- 17pts

- 17pts

Football League chiefs met in London to decide the Millers' points penalty after they broke league rules during the 2007-08 campaign.

League officials have also given the South Yorkshire club permission to carry on playing their home matches at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield provided a �750,000 bond is paid and they guarantee their return to Rotherham within four years.

Failure to do so will result in the bond being lost and Rotherham being thrown out of the Football League.

The Football League released a statement on their website outlining four rules which Rotherham must adhere to.

It read: 'The club will be deducted 17 points for the 2008-09 season. This takes into account the fact that this is the club's second insolvency event in recent seasons.

'The club must provide a legal waiver indicating they will not challenge or appeal this decision.

'The club must undertake to return to Rotherham within four years and provide an irrevocable bond of �750,000.

'This will be forfeited if the club fail to return within that timeframe, as will the club's membership of The Football League.

'The club must pay unsecured creditors the amount offered at the time of the CVA hearing.'

Meanwhile fellow League Two side Bournemouth will learn their own fate tomorrow after the Football League board were 'not yet satisfied' over the viability of their new proposed takeover.

Haven't Luton been dumped two divisions and diocked 35 points in two seasons ?

I think that Luton were docked 10 points last season which meant they finished bottom of "League 1" (Div 3), but they would have got relegated anyway. Now they are in "League 2" (Div 4) and

Ridiculous deducting so many points. How the hell are struggling teams like Luton & Rotherham meant to regain them, short of Man United loaning them their first & second team squads. Bad decisions by a few board members and the team and fans all pay the price whilst the offenders quit football. Lonegunmen2008-08-28 23:03:24

Particularly true at Luton.  The current owners have started very well with a refreshing honesty and openness.  True Luton Town people have rallied.  I note that Don Hutchinson has donated his final pay packet and his own money to sponsor two youth players for the season.

They are in the sh*t because of woeful mismanagement, secrecy and rip offs by previous managers/owners who as you say and nothing to do with them now. What sanction is there against them destroying the hopes of local fans?  Little can be done.

Yet the good new owners, the fans and great professionals like Don Hutchinson have been slapped with a ridiculous barrier. I dont believe fans of other clubs want to see this either....sympathy for the clubs in trouble is strong especially for Luton.

30 points is almost impossible to make up.

But the irony is that Luton may survive because the bottom two places might be Bournemouth and Rotherham who will also have large deficits and have a weaker base for the coming season.  I dont expect Rotherham to survive actually (Halifax here we come). Lutons big hope is their good youth system and some excellent youngsters coming through (hence Hutchinsons offer being some welcome).

And those 30 points are just to catch up to everyone else, not to build a season on! In Lutons case it was shady dealings with the Chairman and a couple of directors. In Rotherhams case I believe it was the owners of the ground wanting to cash in on it's location so put the club under imense pressure to cough up dosh.

Bright spot for Luton is others woe....Bournemouth and Rotherham will start the season on minus 17 points.  That means Luton are only 13 points behind...ie four wins and a bit.  I think Luton are the best side of the three for this season so they can do it!

Bournemouth turn out to be the most fragile of the three clubs...the League are still not really satisfied there are enough funds there to meet the requirements they have set.  Bournemouth and Rotherham may yet both fail.  I do believe Luton will make it with the way things are going.

My friends in UK tell me that at least another 8 clubs are in near similar strife....so the story isnt over yet.  (Macclesfield, Bury, Bristol Rovers, newly relegated Mansfield, are some of the names mentioned...).

With all the money getting thrown into the cauldron from the TV companies, surely the League Management can organise things better?

I really feel like it's time some of the lower division clubs looked at going part-time. Clubs like Bury are always teetering on the brink, and going part-time might mean that they are able to recruit a better class of player; the guy who is a decent player at, say, Conference level but is also a qualified accountant who can earn far more money working as that than playing in League Two for a comparitive pittance and that's why he isn't playing higher.

England were never going to benefit from the EPL with Graham Taylor in charge. you are quite right, the EPL is all about making the serious dosh and keeping it amoongst a priveleged few. That's why I am rapt that team like Hull make it up there and get a share of the pie all-be-it a lot less than the BIG 4.