Last week came the annoucement that Championship clubs are to adopt UEFA's new spending rules on wage/turnover ratios. In addition to the general spending limits on clubs who qualify for the UCL this is highly encouraging news for all football fans.
For too long now football has been dominated by money and while I find it unlikely this will ever end, at least some kind of rulebook should frame a future for the game which doesn't force clubs of all levels into insolvency simply to maintain, let alone challenge for anything.
Let me lay my cards on the table. I am no fan of Platini, Blatter or the English FA or Premier League, it's football I love. I am also no expert on football finance so I'm sure there are holes in this article you could drive the latest Aston Martin DB whatever through. But, surely this is one subject we can all unite on?
As a Liverpool fan we are currently being wummed about how much we spend. I'm not even going to go into to truths and lies of this, it's irrelevant in this context. Chelsea and more recently ManCity are well known to have blown the bank and I make no judgement on this here either. ManUtd often claim the moral high ground but no genuine United fan would claim at the moment that football finance is doing them any favours either. Of the top clubs only Arsenal could claim some morality in this but firstly most gooners would probably admit this has cost them trophies and secondly I'm sure fans of lower league clubs would love to have Arsenal's recent spending limits. It's a mute point anyway.
I remember well the jibes at Cloughie paying £1M for Trevor Francis. People baulked at Dalglish costing £500k as a replacement for Keegan. It's been going on since football began and no successful club (or other) can seriously claim to be better than any other in this. In 1892 Liverpool's first ever team was made up of 11 imported Scots much to the dismay of our toffee neighbours.
I'm sure I'm not alone in despising our football authorities and although there have been owners good and bad in most clubs I don't really blame any Chairman who aims for success, even if it has lead to a plethora of liquidations in recent times.
My question is not really a question at all. I just wanted to start my JA606 career with something a little more constructive than the usual and hopefully illicit some serious discussion on this subject.
Thoughts anyone?
UEFA spending rules
posted on 13/6/11
So Dispeller of Myths, now we've had a genuine discussion and I've seen your point of view (not that I agree with everything you say). I have a genuine question for you and I do mean genuine...
Why do you appear to be obsessed with LFC?
posted on 13/6/11
danjo
I find Liverpool fans very entertaining.It's that simple.
Of all the fans in the world there are none as amusing as those of Liverpool.
They take everything far too seriously,are hypocrites to the core and they make me laugh.
posted on 13/6/11
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 14/6/11
The history of football clubs is rich benefactors.That is how your own club started life and continued thta way through the Moores family for decades.Historically rich benefactors is football.
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I couldn't agree more.
Look at Fulham and Wigan who were competing the likes of Barnet, Northampton, Lincoln and Cambridge 15 years ago. Then with wealthy owners climbed up the leagues and into the Premier League.
If teams are going to be stopped from spending, is it fair that Fulham and Wigan were allowed? Should Fulham and Wigan be demoted to League 2?
It is the same with Arsenal. Their fans claim they are doing it the right way but seem to ignore the money their club spent in the 1920s when they bought the top players from the other clubs smashing and doubling the transfer record several times in one summer and paying far higher wages.
If Arsenal were allowed to do that in the 1920s and dominate football why shouldn't Chelsea and Man City be allowed to do that now?
posted on 14/6/11
Striker
It only became wrong when it wasn't their clubs doing it
posted on 14/6/11
money and trophies go hand in hand.
no money no trophies.
The FFP rules are a joke and purely designed to stifle competition to the 'big' clubs.
I benefits Liverpool enormously but I'd rather they binned it. It's not fair to the medium and smaller sized clubs. They're essentially being permanently relegated to mid table and lower so Arsenal, Manu and Chelsea will always be guaranteed to be big 'brands'. It's wrong.
posted on 14/6/11
FFP will protect city and Chelsea if Uefa actually get round to sanctioning parvenus in say 2018. The rules will stop clubs like Chelsea buying success. Chelsea have already done it and are here to stay. City should make it too
posted on 17/6/11
Some fascinating comments here and I have genuinely changed my opinion since posting this. I had wondered why so many were so quiet on the subject but I suppose I hadn't really looked into the full issues surrounding this.
One thing which seems definite to me also seems the simplest to implement, NO MORE OWNERS PUTTING THEIR PERSONAL DEBT ONTO THE CLUB.
As for the rest, well it seems football fans will never agree on much but I suppose that's the fun of it.
Dispeller of Myths
Glad to provide your entertainment. I have a few Chelsea supporting mates and I agree, they can be very boring and they don't take football anywhere near seriously enough. Well not unless I mention Millwall, that can be fun!
posted on 17/6/11
You misunderstood.
I meant Liverpool fans take THEMSELVES far too seriously not football.
Hope that clears it up.
posted on 18/6/11
Perfectly, thanks for the clarity. Nice of you to attend to our needs.