moments before boston were relegated by this wrexham penalty in 2007, their owner placed them in CVA, which sounded clever at the time, but they were dropped two divisions as a result

Debt. It’s been a theme across the world over the past three years, is it about to be the major influence in the 2010/11 season.

The News of the World published the first major mainstream back page report of the season on a battle that has been bubbling away under the surface for a number of years – and did for Portsmouth towards the tail end of last season. Her Majesty’s Revenue Service vs English football.

For years football clubs have been able to get away with furnishing massive debts. If they got too much, clubs even began to use Administration as a way of writing themselves clear of trouble. Since the turn of the millennium, no league club has died after entering administration – a modern-day miracle when you consider 90% of companies that enter Administration (or Company Voluntary Arrangement[CVA]) go bust.

The extent of the list will astound you:
Swindon (2000, 2002),
Scarborough (2000), 
Hull (2001),
QPR (2001),
Chesterfield (2001),
Leicester (2002),
Barnsley (2002),
Carlisle (2002),
Notts County (2002),
Bury (2002),
Bradford (2002),
Port Vale (2002),
Lincoln City (2002),
Swansea City (2002),
York (2002),
Halifax Town (2002, 2008),
Derby (2003),
Ipswich (2003), 
Huddersfield (2003), 
Oldham (2003), 
MK Dons (2003), 
Wimbledon (2003), 
Wrexham (2004), 
Cambridge (2005), 
Crawley Town (2006), 
Rotherham (2006, 2008), 
Leeds United (2007), 
Boston United (2007), 
Southampton (2008), 
Luton (2008), 
Stockport (2009),  
Portsmouth (2010), 
Crystal Palace (2010),
Darlington (2009).

Some of these clubs have entered a CVA twice already while others are awaiting judgements about winding up orders thanks to tax deficits claimed by the government. Others are in the early stages of dispute, which will make this season unprecedented when it comes to off-the-pitch finances overtly affecting how a club performs on the pitch.

Which makes me wonder: is there a fortune to be made in betting against the teams that start the season with severe money worries?

A number of teams have transfer embargoes in place, which is severely affecting their ability to prepare for the first game of the season, while at least on League Two club is not sure whether it will be allowed to start the 2010/11 season.

Why don’t we fast forward to August 7 and take a look through the red window:

Coventry (5/4) v Portsmouth

Portsmouth first foray into the Championship after relegation last season will be with a transfer embargo firmly in place until October at the very least after HMRC successfully appealed against a agreement among creditors.

Hull v Swansea (draw 9/4)

Hull City had a torrid time financially in the Premier League, and it is difficult this season if the decision to sell the proceeds from season ticket sales to a third party will have a major effect on them. Certainly, their bigger names have been leaving, but you’d expect that after relegation. There are rumours, meanwhile, that there are money issues at Swansea as HMRC looks to go after them for image rights payments which were doled out to players. In light of that, maybe the draw is the best result.

Cardiff v Sheff Utd (11/4)

Cardiff have been under a tax cloud for some time now, and are letting players go, while having little hope of signing in the pre-season. The tax man is after them and the players and staff have had their wages paid late at least once this summer.

Southampton (8/13) v Plymouth

Money is exceptionally tight at Home Park this season, although you would have expected the League One pre-season favourites to beat a side that lost to League Two Torquay in pre-season.

Southend v Stockport (23/10)

Paul Sturrock has a squad of kids at Southend as the Essex side fight a winding up order that won’t be settled until after their first game of the season. They lost to a side of amateurs in pre-season and look unlikely to have anything but an appalling start to the season, even if Sturrock manages to find a few ‘men’ to include in his squad in the next few weeks.

The accumulator above comes to a massive 145.6/1. So I’m recommending 1pt at Bet365 to get the season off to quite a bang!