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Notts County’s owner Munto Finance has put the club up for sale, reports BBC Radio Nottingham.
It is understood that Munto is already in contact with interested parties.
One option is thought to be a buyout involving ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, the director of football, and executive chairman Peter Trembling.
Munto only bought the club in July and revealed ambitious plans to transform the League Two strugglers into a Championship side within five years.
BBC Sport’s Pat Murphy explained how the next week is likely to determine whether Eriksson would remain at the club.
“Eriksson, who wants to stay, and Peter Trembling are using their worldwide contacts to attract investors now that Munto Finance have lost interest,” he said
“Eriksson would put money into the proposed takeover if it got County over the line. It would cost between £2m-3m to seal it and with gates up 250% this season and a wage bill that isn’t out of control, insiders at the club are optimistic.
“But if Eriksson and Trembling can’t pull it off, their positions at Meadow Lane would surely become untenable.”
Munto promised to invest millions of pounds when the consortium took over the club and a host of new players arrived before the close of the transfer window in August.
Former England international Sol Campbell was a high-profile early capture, but left the club after just one appearance.
Manager Ian McParland also left Meadow Lane two months later despite the fact the club were in the League Two play-off spots, to be replaced by Hans Backe, Eriksson’s former assistant with Manchester City and the Mexico national team.
Since then, Notts have stayed in the running for promotion and are just two points off the top three.
But the club have constantly been in the headlines since the summer and the Munto buyout was only ratified by the Football League in October.
County also had to deal with a winding-up petition issued by the High Court in November in relation to a six-figure debt accrued before Munto took over. (BBC Sport)

There is a certain amount of predictability about this one but hopefully the League Two club has enough about them to be a viable club to invest in otherwise the bubble could burst and they could find themselves back at square one hoping to not go bust.

Having brought in a dozen players in the summer at great expense the club is counting on achieving a promotion or two to help bring the world’s oldest football club back to where they arguably belong. With attendances on the up and the club performing pretty well things are looking pretty decent for the Magpies and hopefully a responsible bidder will come in to help push the club in the right direction.

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The three Coca-Cola leagues, that are arguably the most competitive leagues in the world, are packed with teams all eager to hit the ground running at the weekend. The Championship is packed with teams in contention for promotion or at least a play-off spot. The fans of Ipswich Town, Sheffield Utd, Preston, Reading, Bristol City, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Nottingham Forest, and Cardiff City will all look to the season with optimism. Characters such as Roy Keane, Neil Warnock and Ian Holloway are sure to keep supporters entertained from first game to the last with rants at referees, players and probably the tea lady knowing their track record of rants. Of course the quality of football in the Coca- Cola Leagues is always inferior to that of the Premier League’s multi-million pound teams; however it provides supporters with an exciting competitive brand of football that has made the Championship the fourth most watched league in Europe.

The competitive nature of the Leagues and the way in which the Play- Off system works, gives every team a chance of putting a run together to secure a Play-Off berth and chance at gaining promotion. This was highlighted in 2004 when Crystal Palace fought back from a horrendous start to the season, where they were hovering over the relegation zone in December 2003, to gain promotion via the Play-Offs. Middlesbrough and Sheffield United kick off proceedings to the new Football League and Championship season on Friday night live on SKY. This is followed by the first of the BBC’s Saturday evening Kick Offs at The Hawthorns, where West Bromwich Albion entertain Newcastle in what is likely to be an interesting encounter after summers of both clubs since relegation from the Premier League.

League One is also division packed with big stadiums and former Premier League residents. The likes of Leeds United, Southampton, Charlton Athletic and Norwich City will be looking to fill the two automatic promotion spots and make the first step to a return to the Premiership. However Lee Clark’s Huddersfield Town, Paul Ince’s MK Dons and Kenny Jackett’s Millwall are just some of the teams that will not make the first step of any return for these teams easy. The likes of Brentford, Wycombe, Exeter and Gillingham will take heart from the exploits of Peterborough United, MK Dons and Stockport County who achieved a promotion, a Play-Off spot and safety after promotion from League Two the previous season. Since the re-design of the Football League in 2004, League One has been one of the most interesting leagues with former giant of a club Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and now Premier League Hull City all gaining promotion from this division in the last five years. The first League One game of the season will show new Southampton manager Alan Pardew, formerly of West Ham United, first game for the Saints live on SKY at home to Millwall who will provide a stern test.

In addition to this, there has been a substantial amount of media attention on League Two this summer with the more than surprising arrival of a former England manger to the division. Much has been made of Sven Goran Eriksson’s arrival at the world’s oldest professional club; however there are no complaints being made by the Notts County fans that must be in dreamland since their takeover in mid July. Eriksson’s arrival at County has been surrounded with scepticism to how long he will stay at the club, as he has refused to rule out a return to management. Yet could this all be part of the County master plan that one manager will take them up the divisions to be replaced by Eriksson once in the top division? Well this could be the case if the Notts County master plan comes to fruition. On the other hand the likes of Bury, Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United will be looking to halt any County master plan as they look to push for promotion from League Two.

Consequently these clubs will be all too aware of promoted Conference teams gaining a second promotion in a row. This has been highlighted in recent years with the success of Doncaster Rovers, Yeovil Town, and just last year Exeter City. Promoted clubs Burton Albion and Torquay United will look to continue the trend. One thing to note outside of the Football League this coming weekend is the game between AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town in Blue Square Conference Premier. Twenty-one years ago these two clubs provided one of the two F.A Cup Semi Finals at White Hart Lane. Much has changed to these two clubs since that day when Wimbledon defeated a strong Luton side 2-1. Luton Town have faced money problems and fought administration continuously, whilst AFC Wimbledon was born out of Wimbledon’s decision to move to Milton Keynes and rebrand themselves as the MK Dons. Therefore both clubs will be looking to ‘hit the ground running’ so to speak and aim to get as higher up the league as possible.

Names such as Eriksson, Keane, Ince, Ferguson and Clough fill Football League fans with excitement for the new season, which is shaping the Football Leagues to be one of the most interesting to watch over the next ten months.

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Accrington Stanley have been issued with a winding-up order by HM Revenue and Customs over unpaid debts, but remain hopeful they will survive.
The League Two club will have a hearing in the High Court on 10 June.
Chairman Eric Whalley told BBC Radio Lancashire: “We have known about this and sought help and I’m 99% sure that we’ll still be here next year.
“Hopefully next season we can kick on and the fans continue to keep the faith and we’ll be ok.” (BBC Sport)

I guess we are going to be seeing more and more of this kind of news story as the financial meltdown begins to have an effect on the Football League. Obviously the credit crunch leaves a big cloud over the future of the smaller clubs in England but one can only hope that Accrington Stanley do indeed survive and their Chairman seems pretty cheerful and optimstic about their chances but I would bet that within the coming year at least one club will cease to exist because of the drastic situation that of course affects all industries and football clubs would be perverse to think it is they are any different from any other companies.

Luton fans have every right to feel aggrieved, as they appear to be repeatedly punished for the decisions of previous employees. As another appeal fails, what do Luton Town fans want to say about the situation?

You could probably write an essay about this. Well, tough, you only have SIX WORDS! Concise and creative, or just plain hilarious, it’s up to you now so leave your masterpiece in the comments.

Well it seems that Derby County don’t really have any intention of playing with the big boys any time soon. Well, thats the theme they seem to give off with the latest transfers and rumours flying in and around Pride Park.

First of all, the move to sign Nottingham Forest’s midfielder Kris Commons. A player who was playing League One football last season. Then they bid £2m for Swansea’s Dutch midfielder Ferrie Bodde. Another player who played in League One last season, and only scored 3 times. Then the BBC link Derby to Stockport’s Liam Dickinson, who scored 21 goals last season…. in League Two (he was even playing in the Unibond First Division 3 years ago!)

Now, finally, Derby annouce they’ve signed winger Steve Davies from Tranmere. Another one from a League One club.

With this influx of interest in lower league footballers, are Derby County quite happy to “slum it” in the Championship for the next few years? They certainly don’t really seem to be trying to bring in top class talent that will get them promoted. Granted, Bristol City got to the Play-Off final and 90 minutes away from the Premiership while spending £1m on a fresh-from-League-One Lee Trundle, but its not exactly a blueprint for success.

Does anyone else think Derby want to get back into the top league? Or are they embarrassed to show their faces up there again?