Gartside Gone Mad

So Phil Gartside's masterplan to kill football in England has once again reared it's ugly head. This is the Bolton Wanderers chairman's plan to form a breakaway of The Premier League and Premier League 2.

At first glance you may think that all this is another renaming of the second tier, but Gartside's plan is to stop relegation from this Premier League 2 and promotion to it. Not to worry though fans of Leeds, Norwich, Southampton and Charlton because your teams would all be included in this breakaway due to high attendances.

Fair? I think not. This would mean that a handful of smaller current Championship clubs would have to make way, and NEVER return.

Blackpool currently have the second smallest avrage attendance in The Championship, after Scunthorpe. That's Blackpool who currently sit 5th under Ian Holloway who is doing a fine job there. If they were to remain there come the end of the season they would be three games from The Premier League. However, if Gartside's plan was to come into force tomorrow Blackpool would be kicked out of The Championship. Why should bums on seats make up for performances on the pitch?

As a Wolves fan myself, I am confident my team would secure a place in the top 40, a plan which also involves Celtic, Rangers and an Irish 'franchise'. The word franchise says everything that's wrong about this. This is not the point though. Promotion and relegation is what keeps football alive, what keeps fans hopeful and fearful in August.

Imagine being a Luton Town fan at the moment, those fans who stick by there club live in hope they will one day return to England's top tier, or at least the second! Those sides outside the chosen 40 might as well pack up and go, because what TV station is going to pay for the rights of meaningless divisions? Kids in the local area would surely go off to support one of The Premier League teams.

The one thing good that Phil Gartside has said is the even distribution of money throughout The Premier League because we don't want to see the 'big four' occupy those slots forever, which is quite likely at the moment. Fine. Sort that out, but leave it at that. If I was a supporter of Bolton Wanderers I would wonder why I didn't have a man who cares about football running my club because the day this plan comes into force would be a sad one for football.

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Posh doing it the right way

After Darren Ferguson left Peterborough United under a cloud this week, it's been nicely refreshing to see them fishing in the pond of the lower divisions to try and find their next manager.

It is often said how good young managers working low down are never given the chance to climb the ladder and after Mark Robins was recently given the Barnsley job after doing a great job at Rotherham, Peterborough are doing the same.

First it was Eddie Howe of Bournemouth who was approached, but Posh were declined by either Howe or his chairman depending on who you believe, probably the latter.

Next up on the hit list of Darragh Macanthony and Barry Fry were Andy Scott, who led Brentford to last years' League Two title and, perhaps most refreshing of all, Mark Cooper of Conference minnows Kettering.

While the smaller clubs may think they're being robbed of their messiah, it's fantastic that these young guys are getting the recognition they deserve.

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On the same line, I have to say what a brilliant press conference that was to watch involving Darragh Macanthony and Barry Fry.

In football, the media hacks usually try to get the gory details with no avail, but Fry told all about how Fergie Jnr 'already has another job' and had been 'tapped up'.

Macanthony was clearly annoyed, cutting across Fry several times clearly not wanting their dirty laundry to be aired in public.

Fry was clearly annoyed that the gem that they polished had apparently been enticed elsewhere. Watch this space...