Owls chairman says Palace should have been relegated
Last updated : 30 April 2010 By Daniel Elwes
Lee Strafford, whose side will drop to League One if they do not win but would survive - at Palace's expense - with three points, has suggested the visitors should already have been relegated as they went into administration during the season.
Passions were already likely to be high at Hillsborough on Sunday, as either Sheffield Wednesday or Crystal Palace will be relegated, and the visitors from London will be fired up by comments by the Owls chairman on Wednesday.
Lee Strafford, whose side will drop to League One if they do not win but would survive - at Palace's expense - with a win, has suggested the visitors should already have been relegated as they went into administration during the season.
Palace were docked 10 points as a result of their financial problems, immediately plunging them into a relegation battle. Stafford has said they should have been automatically demoted.
"I don't have sympathy for anyone at Palace other than the fans. There ] should be a bigger punishment and I think that should be relegation," he told the Yorkshire Post.
"If you mis-manage a football club to the extent where you end up in massive debt, administration should not be an escape route."
Wednesday are not without their own financial troubles, as they have debts of around £25million.
"We have suffered longer and harder than most clubs because we did not go down the administration route at a time when it may have been easier to do so," added Strafford.
Watford have also struggled financially this season, only avoiding administration themselves after a loan from major shareholder Lord Ashcroft.
He will underwrite a share issue of £7.5m which, combined with conversion of loans to former chairman Graham Simpson and director David Fransen as well as player sales should ensure they do not have further problems from their £8.63m debt.
"The club will seek to raise other funds as normal but this gives the club some breathing space and means no drastic decisions have to be made," said a spokesman for the HorneLee Strafford, whose side will drop to League One if they do not win but would survive - at Palace's expense - with a win, has suggested the visitors should already have been relegated as they went into administration during the season.
Palace were docked 10 points as a result of their financial problems, immediately plunging them into a relegation battle. Stafford has said they should have been automatically demoted.
"I don't have sympathy for anyone at Palace other than the fans. There ] should be a bigger punishment and I think that should be relegation," he told the Yorkshire Post.
"If you mis-manage a football club to the extent where you end up in massive debt, administration should not be an escape route."
Wednesday are not without their own financial troubles, as they have debts of around £25million.
"We have suffered longer and harder than most clubs because we did not go down the administration route at a time when it may have been easier to do so," added Strafford.
Watford have also struggled financially this season, only avoiding administration themselves after a loan from major shareholder Lord Ashcroft.
He will underwrite a share issue of £7.5m which, combined with conversion of loans to former chairman Graham Simpson and director David Fransen as well as player sales should ensure they do not have further problems from their £8.63m debt.
"The club will seek to raise other funds as normal but this gives the club some breathing space and means no drastic decisions have to be made," said a spokesman for the Hornets.
