This year’s January sales were a non-event, clubs focusing more on saving money rather than spending it. Perhaps the news coming from Portsmouth nearly every week of new financial troubles has begun to have an effect on more than just one club.
For some clubs a successful transfer window can be holding onto your best players to help fight against the drop, West Ham fit the bill. A takeover from lifelong Hammer’s fans David Sullivan and David Gold has enabled manager Gianfranco Zola to keep his star players and reinforce his front line in a bid to retain Premier League status.
Sullivan, an outspoken character has criticised the way finances have been managed by his Icelandic predecessors. In recent interviews given, he has re-opened the debate about the need for a salary cap in football – it continues here.
Leeds United are a club everybody likes to identify when using an example of a top four Premier League side that has suffered financial meltdown due to overspending and financial mismanagement, whom now find themselves in League 1 and recovering 9 years after a Champions League Semi-Final appearance.
However, it appears not enough people have learnt from the past mistakes of Peter Risdale, maybe the men in charge should be more aware of Portsmouth’s plight.
F.A Cup success in 2008 has come at a price. Administration looms, relegation almost certain, and a winding up order in place. Why?
Outside the elite ‘top four’ and beyond the Premier League every club seeks success. Quite simply the majority of clubs cannot attract players of the best calibre without huge financial strain on the wage bill.
The players brought to Fratton Park under Sacha Gaydamek’s reign certainly were not attracted to a modern football stadium and great training facilities, but with an option to earn a packet! Of course not every player can have this labelled at them.
Former and current England players: Sol Campbell, David James, Glen Johnson, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, none of whom were cheap. £7 million spent on David Nugent!
The Premier League is a competition, but only between four teams it appears. Manchester City are attempting to buck the trend, how? Spending millions of pounds. People say this is the nature of the game today. But why should teams like Portsmouth, Wigan, Bolton, Fulham and newly promoted clubs not have the same opportunity to bring in better players without jeopardising their future.
How would a wage cap help?
Firstly, it would give the chance for all clubs to have a star player, someone the fans can look to, and someone who can inspire the next generation of footballers at a local club.
The game of football is forever changing. Elder fans still pine for the golden years of football, when the players were one of them, loyalty existed and the lifestyle of players were not on another level to the average fan. A salary cap coupled with a reduction in wages may make some fans feel that footballers aren’t super human, and the relationship between the fan and football players is of mutual respect not complete idolisation or jealousy.
This isn’t helped by the fact fans are now paying an awful lot of money to watch their team play. Big money is spent to pay wages of these players, some of whom don’t match their degree of pay with the same level of effort.
Of course it would be unfair to aim this criticism at all players. But it appears now that the home-grown hero is becoming something of an extinct commodity. In the lower leagues there are better examples of stalwarts and great club servants, but in the Premier League, it seems you can count them with all 10 fingers.
David Sullivan, in this week’s papers has stated that he has now “warmed” to the idea of a wage cap and that it could in-fact help save many clubs.
It is hard to imagine many businesses in other industries being allowed to run with as much debt and borrowing as football clubs are. Fifa President Sepp Blatter has warned of his intensions to introduce a rule whereby clubs cannot operate under debt. A salary cap could be the first small step to help ensure clubs can adhere to this rule whilst remaining competitive.
Of course there are arguments against the idea of a salary cap. The most successful clubs will argue that they should not be punished for their success and ability to spend more money than their rivals as a result. Perhaps gone are the days when Manchester United fans will make such a case, with the club in debt of reportedly around £600m.
Spare a thought for the fans of Stockport County, Crystal Palace, Chester City and Darlington; they too are suffering from financial woes of their own.
A wage cap may not be a popular solution within the game, but I believe it is a necessary one. No-one wants to experience what Portsmouth are currently going through, but as David Sullivan has warned, they may not be the only club in English football if changes aren’t made soon.
For some clubs a successful transfer window can be holding onto your best players to help fight against the drop, West Ham fit the bill. A takeover from lifelong Hammer’s fans David Sullivan and David Gold has enabled manager Gianfranco Zola to keep his star players and reinforce his front line in a bid to retain Premier League status.
Sullivan, an outspoken character has criticised the way finances have been managed by his Icelandic predecessors. In recent interviews given, he has re-opened the debate about the need for a salary cap in football – it continues here.
Leeds United are a club everybody likes to identify when using an example of a top four Premier League side that has suffered financial meltdown due to overspending and financial mismanagement, whom now find themselves in League 1 and recovering 9 years after a Champions League Semi-Final appearance.
However, it appears not enough people have learnt from the past mistakes of Peter Risdale, maybe the men in charge should be more aware of Portsmouth’s plight.
F.A Cup success in 2008 has come at a price. Administration looms, relegation almost certain, and a winding up order in place. Why?
Outside the elite ‘top four’ and beyond the Premier League every club seeks success. Quite simply the majority of clubs cannot attract players of the best calibre without huge financial strain on the wage bill.
The players brought to Fratton Park under Sacha Gaydamek’s reign certainly were not attracted to a modern football stadium and great training facilities, but with an option to earn a packet! Of course not every player can have this labelled at them.
Former and current England players: Sol Campbell, David James, Glen Johnson, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, none of whom were cheap. £7 million spent on David Nugent!
The Premier League is a competition, but only between four teams it appears. Manchester City are attempting to buck the trend, how? Spending millions of pounds. People say this is the nature of the game today. But why should teams like Portsmouth, Wigan, Bolton, Fulham and newly promoted clubs not have the same opportunity to bring in better players without jeopardising their future.
How would a wage cap help?
Firstly, it would give the chance for all clubs to have a star player, someone the fans can look to, and someone who can inspire the next generation of footballers at a local club.
The game of football is forever changing. Elder fans still pine for the golden years of football, when the players were one of them, loyalty existed and the lifestyle of players were not on another level to the average fan. A salary cap coupled with a reduction in wages may make some fans feel that footballers aren’t super human, and the relationship between the fan and football players is of mutual respect not complete idolisation or jealousy.
This isn’t helped by the fact fans are now paying an awful lot of money to watch their team play. Big money is spent to pay wages of these players, some of whom don’t match their degree of pay with the same level of effort.
Of course it would be unfair to aim this criticism at all players. But it appears now that the home-grown hero is becoming something of an extinct commodity. In the lower leagues there are better examples of stalwarts and great club servants, but in the Premier League, it seems you can count them with all 10 fingers.
David Sullivan, in this week’s papers has stated that he has now “warmed” to the idea of a wage cap and that it could in-fact help save many clubs.
It is hard to imagine many businesses in other industries being allowed to run with as much debt and borrowing as football clubs are. Fifa President Sepp Blatter has warned of his intensions to introduce a rule whereby clubs cannot operate under debt. A salary cap could be the first small step to help ensure clubs can adhere to this rule whilst remaining competitive.
Of course there are arguments against the idea of a salary cap. The most successful clubs will argue that they should not be punished for their success and ability to spend more money than their rivals as a result. Perhaps gone are the days when Manchester United fans will make such a case, with the club in debt of reportedly around £600m.
Spare a thought for the fans of Stockport County, Crystal Palace, Chester City and Darlington; they too are suffering from financial woes of their own.
A wage cap may not be a popular solution within the game, but I believe it is a necessary one. No-one wants to experience what Portsmouth are currently going through, but as David Sullivan has warned, they may not be the only club in English football if changes aren’t made soon.
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