By Peter Lodge
June 29 2002

A top football accountant says divsion two and three clubs could increase their annual income by £100,000 if the lower leagues are regionalised. A leading football accountant says Division Two and Three clubs could generate an extra £100,000 a year if the lower leagues are regionalised.
The current financial crisis in English football, which has been brought about by the collapse of the ITV Digital broadcasting deal, has forced clubs to examine all potential avenues for change.
Many Nationwide club chairmen have voiced opposition to the proposal of a North-South split in recent years, but with several sides in danger of going bust, it could be reintroduced. The system was last in use in the old Third Division from 1920 to 1958.
Accountant Gerry Boon, who has compiled the annual Deloitte and Touche report into English football, believes agreeing to the divide could be the key to survival for the Second and Third Divisions.
The report is based on finances at the end of the 2000-01 season before the loss of the television money, but many clubs were struggling to stay afloat even then.
Boon says the recommendation is based not only on the amount of money which would be saved on travelling costs but also on the increase in local derbies, which would boost gate receipts.