Gills boss on salary caps
A salary cap proposal is expected to be put to clubs in the Football League to consider.
Gills boss Steve Evans says it will only work if the cap is determined by league stature rather than turnover.
That would help even up some of the differences that the Gills face at present, when trying to compete financially with the likes of Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town in League 1. Evans thinks it could help level the field, to some degree, but only if done in a certain way.
He said: “The only time it doesn’t level the playing field is if you compare 50% of Sunderland’s turnover to 50% of Gillingham. That means they can spend X amount. “The salary cap should be worked out by saying
‘your budget is a maximum amount of X, that’s it, and that has to be reflective of levels.
“Hypothetically the Championship maximum budget could be £15-20m and in League 1 maybe up to £7.5m.
“Teams like Sunderland and Portsmouth and Ipswich blow those figures away but my view is that it if there is a maximum you can spend on your wage bill is X amount. We will never be at the top end of it but at least we know what the maximums are.”
If a cap is against a percentage of income then it wouldn’t help the Gills that much.
Gillingham’s last financial statement showed a turnover of £7m. Compare that to clubs like Sunderland whose year ending July 2018 accounts show a turnover of £63.7m.
Other clubs are currently being supported by chairman with deep pockets, such as Darragh MacAnthony and his co-owners at Peterborough. Those clubs with big fanbases would benefit as their turnover would naturally be higher.
Evans said: “Portsmouth get crowds of nearly 20,000 at home, Sunderland way above that, Ipswich as well. 50% for them (of revenue) would make it a lot easier to sign the best players wouldn’t it?” Gillingham have managed to compete well this season despite playing with a budget much less than the top sides. They are in 11th place at present and were pushing for a play-off place when the season was suspended.
Evans said: “The chairman has to continue with his strategy which is that he pays what he can afford and I don’t want anything to be different. “We have proven what can be done by getting your recruitment right and working hard on the training ground.”
Gillingham boss Steve Evans is fully behind a proposal to extend the play-offs to include eight teams.
It is yet to be decided whether the season in League 1 is to be completed or stopped and if it’s halted now whether to include promotion, relegation and the play-offs.
Those talks are ongoing. The EFL had a board meeting on Wednesday and were expected to put proposals to clubs thereafter. League 2 clubs agreed to end their season last week, deciding places on points per game. If the same method is applied to League 1 then the Gills would jump up to 10th in the table, swapping places with Ipswich Town.
Peterborough United co-owner Darragh MacAnthony is heading a six-team consortium who want the season to be played out on the pitch. One of his ideas was to promote the top two and for places three to 10 to play-off. Evans said “I think it is an outstanding idea and it has gained a bit of momentum. “The first thing you have to do is make sure everyone has played level games. You can’t finish a league table and say that some teams have played a game more or two games less. “Points per game are going to settle League 2 so therefore it has to be uniform, it can’t be that it is a good rule for one and then it’s not a good rule for League 1. “If we do it on points per game
Kevin Watson has expressed his disappointment at Ebbsfleet United’s decision to let him go.
His contract is due to expire at the end of this month and Fleet are now looking in a different direction.
Watson (pictured) took charge of the club on a temporary basis following Garry Hill’s departure before assuming the role for the remainder of the campaign, on a deal until the end of the season.
A club statement said: “The club would like to place on record its thanks to Kevin and his staff for their efforts to stabilise the season, achieving 17 points from nine matches leading into the lockdown and eventual cancellation of the season.
“Kevin was appointed to the role under difficult circumstances and after a poor start to the season. The club would like to thank him for stepping in and stabilising results in the New Year prior to the premature end to the season the global coronavirus pandemic necessitated.
“The club wishes Kevin all the best in the future and are grateful for his efforts during his tenure here at Ebbsfleet United FC.”
Director of football Steve Lovell stays on to oversee recruitment and retention. The club say they will provide an update on “the future football performance structure” in due course.
Fleet are still waiting on news from the National League over whether they will be relegated. Watson, writing on Twitter, said: “Obviously extremely disappointed to have received this news but I enjoyed my time at the club and know I did my best along with my staff and players to get out of a difficult situation.
“We went a long way to getting there and would have had the season finished, I’m convinced. “Naturally I’m extremely disappointed with this news but that’s football I guess. “I would like to thank everyone, staff, players and supporters who have been superb since I joined. Good luck going forward.”
Fleet added to their earlier statement on Tuesday night, saying: “At the end of every contract there is a decision to be made on whether the best course of action is to enter into a new deal, or whether the club is better served taking another option.
“Opinion is wide and varied in football on any manner of subjects. In the same way managers such as Kevin and all other football managers must make hard and difficult decisions on whether to renew and retain players for the new season, so too must the club make hard and difficult decisions about the management team and staff. “During unprecedented tough times globally and certainly in football, the number one priority for the club is to use process and a thorough approach when making important appointments, to provide a platform and foundation for the future. “Without detracting from the contribution Kevin made having being given the opportunity in October 2019 to step into the role vacated by Garry Hill, the club has made a decision to go in another direction.
“An applied and measured process around the selection of the long-term members of the football performance staff at the club is best practice and the right process to follow.”