games. Miserable weather, cold nights, kids going into school the next day, people rushing home from work or early starts, these sort of people may well come to the conclusion that it just isn't worth bothering with. I don't mind 2, 3 or 4 home midweek games out of 23 over a season provided the remainder are kept in the sacred 3pm Saturday slot, but when there are so many moved about we're approaching a stage where even as a mid-range Championship side a minority of our home fixtures are taking place at the traditional time of 3pm Saturday.