CanadaSaint

True, but I remember being sixth in the Prem and playing in the FA Cup Final not much more than five years ago. That's a massive fall in anyone's book.

How can the bid still be on the table if the "middle east bidders" (I assume you mean backers) withdrew? Don't tell me, MJ has found new backers. Again. Or should that be again, again, again?

One of the things that shocks me (although it's hard to tell accurately from this far away) is that the media seems so "ho hum" about it. We were a reasonably successful and well-supported Premiership club just five years ago, and now we're on the brink of extinction. Is the media so besotted with the rich and mighty that they can't see that our collapse could well be the forerunner for many more collapses? Can't they see that the game is starting to fall apart at the seams? This should be national news considering that it's our national sport but even the local media seems hard pressed to keep a decent handle on the storyline.

Come on, Ginge, where's the spirit? It's not like you'd have very big shoes to fill, is it? If you can drink a lot, dress poorly, speak unintelligibly and lose games on a consistent basis, you're well qualified.

I'm a positive kind of guy but I haven't seen even one good sign in the past ten days, just a continual worsening of the situation. The Swiss didn't make a move yesterday and Pinnacle have gone deathly quiet. Now we're selling players before a new owner arrives, which strongly suggests that there's nobody out there right now. I don't think the club will die, not with all the proven potential, but it seems clear to me that we're going to go right to the brink.

As long as we're meeting contractual obligations we'll have the right to set a reasonable price and get it - even while we're being operated by an administrator. The clubs who want those players will pay a reasonable price or lose them to another club willing to pay the price. We're not quite at the fire sale stage but obviously very close to it.

It's hard not to view the sale of players as being anything other than life support - buying some time in the hopes that one of the parties will complete. I don't think it would be happening unless Fry was fairly certain that the Pinnacle bid is dead as a doornail. They'll probably blame it on the negative reactions of fans and media because it won't be their fault of course. While the inflow of funds buys Fry some time, it sure as hell doesn't give us any chance of a decent start to the season. Sickening days indeed.

Any new doubts delivering untold negativity could arise now?

Did you miss out an "IMO" or do you know that to be the case? If you're right I'm sure GM will have no problem coming on here and confirming that the apology was sarcastic. And what about Duncan's removed e-mail or link? I've posed what I think is an important question for all of us who post on here - especially those who do so with little regard for potential consequences of their words.

It wouldn't surprise me if some shots have been fired across a few bows in relation to things posted on here. GM's apology might be sarcasm but I'm more inclined to think it results from outside forces - because his comments were way the hell over the top and because he's not the apologizing kind. TL's appearance on this thread yesterday was interesting, and there was a little warning in there (If you're going to make comments like this, do it to my face) that, I suspect, was aimed not just at GM. Duncan has disappeared since yesterday, and I understand that an e-mail or a link he provided was removed. Are these things coincidences?

But it seems clear to me that Pinnacle can no longer meet the terms on which they reached agreement with Fry and, by extension, the creditors. The creditors are therefore in no position to dictate the terms and point a gun at any potential acquirer because they essentially have no offers on the table. Until they realize that "50% of f*ck-all is still f*ck-all" they won't be getting any acceptable offers from Switzerland, the Middle East, Timbuctoo or any damn place. So we're heading for an agonizing week. I just hope that good people (MLT and Crouch) can salvage some semblance of self esteem from this, and that we still have a club at the end of it. I have my doubts.

So you weren't trying to make a legitimate point but exact some kind of childish personal retribution. No wonder you encounter problems on here. But, for what it's worth, I share your fears about where the club is heading.

I thought Derry was perfectly clear on why he stopped, and the reason he gave was one that deserves respect - not the kind of nasty junk contained/implied in your two posts. At least he had the courage and commitment to step forward in the first place.

I sure hope so, Nick.

I don't think there's such a thing as "worrying needlessly" when payroll is missed - especially when it raises the possibility of breach of contract and the loss of players to other clubs (who are probably circling like vultures). The phrase also doesn't apply to the everyday folks at the club who need to pay mortgages and put food on the table. I'm willing to be patient on this but missing payroll is a really, really bad sign. The mixed signals don't help one little bit.

According to Duncan (on the Fry speak up thread) that's a No (as of 9:30 pm).

"Keep up" suggests we have some momentum in a forward direction. Unless it also relates to the concept of ever-decreasing circles, in which case ...

This would be a crucial development. Please don't tell me that we're so un-connected that we can't even verify this.

I just have one simple question: If the players aren't paid by close of work tonight, are they free to leave for other clubs?

And just when we thought things couldn't get any worse ... behold, they did.

Fair comment. It's easy to fall for the uninformed and often wild speculation on here, and to end up accepting it as fact. Time will tell, but there's not much of it left.

When, exactly, are the wages due? Is it today or tomorrow?

I'm not sure that "within 7 days" cuts the mustard because I think all the players would have become free agents by then, and the decent ones would have exercised their right to walk away to other clubs.

Ken, where have you seen, read or heard that? What I've been reading is that the fear of further penalties is what's been holding this up.

The FL is very good at "not blinking" (that skill normally accompanies arrogance) but I'd be surprised if they didn't have legal advice telling them that they could be successfully sued if the Pinnacle bid fails. The plaintiffs (people who have lost out financially in this sh*t show) could go far beyond Pinnacle. So the FL does have to blink at some point. That compromise would be a good opportunity.