THE CREAM WILL RISE TO THE TOP
Crisis could create divide
MARGATE boss Jay Saunders expects the financial inequality caused by COVID-19 to create runaway league champions in 2020-21.
While most clubs will have to be more frugal when football resumes, Saunders can see the wealthy few disappearing into the distance.
He’s predicting a busier transfer market than ever when the dust settles.
Saunders said: “A lot of clubs will struggle but others will have money men behind them, a bottomless pit and they’ll have the pick of the players.
“There will be a lot of player movement and I think it’ll affect what players earn next year. There won’t be as many clubs paying good money.
“In most leagues there will be runaway clubs. I can’t see it any other way.
“Nine times out of
10, players will go for that little bit of extra money but a lot of teams are going to be in the same boat.
“That makes it a more even playing field for attracting players because if people are paying more even money, you’ll be able to compete for players who you couldn’t in previous years.”
Margate were 12th in the Isthmian Premier when the coronavirus stopped play.
Saunders said: “I know a lot of clubs are saying it should go on points-pergame but I think it was the right decision to void the league.
“I’ll probably get some stick for that but as much as it’s tough on clubs going up, if you go PPG, you’ve got teams not even in the relegation zone dropping into it and things like that. It opens too many cans of worms.
“It’s a difficult situation. You’ve got players who want to know what’s happening next year, and I get that, but the club has to make sure it survives.
“I’ve been speaking to board members at Margate and it’s the uncertainty. It’s the sponsors we’ve got that bring in money but are they going to be able to afford to do that next season if their businesses are shut?
“There are so many things to look at and I don’t think there will be as much money in football.
Prerogative
“In the last few years there have been lots of clubs throwing big money about and I don’t see there being as many of those about.”
Saunders, who led Maidstone to three promotions between 2012 and 2016, is itching for another crack at the National League.
“I want to kick on,” he said. “Once you’ve managed at the peak of Non-League football, you want to get back to that level and it’s somewhere I want to be.
“If I can take Margate through the leagues, like we did at Maidstone, great, but the leagues are becoming harder each year.
“Steve McKimm (the Tonbridge manager and a former team-mate of Saunders) has been sending me videos of games when I was playing at that level. Looking at the stadiums, that’s where everyone wants to be – and that’s the target.
“For Margate next year, we’ll be aiming to get in the play-offs.
“Having this time off does give you time to reflect and try to plan for next year but no-one can plan for definite.
“A couple of my players have rung me and said clubs have offered them deals – but I just don’t get how clubs can be in a position to do that with the current situation.
“That’s their prerogative but we’ll do things the right way.”