Boylan Speaks & AGM Notes

The annual Conference AGM took place over the weekend. The main news from the meeting was the demotions of Boston United, Nuneaton Borough and Halifax Town, but there are some other developments that Boro fans might like to know. One is that Setanta Sports and the Blue Square Premier have agreed a new television deal which means that fewer games will be screened next season. Last season the Irish broadcaster screened just under 80 games, but will reduce that for the season ahead to just over 50. Setanta will also be paying more to the home clubs that are live on TV during the season. Last season £5,000 was given to the home teams and £2,000 for the away side. This season the £5,000 will rise to £7,500 and will go up for every subsequent game the same team are shown during the season. These changes have come after both Setanta and the BSP reviewed the TV coverage from this season.

Another interesting point from the AGM was that the wage cap that Conference clubs had to work to last season has been “relaxed”. The cap was originally put in to stop clubs “buying” the league, similarly to how Rushden did in the late nineties/early 2000′s. This though has now been changed dramatically and may explain how Boro have been able to splash out on the signings of Eddie Anaclet, Lee Boylan and Michael Bostwick. Rushden have also been using the new rules to their advantage it seems after the signings of Lee Phillips, Daryl Clare, Rob Wolleaston and now Scott Mitchell.

New signing Lee Boylan has been talking about his departure from Cambridge United. Boylan left the U’s after just one season at the Trade Recruitment Stadium to join the Westley revolution at Broadhall Way.

“After being told by Jimmy ‘thanks for what you’ve done for us this season, but you don’t feature in my plans for next year’, that’s what made my mind up.”

This Boylan story doesn’t add up for me. Cambridge told Boylan at the end of the season that he was free to leave the club and wasn’t in Quinn’s plans for next season. They then rejected a deal from us initially saying he wouldn’t be allowed to leave then 24 hours later joins fellow promotion rivals Stevenage. Cambridge just don’t seem to know what they are doing at the moment. I read somewhere that 8 of the starting 11 in the play-off final have now left the club. I’d be amazed if there in the promotion shake up next season. You can listen to Lee Boylan’s interview with the BBC here.