More Bad news for Derby ..

[ZENITH R]

They have been given a transfer embargo, with the EFL raising doubts about their ability to pay their football related bills and complete the season. I suppose the big question is whether they will still be in business come 18 April when they are due at the KPFS.

Brizzle City are also in trouble, and facing a possible points deduction for appalling financial mis-management.

It's all getting very dark at the bottom end of the table - thank the stars that for the first time in ages we are well clear and looking up not down.

[222gers]

You have to say though, they're making quite a fist of making up the points deficit. Off the bottom now. It would be an amazing accomplishment if they were able to stay up.

[BristolCity]

For several years we had an utter berk of a CEO in Mark Ashton whose primary talent was convincing other people, the owner and board, how good he was. Most fans looked at his record and said wtf! but we don't appoint and retain the CEO.

He signed vast numbers of players, some good but mostly average, described as "[golf] clubs in the bag" on too high wages in the manner of Harry "oops, another club into administration" Redknapp who you know well.

Thankfully he has left to join (ruin) Ipswich but his legacy of overpaid players and poor financial results casts a long shadow.

We should be okay for the current year but next year it is looking very hard indeed to avoid breaching FFP.

Unlike Derby and Mel Morris we have a wealthy and supportive owner in local lad Steve Lansdown but however rich is the owner and however happy they are to cover losses it won't allow you to evade FFP.

If I was a betting man then I would be expecting a breach and a fine next year; though okay subsequent to that as a big chunk of Ashton's largesse will have been shown the door by that point.