[Albion] Marc Cucurella *Signed For Chelsea 05/08/2022*

[Weststander]

Championship players will still be earning well into 6 figures, or low 7 figures per year for the best of them (even some of our more promising youngsters will be into 6 figures... imagine having that as an 18 year old). Equivalent pay in a "normal" career, you would normally need to be at executive level in a multinational.

If only I'd been blessed with footballing talent.

Something more relatable for us normal folk might be League 2 level.

Average player annual earnings (gross):
EPL £3m
Championship £482,000
L1 £247,000
L2 £113,000

Football League wages sustained in part by parachute monies for some clubs, for many others through ludicrous business models. For example:

 

[birthofanorange]

You asked earlier about when is it ever enough and i am afraid that the simple answer may well be " never " .People at every wage level will tend to cut their cloth according to the size of their pocket , if someone earning EPL wages were to live as we do then it would be enough but they don't ! They will waste vast sums of money on elite cars , yachts , multiple apartments etc !
Just to give you a small example from my past life - at one time i was working as a van driver delivering toiletries for a small company and one place i went to was an elite men's salon near the reform club in london . At that time i was getting my haircut at my local hairdressers for about £4 and out of interest i asked someone who worked there how much a haircut was ( just a cut as they offered a full menu of treatments etc ) and was told it was £120 !!!!!!!!!!! I remember thinking at the time the people who come in here must have money to burn and truth is they probably did . The point being they were living in a different world to me with completely different values .

You say that, but they still started out the same as all of us, and surely put money away for 'rainy days'? The difference being that the sums put away are ridiculously huge, as I find it hard to believe that players who earn the sums we're talking about live beyond their means.
Hell, I wonder what they even need to spend it on, as cars are usually given via sponsorship, clubs often provide the houses, etc.
I guess more bling for a WAG? Tens of thousands on a watch? I would imagine most of their earnings are just spending money.
It's not hard for them to provide for their entire future, nor that of their family, within a couple of years, yet still enjoy the high life.
Of course, if they last at EPL for several years, it's even easier, barring a gambling habit.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

You asked earlier about when is it ever enough and i am afraid that the simple answer may well be " never " .People at every wage level will tend to cut their cloth according to the size of their pocket , if someone earning EPL wages were to live as we do then it would be enough but they don't ! They will waste vast sums of money on elite cars , yachts , multiple apartments etc !
Just to give you a small example from my past life - at one time i was working as a van driver delivering toiletries for a small company and one place i went to was an elite men's salon near the reform club in london . At that time i was getting my haircut at my local hairdressers for about £4 and out of interest i asked someone who worked there how much a haircut was ( just a cut as they offered a full menu of treatments etc ) and was told it was £120 !!!!!!!!!!! I remember thinking at the time the people who come in here must have money to burn and truth is they probably did . The point being they were living in a different world to me with completely different values .

This. Lifestyle adapts to income. My spending habits have changed considerably since becoming a teacher ! In my old job I complained about my salary just like everybody else, as I had a lifestyle to match.

 

[Gabbiano]

Average player annual earnings (gross):
EPL £3m
Championship £482,000
L1 £247,000
L2 £113,000

Football League wages sustained in part by parachute monies for some clubs, for many others through ludicrous business models. For example:

View attachment 150544

Now that is interesting. I would have expected PL to be slightly higher tbh, I guess the size of the squads at that level with many backup players balances out the big star wages.

More money being spent in L1 and L2 than I expected.

 

[banjo]

Some spend loads of their cash on fashion

 

[drew]

PL footballer reasons. Nobody's given real life reasons.

You need to read more carefully. As others have said, there are many players that support extended families at home, give to charities etc. I believe George Weah financed a hospital in Liberia.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Yeah it’s about success and money and money and money and money.

In this case, for example, he had his heart set on playing for Pep and the success that would come with it, oh - and the money.

Nowhere else would do, so much so a transfer request was submitted... no dice, no deal.

Suddenly his heart is set on Chelsea and the slightly less successful horizon, oh but the money is good - perhaps even better.

I’d say he’s the dictionary definition of a mercenary.

But he’ll be rich and successful, who’d begrudge him that ? Oh and he’ll get to live in London - I mean, who wouldn’t ... ?

Blimey - his feet barely touched our stone as he skipped over on his way to a massive pile of money.

Remember, it’s not just about money, it’s about SHIT loads of money.

And... I don’t have to like it.

Sauce?

 

[Kosh]

Average player annual earnings (gross):
EPL £3m
Championship £482,000
L1 £247,000
L2 £113,000

Football League wages sustained in part by parachute monies for some clubs, for many others through ludicrous business models. For example:

View attachment 150544

Yep totally and utterly unsustainable on every level.

But hey it’s okay, as long as us poor people keep spending £100 on a replica shirt or two, and lapping up ever increasing season ticket prices, not to mention tv sports packages ... how could any of us call it out for just being plain wrong ?

Obviously I wouldn’t begrudge anyone profiteering off the back of normal people’s struggles... you know, to watch the game they love.

I can’t believe people think it’s a.) acceptable and b.) sustainable.

I often compare it in my mind to the price of a record, it’s the same if it’s by a genius like Lennon or some bloke playing gigs down his local ... they earn their fortune from pure talent and a % of selling literally millions of records... do footballers deserve the same level of earnings ? Not for me they don’t - especially when the business model behind it is utterly broken.

The point being I pay £10 for Imagine and £10 for Les Bennett’s Imaginings... it’s art it’s subjective ... but talent will out.

Football is broken, yes there’s talent, but by God they simply earn WAY too much money for what they do ... it’s absolutely criminal.

 

[birthofanorange]

You need to read more carefully. As others have said, there are many players that support extended families at home, give to charities etc. I believe George Weah financed a hospital in Liberia.

That's superb - do they all do stuff like that?

 

[Weststander]

Now that is interesting. I would have expected PL to be slightly higher tbh, I guess the size of the squads at that level with many backup players balances out the big star wages.

More money being spent in L1 and L2 than I expected.

All these figures are mean averages and include all first team squad players, no matter their youth, even at tiny clubs such as CP.

Regarding the lower leagues, 20 years ago I knew Dean Hammond’s best mate, I also worked with an Albion director. When Hammond and a large batch of his contemporaries got awarded their first senior contracts I was told that they’d earn north of £100k a year with first team bonuses if they were in and around the first team. At a club operating on Withdean income! Remember too that Pompey, Massive, Charlton, Bolton, Ipswich bring up the averages.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

That's superb - do they all do stuff like that?

Bruno donated a percentage of his wages to charity.
Lou Macari runs a homeless hub.

I believe Ronaldo gives a lot to different charities.

 

[GT49er]

You need to read more carefully. As others have said, there are many players that support extended families at home, give to charities etc. I believe George Weah financed a hospital in Liberia.

Nothing to do with what I said. Total non-sequitur.

Well done Gearge Weah though.

 

[Weststander]

That's superb - do they all do stuff like that?

Bentley and McLaren dealerships need their support too.

 

[Baldseagull]

If I were to win £10M on the lottery (let alone £20 - 50M), I'd consider it an abject failure if I was unable to provide for my children/grandchildren. I do get the zero connnection thing, but it does feel a kick in the teeth when he seemed to like it here, as well as winning PotS, with fans and players alike.

But if you could swap your £10M winning ticket for a £20M winning ticket, you would do so, and be more confident that you could look after your grandkids.

 

[Mr Putdown]

That's superb - do they all do stuff like that?

Well, even this sites pantomime villain, Zaha gives 10% of his salary to charity.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-reveals-he-gives-10-of-his-salary-to-charity

I’m sure sure there are many more players that do likewise.

 

[birthofanorange]

Bruno donated a percentage of his wages to charity.
Lou Macari runs a homeless hub.

I believe Ronaldo gives a lot to different charities.

I would hope he does, given he's earned over a billion...

 

[birthofanorange]

Well, even this sites pantomime villain, Zaha gives 10%.

I’m sure sure there are many more.

I hope that doesn't leave him a bit short - should we have a whip round?

 

[Weststander]

Yep totally and utterly unsustainable on every level.

But hey it’s okay, as long as us poor people keep spending £100 on a replica shirt or two, and lapping up ever increasing season ticket prices, not to mention tv sports packages ... how could any of us call it out for just being plain wrong ?

Obviously I wouldn’t begrudge anyone profiteering off the back of normal people’s struggles... you know, to watch the game they love.

I can’t believe people think it’s a.) acceptable and b.) sustainable.

I often compare it in my mind to the price of a record, it’s the same if it’s by a genius like Lennon or some bloke playing gigs down his local ... they earn their fortune from pure talent and a % of selling literally millions of records... do footballers deserve the same level of earnings ? Not for me they don’t - especially when the business model behind it is utterly broken.

The point being I pay £10 for Imagine and £10 for Les Bennett’s Imaginings... it’s art it’s subjective ... but talent will out.

Football is broken, yes there’s talent, but by God they simply earn WAY too much money for what they do ... it’s absolutely criminal.

Clubs should have to break even.

 

[birthofanorange]

But if you could swap your £10M winning ticket for a £20M winning ticket, you would do so, and be more confident that you could look after your grandkids.

I'd be confident only in that I could leave them even more money, which isn't the same as providing for them. What next - win £100M and still provide for them? £200M?
Where does it become ridiculous instead of 'providing'?

 

[Mr Putdown]

I hope that doesn't leave him a bit short - should we have a whip round?

Why would you want to have a whip round for a multi millionaire, who clearly isn’t left a bit short by donating 10% of his salary to charity?

Weird.