Simon Jordon described an “illegal approach” as an antiquated rule in light of the argument that has developed between Dale Vince @FGRFC_Official and Darragh MacAnthony. @theposh It simply isn't relevant in any other business. So, slightly different concept, but what is the ruling if a player or a manager approaches a club first? My interpretation is that, as long as the club obeys protocol, they haven't breached any rules. Of course, there's a huge difference between a registered player/manager and a contracted player/manager, but ultimately, if they wish to go, it's hardly worth holding on to them… or is it? We are asking the question on this week's @tsffspodcast @nwcfl @garylangley @gary_berwick2 @LCPL2012 @NorthernPremLge @NL_Enterprise @EFL @premierleague

In the next episode of The Speaking Frankly Football Show, I'll talk about when a sports investment broker approached me on behalf of an American billionaire businessman looking to invest in non-League football in England. I've also had half-hearted approaches from other parties outside the UK. It's quite a thing now. The first approach came before Pascal Chimbonda came to the club. At that stage, the broker was “ringing around”, but after Pascal’s appointment, someone was actually interested. I had several “Teams meetings” with the broker and eventually with the investors' PR company. (Never net the Billionaire) Obviously, it didn't get much further, though I still have occasional contact with the broker. Fundamentally, I feel as though it didn't have legs because we didn't have a ground of our own, though I've since been told that wasn't the case. To them, the club's age, history, and fall from grace gave the potential project great gravitas. After all, Americans love a fairytale ending. Have brokers approached you (chairs/football clubs) with this, and did you pay an annual fee to be listed as available for sale? In my case, that didn't happen, but I know quite a few agents are out there selling this concept. Does this idea interest you, or should we be concerned about it? @tsffspodcast @nwcfl @NorthernPremLge @IsthmianLeague @SouthernLeague1 @EbacNorthernLge @MidlandLeague @NL_Enterprise

TSFFS S3 EP12 We reveal our first formal complaint in the pre-show segment. We then proceed with our usual roundup of North West Counties results, before exploring the broader field of non-league football in the North West. We take a look at the movers and shakers in the FA Vase & FA Trophy. Could Southport FC be taken over by a consortium led by former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard? It's been suggested, and why wouldn’t it work, surrounded by figures like Tony Bellew and Duncan Ferguson? If they have taken advice from people like Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, you might think they'd steer clear. We speak to Andy McCann once again, following his Cheshire Football League representative side winning their UEFA regions group stage in Sweden on Sunday. They had to do it the hard way. Rob Payne came off the bench to score the winning goal in the fifth minute of injury time. We discuss how they managed it and look ahead to next year’s finals. Controversial Corner examines Widnes Town and the news that they could be expelled from the league after playing just seven games in their brief history. The question remains: should the FA have sanctioned their admission to the NWCFL in the first place? It appears the FA did not do their homework. Doncaster City has resigned from the NCEL. Quite controversially, Doncaster City FC applied for permission to compete in the Scottish Cup when it was formed in 2022. The club believed a peace treaty dating back to 1136—which ceded Doncaster to the Scottish king—should allow them to participate in the knockout competition north of the border. Football agent Willie McKay established the club in what has since been regarded as an ill-fated experiment. We share our predictions and expert analysis of the NWCFL and Liverpool Premier League, and discuss what Skelmersdale United must do to turn their fortunes around. We are straightforward and unreserved in our critique. All this and more. @nwcfl @NorthernPremLge @NCEL @NL_Enterprise @LCPL2012 @southport_fc @MarineAFC @ClitheroeFC @CheshireFL @mccannandy1978 @PrescotCablesFC @buryfcofficial @AvroFC @Bootle_FC @RuncornLinnets @theyellows @lowerbreck @WidnesTownFC @DoncasterCityFC @BurscoughFC1946 @buryfcofficial @Droylsden_FC @maghullfc @FCUnitedMcr @AFCLiverpool @AFCBridgnorth @UppermillFC2026 @thorntonfc @Skemutdofficial @Nelsonfc1 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas…