What Do They Earn?

[mrevans]

With our 2 exciting new guys signing this week, what do you think their basic weekly salary would be? (Not including any add-ons). I would have thought in the region of £10k to £15k a week (I'm probably way out).

I then wondered what the average for the Championship would be and for the other divisions. The following is from an article from 2006:

£676,000: The average salary of a Premier League footballer in 2006

The Independent's exclusive survey reveals the facts and figures of footballers' finances

By Nick Harris

Tuesday, 11 April 2006

The average basic salary of a footballer in the English Premier League is £676,000 a year, or £13,000 per week, according to an exclusive survey of professional players by The Independent. That figure typically rises by between 60 and 100 per cent when performance-related bonuses, including for actually playing, are added.

The basic pay represents an average rise in earnings of 65 per cent since 2000, the last occasion that a large-scale study was done. The average then was £409,000 a year, or almost £8,000 a week.

The average basic annual Championship salary is now £195,750, up from £128,000 six years ago, or an increase of 53 per cent. The average in League One is now £67,850 (up from £54,600, or a rise of 24 per cent), and in League Two £49,600 (up from £38,800, up 28 per cent)

AVERAGE BASIC WAGE BY PLAYING POSITION

Position Premier L Champion League 1 League 2

G'keeper £533,000 £179,500 £53,500 £45,900

Defender £653,000 £167,000 £61,000 £44,400

Midfielder £754,000 £185,950 £79,000 £46,800

Forward £806,000 £292,900 £75,000 £67,900

Overall £676,000 £195,750 £67,850 £49,600............

Even by today's standards, the pay isn't bad. I wonder what it is now....? I bet it's not as much as my teaching salary!!

[Nibor]

You can probably add 20-30% to those numbers as well given the new TV deals and idiotic spending of the likes of Man City.

However it's worth remembering that "average" isn't that useful because it's distorted by the small number of massive earners at the top. I expect that the large majority of players at each level are earning less than the average.

[Robbored]

Players get paid X amount rather than earn it imo.

[BCFC_Dan]

That depends on the type of average being taken, surely? The mean average would definitely be skewed but the median or modal averages should be more representative.

[Nibor]

That depends on the type of average being taken, surely? The mean average would definitely be skewed but the median or modal averages should be more representative.

Unless otherwise qualified you can assume it is mean. This article was in a newspaper not a statistics journal

[Keep the Faith]

Micheal Chopra is currently on £25k basic at Cardiff. That's £1.3m basic before bonus, appearance fees, sponsorships, endorsements etc. I imagine there are Newcastle players who dwarf that figure. It's ridiculous really.

[Gazred]

Players get paid X amount rather than earn it imo.

Well said, i agree totally. People by nature are greedy, if that wasnt the case, there really would be no need for anywhere near as much money in football as there is now. Players are earning probably what they would call there fair share of it, but the rest must be ending up in someones pocket, all those millions cant just vanish into thin air. F.I.F.A should ideally be trying to curb the spending, there is no need for any footballer to be paid £150,000 a week, just as there is no reason for the F.A to charge so much to Sky to show the games, therefor injecting more ridiculous amounts of cash into the sport. We end up paying more for our tickets to see the teams we support to suppliment the soaring wage bills, and still foreign investment is allowed time and time again...what happens when they all leave?

I know there are other professions out there that pay very well for what most of us would regard as an easy job, say a news reader for example, they often get paid well in excess of £100,000 a year for that. The difference being a lot of us go and have a kick about on the weekend because we enjoy it, thats how it starts for every footballer surely? Ive never once wanted to read the news on a Saturday afternoon just because i like doing it. Footballers are some of the luckiest individuals on the planet in that they get paid to do something they love, not many of us can say that, and that alone is priceless regardless of sticking another £5-6m a year on top.

[Nibor]

It always makes me chuckle when people moan about footballers' wages.

Football is highly valued, billions of people watch it and play it, it's no surprise at all that the top fraction of a percent of people that play it get paid a lot.

We live in a capitalist society. The wages are decided by the free market. They're worth it because someone is willing to pay them it. Us.

Every time we pay for a ticket, or for sky, or for a beer in a pub with a match on, or for a product they've advertised/endorsed/been sponsored by.

You can of course decide that watching them play isn't worth what it costs you and not pay

[Gazred]

I understand the reality Nibor, dont ruin the fantasy! One thing i would add is that yes we are the ones that put the money in there pockets but thats only as were being fleeced left right and center to put more and more money into the game. When my Dad took me to my first game sometime in the mid 80s it was something like £1.50-£2 as a Juv to go and see the game, also i could sit down with him and my brother on a Sunday afternoon and watch top flight football for free on HTV...sometimes even a local match...gone are the days and i see no other cause than money being poured into football causing it.

[BrizzleRed]

It always makes me chuckle when people moan about footballers' wages.

Football is highly valued, billions of people watch it and play it, it's no surprise at all that the top fraction of a percent of people that play it get paid a lot.

We live in a capitalist society. The wages are decided by the free market. They're worth it because someone is willing to pay them it. Us.

Every time we pay for a ticket, or for sky, or for a beer in a pub with a match on, or for a product they've advertised/endorsed/been sponsored by.

You can of course decide that watching them play isn't worth what it costs you and not pay

That's one way of looking at it, but here's another to chew over.

If the TV money was suddenly withdrawn from football and all clubs announced that to make up the shortfall, they would be doubling the admission fee. What do people think their own reaction would be?

My guess is that much as supporters love their respective clubs, many would start to seriously question the salaries of their players when they see it is all coming directly from their own pockets. This would probably lead to many refusing to pay the new price and stay away, or raise hell on how much the overpaid players are earning. I think you'd then find the market would dictate a very big pay reduction for players at all levels to stem the flood of supporters abandoning the sport.

Let's be honest, footballers live in a bubble and are completely detached from reality with regards to their earnings. We all love football, but I'll never believe top footballers are worth what they are being paid. Hopefully one day reality will take over before football destroys itself with debt through trying to keep up with ever increasing wage demands.

[Nibor]

That's one way of looking at it, but here's another to chew over.

If the TV money was suddenly withdrawn from football and all clubs announced that to make up the shortfall, they would be doubling the admission fee. What do people think their own reaction would be?

My guess is that much as supporters love their respective clubs, many would start to seriously question the salaries of their players when they see it is all coming directly from their own pockets. This would probably lead to many refusing to pay the new price and stay away, or raise hell on how much the overpaid players are earning. I think you'd then find the market would dictate a very big pay reduction for players at all levels to stem the flood of supporters abandoning the sport.

If clubs were stupid enough to pitch prices that high then yes, the market would correct them. What's the argument? The market has made the prices high because consumers drove it that way, if that changes it will correct.

But look at the facts. Despite being in the middle of a recession, we are willing to pay £25 a game, we are willing to pay Sky £30+ a month, advertisers are willing to pay Sky a fortune to advertise during the breaks, hundreds of millions around the world are willing to do the same, and Sky are willing to pay football hundreds of millions to show the footage because it makes them money.

The money is only going to dry up if people stop attending matches, buying Sky or buying products advertised around football coverage. If we see signs of that happening we'll see prices stabilize and maybe even drop, but there aren't any yet.

Let's be honest, footballers live in a bubble and are completely detached from reality with regards to their earnings. We all love football, but I'll never believe top footballers are worth what they are being paid. Hopefully one day reality will take over before football destroys itself with debt through trying to keep up with ever increasing wage demands.

Footballers are no different to anyone else in the chain, they charge as much as they can get away with, same as clubs, same as Sky. Football debt is down to egomaniacs running clubs over investing irresponsibly, not players, not Sky.

If people really feel strongly about the money in football there's only one way they can affect the situation, and it appears nobody actually does feel that strongly.

[Gazred]

If people really feel strongly about the money in football there's only one way they can affect the situation, and it appears nobody actually does feel that strongly.

You do make some good points, but i really dont see the solution being that we all stop watching and supporting football until they get the message, why should we, the game can only exist with supporters, they should realise this and stop taking our hard earned cash off us at every oppertunity. Off the pitch its no longer a sport, football clubs are not clubs anymore but businesses. There is to much money in the game, that is a pure and simple fact from my point of view and until someone somewhere steps in and puts restrictions on it, the numbers involved will just keep going skyward.

I just struggle to understand why there needs to be so much money in the game, certain people, somwhere in the world at an executive level must be lining there pockets on the back of all of this. Football is supposed to be a sport not some kind of commercial venture.

[Robbored]

Footballers are no different to anyone else in the chain, they charge as much as they can get away with, same as clubs, same as Sky. Football debt is down to egomaniacs running clubs over investing irresponsibly, not players, not Sky.

If people really feel strongly about the money in football there's only one way they can affect the situation, and it appears nobody actually does feel that strongly.

Spot on. If I had had the ability required to be a pro footballer then I wouldn't of turned it down because they paid me too much.

My point is that footballers don't actually 'earn' anything but they get paid thousands and thousands in may cases. Even a Div 1 player is on around 3k a week these days.

Many forum users either play or used play amatuer football. I probably played around a 800-1000 games over a 20 year period and for at least half of those we had to pay 'subs' to play.

I don't see playing football as job thats all.

[Dollymarie]

I remember SL saying that in our first season of promotion from League One to the Championship our wage bill jumped from £2 million to £6 million.

Dread to think what it is now.

[wiggles]

Stephen Ireland's new contract see him collect £60k per week, increasing for the next two years.

James Beattie was on £27k per week at Sheffield Utd.

Franny Jeffers is on the same at Sheff Weds.

A young (22), regular defender at SWFC is on £1500 per week.

They're the only ones I know for fact.

[BCFC_Dan]

If the TV money was suddenly withdrawn from football and all clubs announced that to make up the shortfall, they would be doubling the admission fee. What do people think their own reaction would be?

My guess is that much as supporters love their respective clubs, many would start to seriously question the salaries of their players when they see it is all coming directly from their own pockets.

I get your point but aside from the clubs who are bankrolled by rich investors, or heavily in debt, the TV money *is* coming from supporters' own pockets. I pay for Sky Sports so I am contributing to these wages. Hell I'm even contributing to the gas if they manage to make a TV appearance this season.

Footballers have to work fairly hard for their money and they have to give up a lot we take for granted. I think I could probably stick it for a bit to earn some money but I wouldn't want to get up on a cold winter's morning and go running about in a field all morning, then do the same thing on a Saturday afternoon but with a bunch of other blokes kicking lumps out of me. I wouldn't want to be unable to go out for drinks with my friends on a Friday night, or give up my Saturday afternoons.

The money may have become disproportionate lately but I don't buy the argument that they don't earn it.

[BrizzleRed]

If people really feel strongly about the money in football there's only one way they can affect the situation, and it appears nobody actually does feel that strongly.

I'm not so sure Nibor, have you noticed the amount of empty seats, particularly at Premier League games these days? Maybe not the big 4, but at one time most Prem games were sell outs but I think people are already beginning to vote with their feet.

[BrizzleRed]

I get your point but aside from the clubs who are bankrolled by rich investors, or heavily in debt, the TV money *is* coming from supporters' own pockets. I pay for Sky Sports so I am contributing to these wages. Hell I'm even contributing to the gas if they manage to make a TV appearance this season.

Footballers have to work fairly hard for their money and they have to give up a lot we take for granted. I think I could probably stick it for a bit to earn some money but I wouldn't want to get up on a cold winter's morning and go running about in a field all morning, then do the same thing on a Saturday afternoon but with a bunch of other blokes kicking lumps out of me. I wouldn't want to be unable to go out for drinks with my friends on a Friday night, or give up my Saturday afternoons.

The money may have become disproportionate lately but I don't buy the argument that they don't earn it.

I used to get up at stupid o'clock every morning and work on a building site in any weather this country could throw at me for 10 hours a day and got cr@p money for the pleasure of doing it. Believe me, THAT is "working hard"! The building trade is also notorious for being one of the most dangerous jobs to be in, so I'm afraid I've got to stick with my view of footballers not knowing how good they've really got it.

[lukejones2]

That depends on the type of average being taken, surely? The mean average would definitely be skewed but the median or modal averages should be more representative.

Obviously mean. And for what it's worth, I don't think the mode would tell you jack.

[Nibor]

I'm not so sure Nibor, have you noticed the amount of empty seats, particularly at Premier League games these days? Maybe not the big 4, but at one time most Prem games were sell outs but I think people are already beginning to vote with their feet.

If that's the case you won't see match ticket prices increase much. Clubs will set them at whatever level they think generates them the most money, generally that will be the level that makes the stadium nearly full. I think attendance trends over the last few years are strongly upwards but if you want to look at the numbers I believe the most accessible are on football365.

[22A]

Last season those teenagers who progressed through Nottingham Forest's Academy were all given identical contracts.

£250 per week rising to £350 / week after 10 appearances in the reserves. One of those kids made a late substitution appearance towards the end of the season and picked up £500 for 5 mins on the pitch. When they played Chelsea in th FA Youth Cup they found one talented Chelsea kid is reputed to be on £1,000 per week. Yes he is skillful and is expected to play soon for the first team, but after scoring he runs to the bench rubbing fingers and thumb together as though counting money due to his goal bonus agreement. He makes no secret of the fact he is only in the game to make money. Many Chelsea fans reckon they ought to drop him now.

[LocoPal]

So then, if the current trends continue and players expect another 50% increase in wage every 10 years or so then the turnstiles just wont cover it.

Cue the future!

Stadiums build with ONLY executive boxes for the wealthy suits and their clueless prawn sandwich eating guests,

and no seats or terraces for us?

As much as that makes i shudder, i just cant see it

Something has to give!

Is it time for salary caps like the NFL?

[reddevon]

Let's not forget that the vast majority of these players (lower divisions) will earn next to nothing in the real world after 10 years in the game and may end up crippled.

Also the Inland Revenue will be taking a hefty chunk of their "earnings" over that oeriod.

There are probably less than a 1000 professional players in this country earning more than BANK MANAGERS!

I don't believe that wage capping will solve anything - clubs/agents will always find a way around it.

The issue to me is "cheque book" management - a club employs a "name"manager and allows him to spend money they havn't got - followed by failure and more money going out chasing the dream.

I would like to see an end to transfers/ loans at anytime during the season with clubs registering say 25 professional players at the start of the season who can only play for that club in any competition (like the Cups and the Champions LEAGUE).

This would force managers to manage and players to rethink their demands in a finite market.

[The Man In Black]

Also the Inland Revenue will be taking a hefty chunk of their "earnings" over that oeriod.

I'm sure that they pay for some clever accounting methods, don't worry about that.

[NiceRed]

There are some big name players out there past and present who don't actually like football that much. Apparently Gabriel Batistuta didn't and I heard some members of Liverpool's 1980s team just saw it as a "job".

But anyway, back to the point of the thread. A big part of the reason players are paid so much is that hardly anyone else in the whole world could do their job. When Man Utd need a new striker, there are probably only about 5 -10 people out there that would reach the standard Utd require of them - and most of those would already be earning fortunes at other clubs. It's just supply and demand.

[simon uk]

it is all nuts, I was watching sky sports news on deadline day, and they were talking about the Richard Dunne transfer to Villa from Man City. Apparantly this was being held up for ages because he wanted a pay off from man city because if he moved he wouldnt get a testimonial game next year! The fact that he is probably on 40 grand a week at villa, and has been on something similar for years at city and is a multi millionaire is nothing to do with it - he still wanted as much as he could get his hands on before he could move elsewhere and get even more!

I remember as well when Robbie Fowler left Leeds for someone (Man City?), and Leeds were still paying him a fortune for a couple of years despite the fact they were almost bankrupt and he wasnt actually playing for them anymore. I dont have much sympathy for Leeds, but at least when Alan Smith left them I think he waived his severance package to help the club.

Those players are a disgrace in my opinion - my mrs is a trained nurse, and does various shifts. She once treated the wife of a professional sportsman (not a premier league footballer) and he spoke to her like dirt, what is it with these people?

[Gazred]

my mrs is a trained nurse, and does various shifts.

Now there is a profession that deserves to be paid well, shocking really that a top footballer can be paid more than she would earn in an entire career as a nurse in just 1 signing fee alone.

[DavidNoble]

There has to be a hierarchy though somewhere, not everyone can earn the same amount of money, that just wouldn't work.

So somewhere people have to earn much more than other 'normal' people, some people argue that why don't people that save peoples lives (I.E. Nurses/Doctors) get paid more than people that 'just kick a ball about for 90 minutes' but if doctors earned what footballers earned then everyobdy would want to become a doctor wouldn't they so the top earnings will have to go to people that can't just decide to do that job but will need to be naturally skilled at it.

I know it seems completely ludicrous that footballers get paid so much where nurses earn average amounts but it's hard to see any other way.

[havanatopia]

it is all nuts, I was watching sky sports news on deadline day, and they were talking about the Richard Dunne transfer to Villa from Man City. Apparantly this was being held up for ages because he wanted a pay off from man city because if he moved he wouldnt get a testimonial game next year! The fact that he is probably on 40 grand a week at villa, and has been on something similar for years at city and is a multi millionaire is nothing to do with it - he still wanted as much as he could get his hands on before he could move elsewhere and get even more!

I remember as well when Robbie Fowler left Leeds for someone (Man City?), and Leeds were still paying him a fortune for a couple of years despite the fact they were almost bankrupt and he wasnt actually playing for them anymore. I dont have much sympathy for Leeds, but at least when Alan Smith left them I think he waived his severance package to help the club.

Those players are a disgrace in my opinion - my mrs is a trained nurse, and does various shifts. She once treated the wife of a professional sportsman (not a premier league footballer) and he spoke to her like dirt, what is it with these people?

Given that sky were saying the pay off was around 6 million it would have taken him a long while to recoup that even on such a high weekly wage at his new club; its not his fault he gets paid so much so you can understand why he would have been a bit dumb to have simply walked away from man c without negotiating at least a decent proportion of this amount.

To say players are a disgrace imo is really missing the point. of course we probably all agree that the wage they get bears little or no relation to the hours they put in vis a vis your mrs or anybody elses outside the game; as Nibor says, it is what the market will bear.

The big worry though is that our game will go the same way as Italy where they receive a similar level of pay give or take and the crowds are dwindling at the same time; this means a lot of their top flight teams play in front of 1/3 full, or less, stadia with a disproportionate amount of revenue coming from the TV companies. This has the very detrimental effect of alienating the club from their fans whom they rely on less and less and the media more and more. Not a good situation.

[22A]

So then, if the current trends continue and players expect another 50% increase in wage every 10 years or so then the turnstiles just wont cover it.

When Liverpool were League Champions in the late 80s, they admitted they paid more in wages than they received throuhg the turnstiles. It was only sponsorship and the club shop profits keeping them going. 20 years on I'm waiting for a big club to call a press conference announcing they have ceased trading with immediate effect.