Macclesfield Town have been wound-up for owing around £500k. That’s about a week’s wage for a top Prem player. I know they’ve been badly run but it was always a friendly place to go with decent fans and even better pies.

owner to blame 100%, sad for the fans

Shame really as am sure the wealth of clubs in proximity to them (and bury) could’ve helped out at some point, but I suppose there’s so much controversy surrounded by it. It’s a shame, because as you say, some great memories there.

Just a shame it couldn’t have been Stevenage

Quoted from WOZOFGRIMSBY

Shame really as am sure the wealth of clubs in proximity to them (and bury) could’ve helped out at some point, but I suppose there’s so much controversy surrounded by it. It’s a shame, because as you say, some great memories there.

Just a shame it couldn’t have been Stevenage

Why do you think other clubs should have to pay for somebody else's mismanagement?

When you see how badly (financially) some clubs are run it makes you appreciate Mr Fenty a bit more for running a tight ship.

Quoted from pen penfras

Why do you think other clubs should have to pay for somebody else's mismanagement?

What I mean is the £Bn’s that is thrown about in the premiership, it’s bad seeing any club food. Especially when it’s down to poor management or whatever you want to call it at the top

Southend's next court date is 28th October.  They are nearly £500,000 in debt too.  Could be going the same way.

Quoted from promotion plaice

When you see how badly (financially) some clubs are run it makes you appreciate Mr Fenty a bit more for running a tight ship.

Other clubs' downfall shouldn't be used as a yardstick for our success, yes there are other clubs that have been run worse than us, but there also those that have been run better than us. Very sad that Macc have gone under but it should not been seen as a positive for GTFC.

The question you should be asking is have we grown as a club under John Fenty's leadership? (the answer is zero progression only regression)

Another way of putting your statement would be to say thank god I wasn't bathed by Ian Huntley while being baby sat by Michael Jackson.

Meanwhile Gareth Bale is on £600k a week and spends most weekends on the golf course.

Quoted from Withnail

Meanwhile Gareth Bale is on £600k a week and spends most weekends on the golf course.

Don’t blame him. I would if I could. But fishing not crappy golf

Quoted from Withnail

Meanwhile Gareth Bale is on £600k a week and spends most weekends on the golf course.

Hard to blame the player for how much he earns and how he spends his time given that the club agreed to pay him that wage and the manager won't pick him.

Quoted from Hagrid

owner to blame 100%, sad for the fans

Entirely agree. Didn't pay the players for some months. Sorry for the fans and the players.

Great real ale pubs down Sunderland Street in Macc pre and post match.

Always sad to see a club wound up. Pity it isn’t one of the PL, plenty there with dodgy owners but, hey, we’re the Prem and we look after our own.

If someone bailed them out  they would go bust again eventually as they don't have enough fans to be sustainable at this level without major input from benefactors.

I wonder how many managers were straight on the phone to the Macc players offering them a contract?

Im no expert. Were there any decent players who played for Macc?

Feel for the true fans and hard working staff fighting an uphill battle in keeping their club alive always been made to feel welcome in the local pubs and and in the Keith Alexander lounge, it was always a fixture I looked out for RIP MACCS Perhaps they may reform and climb back through the pyramid without the noose of debt around their shoulders  :o

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Always sad to see a club wound up. Pity it isn’t one of the PL, plenty there with dodgy owners but, hey, we’re the Prem and we look after our own.

Yes that'll be good with all the staff who wont be on inflated wages losing their positions too.

Quoted from promotion plaice

When you see how badly (financially) some clubs are run it makes you appreciate Mr Fenty a bit more for running a tight ship.

Aren't our debts bigger than what Macclesfield owe?

Quoted from arryarryarry

Aren't our debts bigger than what Macclesfield owe?

The way I see it is this; the club only owes money to one person.  That person owns the club, so we're debt free.  

That's also why we'll never have another leader, as nobody is willing to pay him all his investment back after nearly 2 decades of decline.

Quoted from arryarryarry

Aren't our debts bigger than what Macclesfield owe?

So is the UK’s debt. The important thing is whether the debt can be serviced.

Quoted from Heisenberg

The way I see it is this; the club only owes money to one person.  That person owns the club, so we're debt free.  

That's also why we'll never have another leader, as nobody is willing to pay him all his investment back after nearly 2 decades of decline.

I thought it was a repayable loan and if so is a debt?

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

I wonder how many managers were straight on the phone to the Macc players offering them a contract?

Im no expert. Were there any decent players who played for Macc?

I reckon actual value will be in the coaching staff

It's usually the taxman that files for bankruptcy. If you owe him money, he will come after you. After the collapse of ITV Digital, we couldn't pay our PAYE bill. We managed to secure a deal whereby we payed the bill over a number of years.Of course servicing this debt impacted on the playing budgit during this time, and we ended up in non-league.

You can have loans up to your eyeballs, no problem. But, if the creditors decide they want it all back, and you cannot pay it back, that is when you are in big trouble.

Simply because Macclesfield have done bust does not mean praise should be heaped on people like Fenty. They’re very different scenarios.

As with Bury, creditors, tax man among others wanted their money back. The owner at Macclesfield and Bury almost behaved like crooks. Both were ongoing, long term problems that were unlikely to have a positive outcome...which statistically is rare, normally in football someone does come in and make the purchase.

Equally, whilst nosy disagrees with the sums of cash and everyone recognises the disparity in wages and so forth, it isn’t for EFL clubs to look to the premier league every time, nor the fans to claim some moral high ground and demand that because Aguero earns 300k therefore they can afford to bail out clubs like Macclesfield. Long term that would likely see the definitive adoption of B teams and clubs, as well as young players being swallowed up and genuinely at the mercy of the top flight.

It’s a sad day, and whilst I would never wish it to happen to another club, I still wish Stevenage went down...

Quoted from aldi_01

Simply because Macclesfield have done bust does not mean praise should be heaped on people like Fenty. They’re very different scenarios.

As with Bury, creditors, tax man among others wanted their money back. The owner at Macclesfield and Bury almost behaved like crooks. Both were ongoing, long term problems that were unlikely to have a positive outcome...which statistically is rare, normally in football someone does come in and make the purchase.

Equally, whilst nosy disagrees with the sums of cash and everyone recognises the disparity in wages and so forth, it isn’t for EFL clubs to look to the premier league every time, nor the fans to claim some moral high ground and demand that because Aguero earns 300k therefore they can afford to bail out clubs like Macclesfield. Long term that would likely see the definitive adoption of B teams and clubs, as well as young players being swallowed up and genuinely at the mercy of the top flight.

It’s a sad day, and whilst I would never wish it to happen to another club, I still wish Stevenage went down...

I don't think it's a case of heaping praise on JF. It's more like it's a good job he hasn't behaved like some other owners/creditors who wanted their loans back to the detriment of the club. A previous grocery owning former chairman springs to mind!

Quoted from rancido

I don't think it's a case of heaping praise on JF. It's more like it's a good job he hasn't behaved like some other owners/creditors who wanted their loans back to the detriment of the club. A previous grocery owning former chairman springs to mind!

Dave Safeway or Tommy Tates

Quoted from mimma

It's usually the taxman that files for bankruptcy. If you owe him money, he will come after you. After the collapse of ITV Digital, we couldn't pay our PAYE bill. We managed to secure a deal whereby we payed the bill over a number of years.Of course servicing this debt impacted on the playing budgit during this time, and we ended up in non-league.

That’s not exactly true is it? The tax bill was covered by a £600k loan from Fenty’s Five Star Fish, which was transferred to him when he sold the company.

How that spiralled into a debt of £3.5m(?) is fairly well covered.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

So is the UK’s debt. The important thing is whether the debt can be serviced.

The UK debt could be reduced by much lower spending and higher taxes.

Who will service the clubs debt if JF at some point demands his money back.

Quoted from arryarryarry

The UK debt could be reduced by much lower spending and higher taxes.

Who will service the clubs debt if JF at some point demands his money back.

Demands it from who?  Himself?

He's been getting his money back anyway, slowly but surely, although admittedly this season will see the opposite happen as there will be no excess left over.

Fenty has three options; demand his money back (effectively winding the club up and losing his investment), stay for the long haul and chip away at the money he sees as debt to him, or sell.

Quoted from ska face

That’s not exactly true is it? The tax bill was covered by a £600k loan from Fenty’s Five Star Fish, which was transferred to him when he sold the company.

How that spiralled into a debt of £3.5m(?) is fairly well covered.

Don't know where you get your figures from. What I have stated was widely reported in the press at the time.
As far as I am aware the only loans are from Fenty himself and nothing to do with his companies.

Would imagine we may have been in even bigger trouble had we built the new ground but not able to use it how they intended to, i mean there would have been no conferences or footfall whatsoever but with another debt from a newly built ground to pay for.
At least with a clapped out Blundel park its mostly payed for albeit falling apart.

Quoted from Withnail

Meanwhile Gareth Bale is on £600k a week and spends most weekends on the golf course.

Looks like he's off to Spurs on loan if the reports are correct.

I feel for Macclesfield despite the way they have treated players and fans alike.

HMRC threaten to wind up 5 or 6 clubs a season but in 99% of cases the clubs get more time, proceedings are put on hold and someone comes up with the cash so HMRC rarely follow it through to the ultimate conclusion.

Bury and Macclesfield are small fry whilst 'bigger' clubs have managed to avoid winding up orders

Quoted from Ipswin

I feel for Macclesfield despite the way they have treated players and fans alike.

HMRC threaten to wind up 5 or 6 clubs a season but in 99% of cases the clubs get more time, proceedings are put on hold and someone comes up with the cash so HMRC rarely follow it through to the ultimate conclusion.

Bury and Macclesfield are small fry whilst 'bigger' clubs have managed to avoid winding up orders

Both of those clubs dodged the bullet several times before actually getting wound up. I think Macclesfield have had 6 extension and were asking for another. They both had lots of opportunity to sort out a new owner if that was really the intention.

Quoted from Ipswin

I feel for Macclesfield despite the way they have treated players and fans alike.

HMRC threaten to wind up 5 or 6 clubs a season but in 99% of cases the clubs get more time, proceedings are put on hold and someone comes up with the cash so HMRC rarely follow it through to the ultimate conclusion.

Bury and Macclesfield are small fry whilst 'bigger' clubs have managed to avoid winding up orders

Macc have had a number of extensions (I can't recall how many) and the owner was asking for another, it appears that HMRC ran out of patience with him. Everyone there has been let down by the owner.

I can afford the rent

Quoted from Ipswin

I feel for Macclesfield despite the way they have treated players and fans alike.

HMRC threaten to wind up 5 or 6 clubs a season but in 99% of cases the clubs get more time, proceedings are put on hold and someone comes up with the cash so HMRC rarely follow it through to the ultimate conclusion.

Bury and Macclesfield are small fry whilst 'bigger' clubs have managed to avoid winding up orders

There were two other major creditors both owed over £170,000 each,  one of them being the former manager John Askey.

If their debts were £500k and the ground is sold for £750k, where does the extra money go?

Quoted from pen penfras

If their debts were £500k and the ground is sold for £750k, where does the extra money go?

I would assume to the club, who obviously haven't got a ground. I seem to recall that before Rotherham moved to their new stadium they didn't own their own ground. They rented Millmoor from a previous owner/chairman and then when he wouldn't let them play there any more they rented The Don Valley Stadium for a while.

There will not be any money left over. Even if the ground sells for £750K which is doubtful, the receivers, sales agents,  solicitors etc. are like carrion and it is likely they will take any surplus proceeds and more and creditors will be left with some shortfall.

Sad that, to see the ground up for sale is a bit sobering.

Are they setting up a Phoenix club?

Quoted from pen penfras

If their debts were £500k and the ground is sold for £750k, where does the extra money go?

If there is any money left after all the costs etc then it would go to the people/person who own the ground.

Only leasehold so nobody in their right mind would buy it.

Quoted from arryarryarry

The UK debt could be reduced by much lower spending and higher taxes.

Who will service the clubs debt if JF at some point demands his money back.

We don’t need to do either. The national debt is affordable. It’s only economic ignoramuses who say otherwise.

Raising taxes and/or reducing spending will just reduce the size of the economy and make the debt harder to service. Introducing deflationary measures is the exact opposite of what we need to do right now.

As for who services Fenty’s debt, Heisenberg gave a good answer. In normal times (ie previous few seasons) the fans do.

Now expelled from the National League

Quoted from Perkins

Now expelled from the National League

And they were joint top too, if the National League is one short they can still have Stevenage if they want

Can see Grimsby following suit very soon by the looks of things

I really don't want to lose you but can't see how it'll improve for you

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Can see Grimsby following suit very soon by the looks of things

I really don't want to lose you but can't see how it'll improve for you

Nice try, but a sh1t wind up.

No wind up intended

Just doesn't look great does it?

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Can see Grimsby following suit very soon by the looks of things

I really don't want to lose you but can't see how it'll improve for you

School out early today, or have you skived off early?

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

No wind up intended

Just doesn't look great does it?

It doesn't look great for anyone in the lower divisions (especially for two clubs in Div 2 now there will be relegation)

We are in good shape tbh but I agree, lots in deep trouble.
How long do you think can keep operating in this current climate?

Lots of rumours flying around over this way, some true and some not I guess

Good luck with it all

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

We are in good shape tbh

Yeah right. Course you are. Well done.

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

We are in good shape tbh but I agree, lots in deep trouble.
How long do you think can keep operating in this current climate?

Lots of rumours flying around over this way, some true and some not I guess

Good luck with it all

How are you in good shape?
Your club is Millions in debt and in league 2!

There's a good feeling back at our club.
Cox knows what he wants and starting to look dangerous in open play.
Play offs should be our goal at the very least.

We will be the biggest club in Lincs again by end of the season all being well

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

There's a good feeling back at our club.
Cox knows what he wants and starting to look dangerous in open play.
Play offs should be our goal at the very least.

We will be the biggest club in Lincs again by end of the season all being well

F@ck me, you've one league game now you're Real Madrid...have a reality check, your crowds, when you had them, are P!ss poor at best, I'm not having a personal dig but please, take your rise tinted glasses off. And you'll never be the biggest club in Lincolnshire, that again isn't a slight, it's just pure fact..GTFC won't be the biggest, trying to catch Lincoln now is being both of our clubs, they've accelerated away, increased their support base, investment and backing, way beyond yourselves and us..

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

We will be the biggest club in Lincs again by end of the season all being well

You never have been, and never will be. Run along now troll.

There's a good feeling back at our club.
Cox knows what he wants and starting to look dangerous in open play.
Play offs should be our goal at the very least.

We will be the biggest club in Lincs again by end of the season all being well

Northbank Mariner

How on earth can you say we aren't the biggest???

We have been in league one for a good few seasons while Lincoln and yourselves were in the national league

Our crowds have been pretty good over the years and anything between 4000 - 6000k. You're only getting 3-4K and although Lincoln have been getting 9 -10k but that doesn't count as they are plastic supporters so means little

Bear in mind Grimsby and Lincoln is twice the size of Scunthorpe

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Northbank Mariner

How on earth can you say we aren't the biggest???

We have been in league one for a good few seasons while Lincoln and yourselves were in the national league

Our crowds have been pretty good over the years and anything between 4000 - 6000k. You're only getting 3-4K and although Lincoln have been getting 9 -10k but that doesn't count as they are plastic supporters so means little

Bear in mind Grimsby and Lincoln is twice the size of Scunthorpe

Because you're not!!...look at the history books, look at how many years we have spent in the top flight or just below..4000-6000, who you kidding!!..Christ at one point in the championship you were averaging 2800, obviously your blinkers are on and only see history as the last 6 years!

Hold on, wasn't you getting gates of 2500 last season too??

Even in your hey day you never got big gates

Unfortunate anagram for a Scunny fan:-

  Lincs Iron Man...............Colin Rims Nan

Sorry, been a slow day.

6 Mill. In debt Iron man for a league 2 club is fecking huge I'd be very concerned if I was an iron fan.  Thank god I'm not.

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Hold on, wasn't you getting gates of 2500 last season too??

Even in your hey day you never got big gates

Nope....closer to an average of 3500-3750...and our away support made you look tinpot!!

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Nope....closer to an average of 3500-3750...and our away support made you look tinpot!!

Google is a wonderful thing.  Average home league crowds last season:

Scunny - 3,546
The Mighty Mariners - 4,599.

Apparently.

Quoted from Heisenberg

Google is a wonderful thing.  Average home league crowds last season:

Scunny - 3,546
The Mighty Mariners - 4,599.

Apparently.

You're my hero...👍🤣

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

You're my hero...👍🤣

I’ll admit though, Northbank, we need points this season. In fact, GAMES would be a start!

Quoted from Heisenberg

I’ll admit though, Northbank, we need points this season. In fact, GAMES would be a start!

It was also going to be a season transition but I'm with you, we need goals, I believe we've got the players to make them although without Hanson we are a bit toothless from what I've witnessed so far. As for the original post, maccs ground was bloody awful, you could see the years of decline of the club, all the same though, feel for their fans, they never asked for this to happen to their club. What's worse is some bloke called Sealey wanted to buy the club, local lad done well apparently but the owner, who's frigged it up, wouldn't deal with him..

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Northbank Mariner

How on earth can you say we aren't the biggest???

We have been in league one for a good few seasons while Lincoln and yourselves were in the national league

Our crowds have been pretty good over the years and anything between 4000 - 6000k. You're only getting 3-4K and although Lincoln have been getting 9 -10k but that doesn't count as they are plastic supporters so means little

Bear in mind Grimsby and Lincoln is twice the size of Scunthorpe

You don’t even know the size of your own town. No way are the populations of GY and Lincoln twice Scunthorpe’s.

WILL PEOPLE STOP FEEDING TROLLS FFS!!!!

Grimsby estimated population 2018 88,565
Scunthorpe estimated population 2018 83,072

both taken from citypopulation.de

Hardly twice the size is it?

(btw Lincolns on the site is estimated at 106,47)

Quoted from Lincs Iron man

Northbank Mariner

How on earth can you say we aren't the biggest???

We have been in league one for a good few seasons while Lincoln and yourselves were in the national league

Our crowds have been pretty good over the years and anything between 4000 - 6000k. You're only getting 3-4K and although Lincoln have been getting 9 -10k but that doesn't count as they are plastic supporters so means little

Last season you had one game over 6000, and that was against us, every other game was 3-4k. In fact thats been the pattern for the last few seasons, mostly 3-4k with the occasional local derby bumping up to 6k. Your average for last season was 3546, ours was 4599.

Quoted Text

Bear in mind Grimsby and Lincoln is twice the size of Scunthorpe

Grimsbys population is only a few thousand more, although to be fair Cleethorpes adds another 40k, but thats still not double.

Quoted from scrumble

Last season you had one game over 6000, and that was against us, every other game was 3-4k. In fact thats been the pattern for the last few seasons, mostly 3-4k with the occasional local derby bumping up to 6k. Your average for last season was 3546, ours was 4599.



Grimsbys population is only a few thousand more, although to be fair Cleethorpes adds another 40k, but thats still not double.

I think you could consider NE Lincs v North Lincs regarding populations, and from memory these are extremely similar.  NE Lincs is Grimsby + Cleethorpes + Immingham + Villages, North Lincs is Scunny + Brigg + More Villages (because they've not got the sea next to them!).  Either way, we've always had bigger crowds apart from Scunny's flirt with The Championship when we were way off the pace.  One thing you can't just do, though, is dismiss Lincoln; they were always quite poorly supported, but they've achieved a quite remarkable renaissance in the last 3-4 years - one that we (GTFC) have never had in my own lifetime.

and they've just had a bid of 100€ million rejected for a Dortmund player up the road

Shocking state football is in at the moment

Quoted from mimma

It's usually the taxman that files for bankruptcy. If you owe him money, he will come after you. After the collapse of ITV Digital, we couldn't pay our PAYE bill. We managed to secure a deal whereby we payed the bill over a number of years.Of course servicing this debt impacted on the playing budgit during this time, and we ended up in non-league.

You can have loans up to your eyeballs, no problem. But, if the creditors decide they want it all back, and you cannot pay it back, that is when you are in big trouble.

The problem with the non payment of PAYE was that the club had already spent the ITV Digital money that then, never was received. In addition, parachute payments from EPL to affected EFL clubs was not received because [Portsmouth] refused to pay it. It was I recall, £300k and would have kept HMRC from the door.

Two lesson learned; Don't spend money before you get it, no matter how certain it is and don't trust other (bigger) clubs to bail you out.

Macc's Moss Rose ground up for sale - offers over £500k which equates to the debt.
However only 30 odd years left on the lease so the buyer would presumably then have to try & buy the freehold before they could do anything with it.  

Quoted from Heswall Mariner

Macc's Moss Rose ground up for sale - offers over £500k which equates to the debt.
However only 30 odd years left on the lease so the buyer would presumably then have to try & buy the freehold before they could do anything with it.  

I was reading this on right move and it appears that the purchaser is expected to take over the phone lines and website. It reads as though it’s the club for sale not the ground.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-97500557.html#_full-description

Although now says no longer on the market

In football, as in life, it is wise to regard all potential debts as actual debts that need to be paid.

Unconfirmed income, and promises of money in the future, should only be seen as “money in the bank or your back pocket” when you physically have it.

i see they have announced a phoenix club type comeback , Robbie Savage involved and Danny Whitaker taking the managerial role,  North West Counties League.
Good luck to the supporters.