Is English Football In A Lot Of Trouble?

[Davros]

To cut a long story short I was looking into wages for for players in the premier league chamionship etc. Basically they have doubled in the last 2 years thanks to the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc, they were and average of 12K per week now they are an average of 24K per week. This has a knock on effect to the championship as well to basically double the chamionships average sallery this in the middle of the worst recession for 60 years depending on what politian you belive. Is this what Gary Johnson is wittering on about when he says the premier league will come to us? With parachute payments we effectivly have a clubs who are significantly more well off than others. Is our game screwed? The chamionship average sallery is now 17K per week.

..... Discuss ....

[simon uk]

I think it is, the premier league clubs are simply paying too much money for mediocre players, which is then filtering down. The England national team is already uncompetitive, and when clubs like our are paying what we do for our first team players, it is rediculous. The Craig Bellamy situation shouldnt be allowed, and wage limits of a certain percentage of gate receipts should be made law. There seem to be clubs going to court every month now because of high salary levels. It will take a number of clubs to take the same stance on it if there isnt a rule on a %, but for every club that voluntarily signs up for it, others wont, so the players will try to go there instead.

People say that footballers are like anyone else, and that I would leave my job for more money, but they are on a completely different level to normal people - there are contracts which are ignored, Charles n'zogbia has just gone on strike cause he wants to move, etc etc. It is pretty outragious.

I am becoming increasingly fcuked off with it. I am a normal bloke with an average wage with a mortgage and a little boy, and I am struggling to make ends meet, and these people are living on a different planet, a lot of them are scum bags, but still get rewarded fantastically. I might be out of order, but I really would like to see people like John Terry and Ashley Cole get whats coming to them - Karma and all that.

[downendcity]

To cut a long story short I was looking into wages for for players in the premier league chamionship etc. Basically they have doubled in the last 2 years thanks to the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc, they were and average of 12K per week now they are an average of 24K per week. This has a knock on effect to the championship as well to basically double the chamionships average sallery this in the middle of the worst recession for 60 years depending on what politian you belive. Is this what Gary Johnson is wittering on about when he says the premier league will come to us? With parachute payments we effectivly have a clubs who are significantly more well off than others. Is our game screwed? The chamionship average sallery is now 17K per week.

..... Discuss ....

Yes it's screwed and will be until the football authorities impose some sensible financial controls as to the way clubs are run.

Unfortunately, I can't see owners of the big clubs being prepared to tow any line that might constrain their abaility ot compete financially with Europe's big boys, so yes it's screwed

[Barrs Court Red]

The snouts in the trough are insatiable, with an ever increasing hunger.

Closed shop prem and European super league - You can be sure of it.

[chinapig]

Sadly the likes of Scudamore are in denial and we have Ferguson pathetically parroting obviously prepared statements about how wonderful the Glazers are. So heads are firmly buried in the sand. Since the FA sold it's soul to the Premier League there is nobody in a position to impose control, unless Platini is successful in pushing through all the reforms he wants. More power to his elbow I say. Mind you La Liga is in at least as bad a state and not for the first time in the modern football era Germany sets the example of good management.

[Barrs Court Red]

No chance Platini will get his way, thanks to the EU.

[The Casual Connoisseur]

I may well stop watching football in this country, it was once my biggest passion, my whole life revolved around Saturday afternoon, nowadays I feel completely out of touch with the game.

Instead of hero worshiping players, I just resent them, most couldn't give a toss about the badge they play for as long as they are getting paid, it's just not the game it was and never will be again.

[Donald]

Much as I dislike the bloke, Platini has actually made some good points.

English football is a mess.

The bellamy situation sums it up, regardless of the cardiff situation, when a average player like him is earning 90k per week. you know something is wrong.

[CliftonCliff]

I'm no economist or accountant, but it seems to me that common sense dictates that the transfer fee and wage inflation in the game cannot possibly be sustained indefinitely. I think there must be a huge financial bubble developing as a result of clubs speculating on players with money they don't actually have (Cardiff is an obvious example) and if it continues unchecked the whole thing must surely start to implode eventually, in much the same way that the banking crisis did. Others have said it many times, but it may take at least one high profile club to go to the wall to get the game to face reality and act before it is too late. Agents fees have to be a prime target for reform and whatever you may think of the man, Platini has been right all along about the level of debt in football. It absolutely must be addressed and regulated - but watch Scudamore et al fight it tooth and nail.

[bs3]

And has we've seen the bigger the bubble the bigger the bust.

[Frenchay Red]

I'm no economist or accountant, but it seems to me that common sense dictates that the transfer fee and wage inflation in the game cannot possibly be sustained indefinitely. I think there must be a huge financial bubble developing as a result of clubs speculating on players with money they don't actually have (Cardiff is an obvious example) and if it continues unchecked the whole thing must surely start to implode eventually, in much the same way that the banking crisis did. Others have said it many times, but it may take at least one high profile club to go to the wall to get the game to face reality and act before it is too late. Agents fees have to be a prime target for reform and whatever you may think of the man, Platini has been right all along about the level of debt in football. It absolutely must be addressed and regulated - but watch Scudamore et al fight it tooth and nail.

Can't argue with any of the points you and many others are making.

It seems thought that any "high profile" club is teflon coated when it comes to light that it has been living beyond its means and owes money to the taxman.

Many many companies, and unfortunate individuals, who have got into financial difficulties and found themselves being pursued for tax would have just loved to have been treated so leniently.

Makes no sense at all.

[daisybcfc]

To cut a long story short I was looking into wages for for players in the premier league chamionship etc. Basically they have doubled in the last 2 years thanks to the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc, they were and average of 12K per week now they are an average of 24K per week. This has a knock on effect to the championship as well to basically double the chamionships average sallery this in the middle of the worst recession for 60 years depending on what politian you belive. Is this what Gary Johnson is wittering on about when he says the premier league will come to us? With parachute payments we effectivly have a clubs who are significantly more well off than others. Is our game screwed? The chamionship average sallery is now 17K per week.

..... Discuss ....

Where did you get these figures from? I'm not sure they are correct.

[Pezo]

I think football is pretty much in line with the housing market, basically if your trying to get into a higher league its a bit like trying to get on the housing ladder - you need to spend more money than you actually have thanks to buy to let/massively rich owners over inflating the market.

The analogy fails in a few places but it rings true in a lot of places which can only point to a spending bubble in football that has to collapse.

[BrizleCiderArmy]

The snouts in the trough are insatiable, with an ever increasing hunger.

Closed shop prem and European super league - You can be sure of it.

Due to the fact i have a serious hangover i havnt thought this through in much detail so i may be way off with this. Surely a European super league would be the way forward. The big 4 ( or 5 ) naff off into there own elite league and leave the rest of the clubs to compete on a more level playing field.

I know this doesnt solve the issues of stupid wages being payed out and over the top prices for average players, but it would be a start surely?

[The Red Planet]

So long as very rich men (mainly, apart from Delia Smith at Norwich) are prepared to cover trading losses at football clubs this madness will continue.

I know, we've got one too but SL has frequently said that the club must operate as a viable business in due course and I am certain that the new stadium (if we get it) is part of his plan to achieve that.

However, I do agree that if one or two big clubs go bust during the next year or two (likely I think) then this bubble may indeed burst and we should return to sanity.

Ferrari dealers please note !

[Maesknoll Red]

I may well stop watching football in this country, it was once my biggest passion, my whole life revolved around Saturday afternoon, nowadays I feel completely out of touch with the game.

Instead of hero worshiping players, I just resent them, most couldn't give a toss about the badge they play for as long as they are getting paid, it's just not the game it was and never will be again.

I must admit, I have lost the enthusiasim for the game, I'd never miss a game, used to travel away regularly, but now, I really don't worry if I miss a game. The social side of the day out, pub before and after, maybe a curry as well, make the day, the football isn't any longer the main focus of the day.

As with nearly everyone else, I'm working long hours with a mortgage to pay and to hear some of the tales of the money these 'stars' are paid is ridiculous - not that I wouldn't put my snout in the trough if I was 30 years younger and had the ability to play for a top club. Don't blame the players, the Management and business model has allowed this to happen and appears to be spiralling out of control, when one of these billionaires gets bored and moves to pastures new, how will the club he leaves behind even fund the wages for a season, let a lone a couple of months.

The EU has a lot to answer for, football and other sports should be able to inpose quota's, such as at least 5 players in a team who come from a 50 mile radius of the club, only 3 non English players on the pitch etc.

I've a feeling a lot more of the grass roots pay on the day and season ticket holders around the country will start to feel disillusioned and the large financial outlay to watch football will see gates start to drop, |ts time for for footballs leading figures to wake up and smell the coffee, but if your nose is that deep in the trough, I guess you can only smell the gravy.

[Melksham Red]

Where did you get these figures from? I'm not sure they are correct.

I thought the same. 17k average seems too much to me, I don't know what James is on but prior to him I thought Maynard was our top earner on about 9k a week.

[Us_and_Them]

I must admit, I have lost the enthusiasim for the game, I'd never miss a game, used to travel away regularly, but now, I really don't worry if I miss a game. The social side of the day out, pub before and after, maybe a curry as well, make the day, the football isn't any longer the main focus of the day.

As with nearly everyone else, I'm working long hours with a mortgage to pay and to hear some of the tales of the money these 'stars' are paid is ridiculous - not that I wouldn't put my snout in the trough if I was 30 years younger and had the ability to play for a top club. Don't blame the players, the Management and business model has allowed this to happen and appears to be spiralling out of control, when one of these billionaires gets bored and moves to pastures new, how will the club he leaves behind even fund the wages for a season, let a lone a couple of months.

The EU has a lot to answer for, football and other sports should be able to inpose quota's, such as at least 5 players in a team who come from a 50 mile radius of the club, only 3 non English players on the pitch etc.

I've a feeling a lot more of the grass roots pay on the day and season ticket holders around the country will start to feel disillusioned and the large financial outlay to watch football will see gates start to drop, |ts time for for footballs leading figures to wake up and smell the coffee, but if your nose is that deep in the trough, I guess you can only smell the gravy.

heard an interview yesterday from guy at the football league and he said their hands are tied in relation to certain things due to european law....so again being told what to do by the unelected unfortunately

[Maesknoll Red]

I thought the same. 17k average seems too much to me, I don't know what James is on but prior to him I thought Maynard was our top earner on about 9k a week.

Figures from 2006

http://www.independe...006-473659.html

Another article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/08/justify-footballers-wages-moral-outcry

[Melksham Red]

Figures from 2006

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/163676000-the-average-salary-of-a-Premier League-footballer-in-2006-473659.html

approx 4k a week average in the Championship according to those numbers.

[Maesknoll Red]

If this article is to be believed, Championship clubs are spending 90% of income on wages....

http://www.dailyfinance.co.uk/2010/06/08/footballers-wages-score-an-own-goal/

[gater2]

I agree, English football seems to be in a state of mourning at the moment.. It's way out of control and has lost a lot of the heart and soul I am told it had before my time!

One element of this is the greed of the agents as well (which is possibly why we can't sign anyone at the moment if KM is to be believed on the OS). I guess it's within players rights to have them, but I think football would be much better without them!

[daisybcfc]

The papers do not know the amounts people get paid, neither do we.

I don't know why everyone is obsessed with footballers wages at the moment, its everyones favourite topic. If you've lost your faith in all things to do with football, stop watching, stop listening and stop going onto internet football forums to talk about football and footballers. I'd cheer on the boys if they were earning £5 or £5million as long as they put everything in, and if they don't put everything in then its not their faults they're getting paid that, its the people who employed them.

Lets not worry about what people earn, who cares as long as our club stays above water?

[Davros]

The latest chamionship figures are a little more fluffy based on serveral articles I extrapolated and our figures and the number of clubs making losses vs turnover (17k might be a little high). But the Premier League ones are solid based on the independant artical from 2006 and some more recent articles that iliustrate the jump in wages in recent years.

195K was the average in 2006 for the Chamionship but its rapidly been driven up by parachute payments and rich owners gunning for the permiership. Our average wage is about 5K based on a 36 man squad at the moment based on the annual accounts for a year and a bit ago and this is significantly highier this year im led seen in apost somewhere. But you have people like hull, sheffield utd, pompey (what they have left), burnley, boro, qpr, derby, cardiff that have all benafited from parachute payments or are spending silly money. With 2 in a spot of bother and a few more maybe that way too.

Its by the by if my figures for the chamionship are right or wrong but its the point that wages are going up at an usustainable rate to the point that the top 2 tiers will need multi billionaire benifactors just to keep them in business.

The point is the chamionship only lags the Premier League by about 5 years in terms wages.

[BITW]

Until we see some serious restrictions on players wages, the situation will continue to get worse.

Ultimately this is DESTROYING football. We need to see action taken soon. Doubt it will happen anytime soon though.

[WhistleHappy]

The papers do not know the amounts people get paid, neither do we.

I don't know why everyone is obsessed with footballers wages at the moment, its everyones favourite topic. If you've lost your faith in all things to do with football, stop watching, stop listening and stop going onto internet football forums to talk about football and footballers. I'd cheer on the boys if they were earning £5 or £5million as long as they put everything in, and if they don't put everything in then its not their faults they're getting paid that, its the people who employed them.

Lets not worry about what people earn, who cares as long as our club stays above water?

ahem,

I refer the honourable member to a reply (in this thread) he gave several hours ago -

'Where did you get these figures from? I'm not sure they are correct.'