Premiership clubs are receiving more money than ever, and are in more debt than ever.

[Herr Tubthumper]

And 18 Premiership clubs owe 3.5 billion. This is more than the rest of Europe's 732 licensed clubs combined. This does not even include West Ham and Pompey as they do not hold UEFA licenses due to their financial problems.

Seems a bit f***ed to me.

 

[surrey jim]

How much of the £3.5bn is made from Liverpool and Man U??

 

[clapham_gull]

How much of the £3.5bn is made from Liverpool and Man U??

About a billion.

Can't even be classed as investment either, both sets of owners borrowed the money to buy the clubs and passed it onto the clubs themselves.

 

[clapham_gull]

Simple solution: Wage cap

Now the difficult bit, based on what ?

European wide ?

 

[Easy 10]

There is nothing simple about implementing a "wage cap". Clubs would inevitably find ways around it by bestowing enormous bonuses on players or finding other ways and means of paying them. It would make things even murkier than they are now.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

There is nothing simple about implementing a "wage cap". Clubs would inevitably find ways around it by bestowing enormous bonuses on players or finding other ways and means of paying them. It would make things even murkier than they are now.

Maybe not. The HMRC are on the case with footballers dodging taxes. They're going to shut the 'image rights' tax avoidance loop hole.

 

[clapham_gull]

For what it's worth I think there has to be measures to bring a bit of equality back to be honest.

( Cue: You can't punish clubs for their success clap trap )

Much of this problem has been caused by allowing an environment where some clubs can become massively richer than most and others spend well beyond their means to try and keep up.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

For what it's worth I think there has to be measures to bring a bit of equality back to be honest.

( Cue: You can't punish clubs for their success clap trap )

Much of this problem has been caused by allowing an environment where some clubs can become massively richer than most and others spend well beyond their means to try and keep up.

But 2 of so called Big 4 are horrendously in debt. So the issue of debt is not restricted to those trying to keep up. It's across the board.

 

[clapham_gull]

But 2 of so called Big 4 are horrendously in debt. So the issue of debt is not restricted to those trying to keep up. It's across the board.

The reason there are in debt is for a completely different reason though and you could probably argue that for Man United at least, they can easily service it.

 

[Stat Brother]

The reason there are in debt is for a completely different reason though and you could probably argue that for Man United at least, they can easily service it.

All the time the status quo remains, as is.
If they had a 'slump' in the magnitude of Arsenal's current trophy less run (comical I know), Utd would be in deep deep pooh.

 

[Colossal Squid]

How do Real Madrid have SO much money?

I'm sure I read that the Cristiano Ronaldo money was paid in full all in one go whilst most big money transfers you read about are paid in stages over a period of time. Not forgetting the other large sums of money they've spunked on players of late like Kaka, Alonso and Benzema.

It's no secret their wage bill is through the roof so I don't really understand where all their wealth comes from.

I know they negotiate their own individual TV rights deals which I should imagine are worth a pretty penny and obviously the huge stadium and global brand means that their turnover must be very high BUT Manchester United have a decent following and seem to be almost limitlessly marketable too so what's the difference?

 

[Common as Mook]

How do Real Madrid have SO much money?

They have private investors who pum in millions every time they want to buy some fancy Portguese tosspot.

 

[Stat Brother]

I will bow to better knowledge, but I think you hit the nail with 'negotiate their own individual TV rights deals'.

 

[Colossal Squid]

All the time the status quo remains, as is.
If they had a 'slump' in the magnitude of Arsenal's current trophy less run (comical I know), Utd would be in deep deep pooh.

But it's not that unlikely really. If Manchester United don't beat Villa on Sunday then they could quite easily end the season without a trophy and with the likes of Everton, Villa, Man City and even Tottenham becoming more competitive their dominance could well be on the wane. Particularly as they aren't as financially powerful as they used to be. They have a fair few top drawer players who need proper replacements who won't come cheap and at the moment who is the ready made replacement for Giggs? What about Scholes? Even Rio is getting on now and has barely played this season.

They badly need investment if they want to remain competitive and they've not got any more £70 million players they can offload each season to bring cash in.

 

[Stat Brother]

True, they are now a 'selling' club.
It's just comical that Arsenal are in a slump.

 

[clapham_gull]

How do Real Madrid have SO much money?

I'm sure I read that the Cristiano Ronaldo money was paid in full all in one go whilst most big money transfers you read about are paid in stages over a period of time. Not forgetting the other large sums of money they've spunked on players of late like Kaka, Alonso and Benzema.

It's no secret their wage bill is through the roof so I don't really understand where all their wealth comes from.

I know they negotiate their own individual TV rights deals which I should imagine are worth a pretty penny and obviously the huge stadium and global brand means that their turnover must be very high BUT Manchester United have a decent following and seem to be almost limitlessly marketable too so what's the difference?

They are effectively a private members club, so as long as those member are willing to put in the cash it's a different scenario.

I can't see the Spanish big two getting into trouble, those clubs are like a religion out there.

For the record their TV rights are rumoured to be at least double what Manchester United currently get.

The debt of Manchester United and Liverpool is a bit of a different issue here I think, but just as important. Ridiculous that someone can borrow that much money to buy a club.

Manchester United isn't owned by the Glaziers, it's owned by the banks !

Something needs to be done to "protect" clubs like Portsmouth and Hull from themselves.

Again I think, there has to measures to equalise the league. When the Premiership broke away and they started tinkering with things like split gate receipts etc.. that's when the trouble started.

As for trophies, well really all Manchester United have to do is ensure they qualify for the Champions League which they will do every season.

But yes, we have got ourselves in a situation where success in one years cup competition (The CL) dictates success the next. In a sporting sense, that is ridiculous.

 

[Stat Brother]

Historically Utd's budget has been top 3 in premiersh*t and 1/4 finals of Champs League.
That was before the huge debt, so god knows what they 'need' to do, to break even.

 

[hitony]

Now the difficult bit, based on what ?

European wide ?

I don't think it is difficult, if something is not done soon the whole thing will collapse bit by bit anyway, it's for the powers that be to sort this mess out, and one thing that must stop is all these foreigners / people who dont give a flying F**K about football buying the clubs out.

The state of football in this country is in a disgusting mess, and it is all because of money (stating the bloody obvious i know!!) and i don't care how short lived a footballers life is, it is there choice of work anyway, but clubs that are allowing players to earn in the region of £100,000 a WEEK!! are mad, nothing, nobody or no one, can sustain those sort of financial pressures, it is and has been for far to long, a joke.

Someone or a body of people need to come in and sort out this total farce, i admit i dont have the answers, if I did I would not be sat here moaning about it, i would be sorting it, but something really has to be done, and very soon so we dont all lose the game we all love.
I honestly do not want to kick off the "Portsmouth, Leeds, Palace" and all the other clubs that are in trouble at the moment, but when more and more clubs like this start going into administration, soon that easy way out will be closed and clubs WILL start to disappear.

 

[clapham_gull]

I don't think it is a difficult, if something is not done soon the whole thing will collapse bit by bit anyway, it's for the powers that be to sort this mess out, and one thing that must stop is all these foreigners / people who dont give a flying F**K about football buying the clubs out.

The state of football in this country is in a disgusting mess, and it is all because of money (stating the bloody obvious i know!!) and i don't care how short lived a footballers life is, it is there choice of work anyway, but clubs that are allowing players to earns in the region of £100,000 a WEEK!! are mad, nothing, nobody or no one, can sustain those sort of financial pressures, it is and has been for far to long, a joke.

Someone or a body of people need to come in and sort out this total farce, i admit i dont have the answers, if I did I would not be sat here moaning about it, i would be sorting it, but something really has to be done, and very soon so we dont all lose the game we all love.
I honestly do not want to kick off the "Portsmouth, Leeds, Palace" and all the other clubs that are in trouble at the moment, but when more and more clubs like this start going into administration, soon that easy way out will be closed and clubs WILL start to disappear.

I don't disagree, but I'm not sure it's simply a case of asking the clubs to do it, since they get to vote on the matter !

Really need an independent body that sets the rules, currently on matters such as above, they set them themselves.

In particularly, the bonus culture in football is completely out of control.

European wide would be a problem because of currency differences apparently.

 

[hitony]

I don't disagree, but I'm not sure it's simply a case of asking the clubs to do it on the basis that they get to vote whether they want it or not !

Really need an independent body that sets the rules, currently on matters such as above, they set them themselves.

Sorry Clapham I quoted your post unfairly, i should not have quoted any post, but you are right in what you say.

Again sorry for quoting your post