I'd point them to all the clubs who successfully flaunted FFP whilst we got punished for it.

If they weren't even willing to soften that farcical 3 match ban given to Buckley, I struggle to see how they approve these deals for which paperwork wasn't submitted in time. They adhere to the absolute letter of the law, common sense be damned.

I feel for those fans who were 2 during the Mark Hughes era...

We're two days in. But the sounds do suggest it isn't happening.

Rovers: Hilton, Saadi (Montgomery, 83), Phillips, Gamble, Edun (Gilsenan, 70), O'Grady-Macken, Garrett, Thomas (Burns, 70), Szmodics (Fyles, 46), Gent (Pratt, 83), Leonard Unused Subs: Eastham

It wasn't a freebie or additional two weeks. It was two weeks like any other two weeks. You keep raising this World Cup thing and acting like it made any difference whatsoever to our recruitment prospects. It didn't and you've been unable to remotely prove it did. And we both agree we should be more on the ball with doing our business and move faster. So on the first point, I can't be bothered with your pointless intransigence anymore, and on the second we agree, so we'll just end this discussion here.

Well presumably we will still look to sign him, but for free, in the summer when his contract expires. Since he was only a prospect who was hardly likely to have an immediate impact, that one might actually work out better if it happens that way.

Sorry I'm just gonna be blunt- I'm not missing the point, you don't have one that stands up. We can do early business whether there is or isn't a world cup break. We just don't.

Must be the second one (Edun), as the LT feed says the first goal was from a Gent cross. Goals just 2 minutes apart.

Wrong thread mate. Easily done!

Recruitment's position was only changed in the sense of not being able to scout domestic games live for most of December. If our first team coaches and manager need a break in games to realise what the glaring inefficiencies are in the team, they're not fit for purpose. Also, we were still training I think (might be wrong on that) in which case staff probably took a break at the weekends anyway. It shouldn't take a lot of meeting time for the manager to convey to recruitment where his priorities lie and what type of player he wants. And recruitment/GB can put out feelers whether we are playing or not.

Although I certainly do expect the failure will be at our club's side - because ya know, experience - it's not impossible the EFL have ballsed something up a bit. If there are other clubs in a backlog of any significant size, that possibility increases, that's why I'm interested. There's submitting it late, and then there's nearly an entire day passing with no news at all. Something seems off if a few clubs are all in that boat. We'd usually have been told yay or nay by now.

What are these other deals still waiting for ratification? Someone said Bradford are waiting, who else? (Apart from Forest and Rochdale of course...)

Well no that was kind of my point. We don't need a domestic break to scout players. What do you mean without matches to concentrate on? The recruitment team don't concentrate on our matches. I'm not having a go I'm just confused as to what point you're making. I don't know if you read my post thoroughly?

Didn't realise, just heard about the away match. Doing well then, we will see if he gets his debut this season now Hirst is gone and we've signed no bugger.

Harry Leonard very nearly made the matchday squad against Brum. Was the 19th man and travelled down.

It is. If you're an inattentive, incompetent fuckwit.

The World Cup doesn't really affect it tbf. Business couldn't be done during it, and a break in domestic matches doesn't make things any easier for the recruitment team. Arguably the opposite as there are no games here to actively scout (there would still be archives of course so it won't have mattered too much). Still a proper shambles this though. But in the interests of fairness, worth pointing out we don't know yet if it's our side or theirs that have fucked it...but with our history and the fact it's two of our deals it's happening to, well...

Lol we went to uni together. He's a good egg, definitely loves the club, but of course is just frustrated with the muppets running it. The contrast between name and statement is funny though.

Wasn't just a view, it was mandatory just like this one will be if we went up. Or would have been. So yeh, we have agreed this sort of deal with them before, assuming it's still the same owners/board members on their side.

I feel like surely this is the only reason the Rochdale kid hasn't been announced yet? Not wanting to announce just that and Markanday out on loan as our deadline day business, hoping to be able to announce the two together. Otherwise, whilst I understand the O'Brien one is probably about the mandatory fee and future contract, I can't figure out why the kid hasn't been confirmed if it's not that. Or maybe it was a last minute desperation move when the striker pursuit failed. Either way, if we really do botch both signings it would be a damning indictment.

I'd do it for as little as 50k in the first year tbh if pushed, rising signficantly if they're happy with me (well, I would if we had owners capable of assessing that...). It's a lot more than I'm bringing in now...

I'm supremely confident, in all seriousness, that I and numerous other posters on this board could do a better job as CEO than Waggott. At least in terms of strategic decisions etc (obviously we'd need a bit of catching up on how specifics at the club work, SOPs if they even have any, compliance requirements and so on). Although not sure I'd last long before being fired for giving the V's to the V's!

I did mention it a few hours ago, nobody seemed to take me on. But there's a lot of posts in here lol, we can't read them all. Not whilst staying sane. But yeh I also think this could be the holdup. The club to club paperwork should have been in well before the deadline given when we heard the medical was, but the player's contract (presumably sent seperately) may have been finalised later as Rovers and the player's camp played brinkmanship with each other knowing the looming deadline would eventually force one side to blink. Just speculation until the club actually bothers to tell us something of course.

(From Sharpe on the LT feed) Here's some previous when it comes to this kind of thing. https://www.efl.com/contentassets/c9fc5dceaa7f4b62b81dca0b9e2f7c9d/201028-nottingham-forest-football-club-v-the-english-football-league.pdf (Back to me) Obviously I haven't read all this, but I've skimmed enough of it to get the gist. Forest had a dispute over a transfer with WBA, over Grosicky. The online paperwork was submitted a matter of seconds after the 5pm deadline. No more than 15 seconds it seems. The league chose to block it (they have discretion to allow it if they want, but in 'exceptional circumstances'). Forest challenged this, I think legally, and lost. Could be something like this going on here? In which case we shouldn't bother, as there's precedent against us. It's a fucking pathetic ruling though if you ask me, being pedantic over a matter of seconds and holding back careers. Yes clubs have all month to get deals done, but we all know sometimes progress is impossible until the last day.