Perils of failed English footballers - BBC article.

[hans kraay fan club]

Interesting article. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28950665

Some shocking stats in here, although it doesn't state where they are from.

There are about 130 former professional footballers currently in prison

40% of pro footballers go bankrupt within five years of leaving the game.

FORTY PERCENT?

 

[shaolinpunk]

Maybe those that go bankrupt do so because they continue to live in the lifestyle they did as a footballer but without the income?

 

[Mowgli37]

Clubs should give over one training session a week to Home Economics by the sounds of that article.

 

[Lawson]

i read somewhere that fifty per cent of footballers marriages come to an end within a year of retirement. possibly due to the fact they hadn't spent prolonged time with their partner before? the stress and depression of lacking a purpose or stimulus after retiring?

 

[clippedgull]

Gambling.

I love a punt, but I would be the first to admit that gambling should really be illegal - it ruins too many lives and contributes absolutely nothing to society.

Same as smoking and alcohol!

 

[pishhead]

i read somewhere that fifty per cent of footballers marriages come to an end within a year of retirement. possibly due to the fact they hadn't spent prolonged time with their partner before? the stress and depression of lacking a purpose or stimulus after retiring?

Or in some case the Wife doesn't find it as glamorous to be married to an ex footballer.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Interesting article. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28950665

Some shocking stats in here, although it doesn't state where they are from.






FORTY PERCENT?

Hmmm. I'm not sure I believe it's that high. Almost half of retired footballers bankrupt? Nah.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Hmmm. I'm not sure I believe it's that high. Almost half of retired footballers bankrupt? Nah.

Indeed - which is why i questioned the provenance of the figures.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Indeed - which is why i questioned the provenance of the figures.

Yeah. Probably the PFA trying to elicit sympathy for their (ex) members.

 

[atfc village]

Josh Payne coward and rightly sacked by us after his shameful behaviour on a night out in Guildford.

 

[Beach Hut]

I suppose the issue is one week you earn huge money and the next you do not and the reality of how to adjust accordingly.

Is that because the football salaries are just plain stupid in the first place ?

 

[Spider]

The stats on ex footballers are still skewed a low by pros who were playing in the pre-Sky millions days. It's very very easy to imagine that someone who was earning a well above average salary got used to living that lifestyle but didn't account for the fact that money would dry up after the age of 35.

It's still possible that mega earners could spend much of what they earn, but one would imagine that nowadays such finances, being the big business that they are, would be well managed and unlikely to produce as many washed up bankruptcies as previously. Look at the stats in 10 years once there's a significant sample of ex-Premiership earners.

 

[Danny-Boy]

The stats on ex footballers are still skewed a low by pros who were playing in the pre-Sky millions days. It's very very easy to imagine that someone who was earning a well above average salary got used to living that lifestyle but didn't account for the fact that money would dry up after the age of 35.

It's still possible that mega earners could spend much of what they earn, but one would imagine that nowadays such finances, being the big business that they are, would be well managed and unlikely to produce as many washed up bankruptcies as previously. Look at the stats in 10 years once there's a significant sample of ex-Premiership earners.

I think you forget that all these footballers end up with a "retinue" of hangers-on and general arse-wipers if they're not careful. They will still want a take and therefore the player himself won't be able to set aside enough money to cover tax, divorce settlements etc.

These guys are mercenaries now, they won't be shielded by the clubs like they used to be.

 

[Spider]

I think you forget that all these footballers end up with a "retinue" of hangers-on and general arse-wipers if they're not careful. They will still want a take and therefore the player himself won't be able to set aside enough money to cover tax, divorce settlements etc.

These guys are mercenaries now, they won't be shielded by the clubs like they used to be.

Possibly true. My main point was that footballers from 10, 15, 20 years ago were rich, but not super rich, and it's easy to see how having that money young, rather than reaching it at a more mature point in an average life/career would lead to a lack of forward planning. To be honest in think that players are so much more 'managed' nowadays that it's unlikely as many will be able to blow it all so quickly, not to mention how much more they make.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Has anybody any experience of what our academy set up is like in terms of preparing kids for life without professional football?

 

[El Presidente]

The PFA pay lip service to looking after their members. It's a very amateurish organisation, and doesn't look after it's cash very well.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Clubs should give over one training session a week to Home Economics by the sounds of that article.

Home Ecomics was cooking when I was at school
Has it changed.
They earn enough when playing they should invest some by paying for tuition before theyvgo skint to stop them going skint.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Has anybody any experience of what our academy set up is like in terms of preparing kids for life without professional football?

Why should it It a football academy not a state funded nursery/ school

 

[KZNSeagull]

Why should it It a football academy not a state funded nursery/ school

Duty of care. 80%+ of the kids that go there will not make it. As a parent, I would want to know what schooling they offer, what vocational courses they offer. what "life skills" they are taught, for want of a better expression etc etc. They ain't going to be playing football all day, especially those that are staying away from home, so I think that is vital. The last thing a club needs is complaints that the club promised them the earth and then dumped them with no backup plan in place.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Duty of care. 80%+ of the kids that go there will not make it. As a parent, I would want to know what schooling they offer, what vocational courses they offer. what "life skills" they are taught, for want of a better expression etc etc. They ain't going to be playing football all day, especially those that are staying away from home, so I think that is vital. The last thing a club needs is complaints that the club promised them the earth and then dumped them with no backup plan in place.

I saw there were job ads for teachers or tutors at the academy, so there must be something. To what level, I've no idea.