Book reviews

After years of belt-tightening regimes, Cardiff City have been on one long spree lately and Andrew Turton wonders what Sam Hammam's numbers will add up to in the end

Tony Clemo struggled for years to keep it under control. Rick Wright wouldn’t even consider it. Samesh Kumar made sure it never got out of hand and Steve Borley used his own money, rather than risk its effect on the club. Yes, we’re talking about debt; more specifically, Cardiff City’s debt. In years gone by, we used to worry if the club’s borrowings reached a few hundred thousand. Now, after a decade of chair- men keeping a tight grip on the purse strings, Sam Ham­mam’s policy regarding debt is quite the opposite.

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In the blue-and-white striped corner, Dave Allen; fresh out of the blue corner, Ken Bates. Graham Lightfoot reports on a ding-dong of a contest for ownership at Hillsborough

You can say what you like about Ken Bates, but he certainly draws the media in like wasps to a jam pot. His recent interest in buying into Sheffield Wednesday has meant that once again supporters can read about their club in the national press. For the past four years the club have slowly disappeared from main-stream media coverage. Languishing in mid-table in the Second Division there is no certainty that their matches will even get a few lines in the broadsheets’ divisional round-up column these days.

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At face value, it has possibly been Livingston's most successful season ever. The semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, winners of the League Cup and a decent-looking league finish are not enough to cheer up their fans, though, as they face administration, Neil White reports

His side had just reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and won the CIS League Cup, their first major trophy, yet the man I know only as “Deasel” sounded de­pressed. It was understandable. Deasel supports Livingston.

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As the final stage of the absurd reinvention of Wimbledon in Milton Keynes moves closer, Ian Pollock points the finger at those who failed to protect football in south-west London

It’s nearly two years since the Football Association’s infamous three-man commission approved the move of Wimbledon Football Club from south-west London to Milton Keynes. After staggering around like a zombie in a graveyard for most of that time, the club now appear to have overcome the main hurdles to establishing themselves in their new home and springing back to life. The acceptance by creditors on March 18 of a company voluntary arrangement means that WFC may finally come out of administration on April 6, subject to final approval by the Football League.

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They wanted to stop the club going under; so they try heading down under. Neil Forsyth reports on how the Tynecastle board, not content with just selling their ground, were thwarted

Fans of Heart of Midlothian have grown used to controversy this season, with an attempt by the board to sell their Tynecastle home and become match-day tenants at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rug­by. It is a suggestion prompted by the club’s ludicrous levels of debt, reported to have reached around £18 million, which would be perhaps halved by the sale of the ground.

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