|
|
Post by dai on Sept 2, 2022 8:41:44 GMT
Not a Welsh football themed thread, but just wanted to see what other fans' thoughts are on this.
The PL transfer spenditure has exceeded £2bn, almost four times the amount of every other top flight league.
Does anyone else not find this absolutely sickening? A huge amount of the UK population will be in poverty and struggling in the coming months, and to see this amount of money being spent on bloody football players is absurd.
I lost interest in UK top flight football years ago because of spiralling money spending and how overpaid players are, but I was hoping the bubble would have burst after Covid. Doesn't seem so.
When are fans going to realise how out of touch they are with their respective clubs? It's just madness.
Anyway, feel free to delete if this is not appropriate.
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 8:52:02 GMT
It’s an important topic, for sure and I feel the same. It’s actually particularly relevant to Wales seeing as to the levels of deprivation in some parts vs the largesse of a cosseted elite. But then imo football is just the tip of the iceberg. Footballers and other assorted privileged few get richer, everything gets more expensive and yet, at a time when there are more jobs than there are people, wages for the average person somehow get lower.
I actually really worry about what state Britain will be in during the World Cup when the contrast between the rich and privileged and those who can’t afford to heat their homes will be laid completely bare. During those four weeks football will be of secondary importance for many, many people.
|
|
|
|
Post by bale-droed on Sept 2, 2022 9:11:17 GMT
Not a Welsh football themed thread, but just wanted to see what other fans' thoughts are on this. The PL transfer spenditure has exceeded £2bn, almost four times the amount of every other top flight league. Does anyone else not find this absolutely sickening? A huge amount of the UK population will be in poverty and struggling in the coming months, and to see this amount of money being spent on bloody football players is absurd. I lost interest in UK top flight football years ago because of spiralling money spending and how overpaid players are, but I was hoping the bubble would have burst after Covid. Doesn't seem so. When are fans going to realise how out of touch they are with their respective clubs? It's just madness. Anyway, feel free to delete if this is not appropriate. Always watch lower league. Couldn’t care less about the premier league for the reasons you listed. I actually follow SPL more because most teams are in touch with reality. I live in Australia most of the time I follow grass roots and in Wales I’ll only watch non league/ Newport / Merthyr or Wrexham (although only watched them once). What happens with your local team effects your community what happens to a team of millionaires 300 miles away is irrelevant. |
|
|
|
Post by marsvolta on Sept 2, 2022 9:34:16 GMT
Yeah, there is some crazy money splashing around in football but I suppose it’s always been like that.
Saying that, the £2billion figure being quoted everywhere is slightly exaggerated as some of it is the same money moving around.
For example, Stirling left City for £50m, City bought Phillips for approx £50m then Leeds spend £50m on a few players.
That would be listed as Premier League clubs spending £150m when in reality it’s the same £50m moving around.
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 9:42:19 GMT
Yeah, there is some crazy money splashing around in football but I suppose it’s always been like that. Saying that, the £2billion figure being quoted everywhere is slightly exaggerated as some of it is the same money moving around. For example, Stirling left City for £50m, City bought Phillips for approx £50m then Leeds spend £50m on a few players. That would be listed as Premier League clubs spending £150m when in reality it’s the same £50m moving around. That may well be but a record cumulative spend still suggests that football at the top level is in as rude a health as it’s ever been. It’s like housing in that it seemingly defies the wider economic reality. I wonder what effect cost of living will have on football. Crowds will drop undoubtedly, but will that affect spending? Probably not seeing as most of the money these days seems to come from the TV deal in the Far East. Isn’t there a stat that premier league teams could play in empty stadiums and still not lose money? So we might see Britain fall into serious economic hardship and premier league spending continue to rise. |
|
|
|
Post by iot on Sept 2, 2022 9:57:27 GMT
I never get why footballers are always targeted more than other industries. There are obscene amounts of money involved in F1, the music industry, Hollywood and plenty of other celebrity sectors, but it's always the footballers that get targeted. Think it's a hangover from football being a working class sport, whereas other industries such as acting are often skewed towards the upper classes. So potentially an attitude that has subconsciously bedded in over time, that these kids off the streets of London etc. have no right to be earning the amounts of money they get.
The truth is, football is a multi-billion pound industry because of the entertainment it provides and its popularity around the world, more than any other sport. As such, the revenue generated by the industry goes to the stars of the game. It's as simple as that.
|
|
|
|
Post by jbt95 on Sept 2, 2022 10:26:34 GMT
Cost of living is nothing to do with football.
Coldplay tickets in Cardiff are going for £600 odd on ticketmaster as they’ve introduced dynamic pricing, and as few are left, this is now the face value of the ticket. That is wrong.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2022 10:28:37 GMT
Modern day bread and circuses.
|
|
|
|
Post by trippinbillie on Sept 2, 2022 10:34:47 GMT
The premier league has always been in its own bubble with the Sky money and the rights to the league around the world, the money produced far exceeds the other leagues around the world. With FFP it's good to see clubs outside the top flight now cutting their cloth accordingly. Fans do get frustrated it's like when you're kids looking out the window and seeing your friend with a brand new mountain bike while you get the hand me down drop handle bar. In the long term it's for the best. The money being spent on fee's, wages and agents is galling but it's a monster that won't go away for the time being at least
|
|
|
|
Post by marsvolta on Sept 2, 2022 10:57:43 GMT
I never get why footballers are always targeted more than other industries. There are obscene amounts of money involved in F1, the music industry, Hollywood and plenty of other celebrity sectors, but it's always the footballers that get targeted. Think it's a hangover from football being a working class sport, whereas other industries such as acting are often skewed towards the upper classes. So potentially an attitude that has subconsciously bedded in over time, that these kids off the streets of London etc. have no right to be earning the amounts of money they get. The truth is, football is a multi-billion pound industry because of the entertainment it provides and its popularity around the world, more than any other sport. As such, the revenue generated by the industry goes to the stars of the game. It's as simple as that. Yeah, footballers have always been targeted for some reason. ‘£100,000 a week for kicking a ball around, why not pay nurses that, they deserve it more’ ‘Er,because you don’t get 50,000 people paying £60 a time to watch a nurse do their job’ |
|
|
|
Post by iot on Sept 2, 2022 11:01:15 GMT
I never get why footballers are always targeted more than other industries. There are obscene amounts of money involved in F1, the music industry, Hollywood and plenty of other celebrity sectors, but it's always the footballers that get targeted. Think it's a hangover from football being a working class sport, whereas other industries such as acting are often skewed towards the upper classes. So potentially an attitude that has subconsciously bedded in over time, that these kids off the streets of London etc. have no right to be earning the amounts of money they get. The truth is, football is a multi-billion pound industry because of the entertainment it provides and its popularity around the world, more than any other sport. As such, the revenue generated by the industry goes to the stars of the game. It's as simple as that. Yeah, footballers have always been targeted for some reason. ‘£100,000 a week for kicking a ball around, why not pay nurses that, they deserve it more’ ‘Er,because you don’t get 50,000 people paying £60 a time to watch a nurse do their job’ Don't get me wrong, I'm all for moving towards a more equal society where there aren't such vast chasms in people's wealth. But whilst we live in this capitalist system, it slightly irks that footballers are always targeted as the greedy low-lifes earning too much money. |
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 11:29:10 GMT
I never get why footballers are always targeted more than other industries. There are obscene amounts of money involved in F1, the music industry, Hollywood and plenty of other celebrity sectors, but it's always the footballers that get targeted. Think it's a hangover from football being a working class sport, whereas other industries such as acting are often skewed towards the upper classes. So potentially an attitude that has subconsciously bedded in over time, that these kids off the streets of London etc. have no right to be earning the amounts of money they get. The truth is, football is a multi-billion pound industry because of the entertainment it provides and its popularity around the world, more than any other sport. As such, the revenue generated by the industry goes to the stars of the game. It's as simple as that. Yeah, footballers have always been targeted for some reason. ‘£100,000 a week for kicking a ball around, why not pay nurses that, they deserve it more’ ‘Er,because you don’t get 50,000 people paying £60 a time to watch a nurse do their job’ Without medical professionals a lot of people wouldn’t be alive to pay to watch footballers kicking a ball. The fact that footballers earn so much whilst some nurses and carers sleep in their cars is not necessarily a footballers fault, it does cast society in general in an ugly light though. |
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 11:30:49 GMT
Yeah, footballers have always been targeted for some reason. ‘£100,000 a week for kicking a ball around, why not pay nurses that, they deserve it more’ ‘Er,because you don’t get 50,000 people paying £60 a time to watch a nurse do their job’ Don't get me wrong, I'm all for moving towards a more equal society where there aren't such vast chasms in people's wealth. But whilst we live in this capitalist system, it slightly irks that footballers are always targeted as the greedy low-lifes earning too much money. But you’re on a football forum, go on any other fora and you will find that the knives are out for everyone who is earning vast amounts for a seemingly frivolous job (when compared to key workers). There is a real sea change going on in public opinion and probably not before time too. |
|
|
|
Post by gwernybwch on Sept 2, 2022 11:47:25 GMT
Not a Welsh football themed thread, but just wanted to see what other fans' thoughts are on this. The PL transfer spenditure has exceeded £2bn, almost four times the amount of every other top flight league. Is it just the ultra-excesses of the PL that irk you or the amount of money in football in general? Football has always been the play thing of rich people, it is just that now the EPL is the play-thing of the ultra-ultra rich. For others in the EPL it is darn good business as well. We, the fans are partially to blame. We keep on paying our sly subscriptions. We welcome Hollywood dollars, Malaysian ringgit or network solutions pounds if it means that 'our club' has some success. But then will moan when a Billy even bigger bollocks comes along and buys success at a rival club. |
|
|
|
Post by cynonvalley on Sept 2, 2022 12:25:53 GMT
Everyone was crying about the super league. The Super League is the EPL
|
|
|
|
Post by foxmulder on Sept 2, 2022 16:05:03 GMT
Yeah it irks me too.
They average wage in the National League is around £40k a year. Now if I was on that wage, I'd be pretty comfortable. Ha, it's almost a wetdream. But the average person doesn't seem to realise this isn't much for a footballer.
A footballer at that level has dedicated his life to the game. When he retires, then what? He's not going to walk into another job at £40k.
And still £40k for never being home, potential broken bones etc. Fuck that!
The average Premier League footballer earns around £3.5 million. Yeah its bonkers, but no one says anything when Tom Cruise makes £20m a film.
BTW Coldplay and a select, select, select, select, select, select few aside, there's no money in music.
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 17:02:12 GMT
Yeah it irks me too. They average wage in the National League is around £40k a year. Now if I was on that wage, I'd be pretty comfortable. Ha, it's almost a wetdream. But the average person doesn't seem to realise this isn't much for a footballer. A footballer at that level has dedicated his life to the game. When he retires, then what? He's not going to walk into another job at £40k. And still £40k for never being home, potential broken bones etc. Fuck that! The average Premier League footballer earns around £3.5 million. Yeah its bonkers, but no one says anything when Tom Cruise makes £20m a film. BTW Coldplay and a select, select, select, select, select, select few aside, there's no money in music. It depends- my best mate is a session musician, got called up to tour with Iron Maiden’s support band in the US recently and made 25k for a couple of month’s worth with all expenses paid. I really wouldn’t say he’s one of a select few. He’s what in other industries would be classed as a “consultant” I guess. With regard to football I think people are forgetting the context: football is prominent in the British psyche. It’s far more relatable than high paying movie studios that operate out of Hollywood and F1 which is a global enterprise. Premier league clubs are part of the fabric of these isles so overpaid footballers are going to be the first thing people think of when feeling aggrieved at the seemingly un-meritocratic nature of Britain. The other thing about football is that the clubs themselves are by their very nature set up to be commercially exploitative. Your average 15 year old has no emotional investment in the latest Hollywood blockbuster or whether Lewis Hamilton wins in the F1. Football is massively different and the clubs know this and leverage the emotional investment of the supporters in order to sell them expensive tat and maximise revenue. Back in my day the scheme was that kits were for two years, but Man United soon pushed against that and started introducing kits every season and then 3rd strips on top so that regular income through constant upgrades became completely normalised to the detriment of parents. This is a direct transfer of wealth from parents straight into the pockets of already well paid players. I doubt little kids are agitating for their parents to buy them the latest Lewis Hamilton jump suit. Maybe in a time of economic crisis clubs will show solidarity by cutting ticket prices (after all they rely on TV money far more than crowds) and moving back to kits every two seasons….but I won’t be holding my breath for any altruism from the premier league of whom some clubs tried to separate their player and match day staff so they could claim furlough payments whilst ensuring their playing staff’s contracts weren’t annulled |
|
|
|
Post by welshwhite on Sept 2, 2022 18:27:55 GMT
I follow a lower league team that almost fell on its own avaricious sword. Spending far more than it could sustain in search for that untouchable pinnacle, and paid the price in administration hell and impecunious rebirth . Many of the players I watch earn much more than I do, and I work in the NHS.
Many of my work colleagues follow and financially support clubs who's players earn stratospherically more in a month than they will in a lifetime, and don't seem to care.
There may be a sea change but it's not amongst football fans. Much as I loathe Tom Cruise for the money he earns for the Scientologists, as I don't particularly like his films, I would pay pretty much whatever the asking price for anything with Gary Oldman cos I know it will be worth it.
I seem to remember when Brentford stuffed the Mancs recently there was a stat on Sky that stated Brentford's squad cost 60 Million, United's cost half a Billion £. That's football right there, that's why we are so passionate about following Cymru, right ?
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 19:07:21 GMT
I follow a lower league team that almost fell on its own avaricious sword. Spending far more than it could sustain in search for that untouchable pinnacle, and paid the price in administration hell and impecunious rebirth . Many of the players I watch earn much more than I do, and I work in the NHS. Many of my work colleagues follow and financially support clubs who's players earn stratospherically more in a month than they will in a lifetime, and don't seem to care. There may be a sea change but it's not amongst football fans. Much as I loathe Tom Cruise for the money he earns for the Scientologists, as I don't particularly like his films, I would pay pretty much whatever the asking price for anything with Gary Oldman cos I know it will be worth it. I seem to remember when Brentford stuffed the Mancs recently there was a stat on Sky that stated Brentford's squad cost 60 Million, United's cost half a Billion £. That's football right there, that's why we are so passionate about following Cymru, right ? At that level I would say it's flat out wrong that they out earn the NHS and I would question the ethics of anyone who disagrees. The interesting thing about the worth of the Brentford vs united comparison is that a footballer's worth is entirely notional vs other workers. If everyone stops watching football then a footballer's value is precisely 0. That's it. With no one to watch them they have no skill of any value. In a world where globalisation is collapsing it's an important distinction. |
|
|
|
Post by welshwhite on Sept 2, 2022 19:38:18 GMT
We are playing percentages here, many lower league players will never make a career out of football, and frankly these lads should get paid enough in the short term to at least last them until they find another way to pay the bills.
I remember a 17 year old welsh lad Callum King-Harmes, one of the few we still had on our books at Bolton after most professionals went walkabout or on strike. Worked his fkn arse off, kept this famous old club alive, now at Bromsgrove Sporting (?!!), No I don't know either.
I'm a health care professional, work hard, but have a guaranteed regular income, most of these lads don't. Some won't even have a future.
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 2, 2022 20:14:10 GMT
We are playing percentages here, many lower league players will never make a career out of football, and frankly these lads should get paid enough in the short term to at least last them until they find another way to pay the bills. I remember a 17 year old welsh lad Callum King-Harmes, one of the few we still had on our books at Bolton after most professionals went walkabout or on strike. Worked his fkn arse off, kept this famous old club alive, now at Bromsgrove Sporting (?!!), No I don't know either. I'm a health care professional, work hard, but have a guaranteed regular income, most of these lads don't. Some won't even have a future. But the counter argument is that you provide a necessary service to your community, a footballer that far down the pyramid patently doesn’t. Their value is to themselves mostly. It’s a hobby they might make a few extra quid from. So what right do they have to earn a decent living from what is a frivolity in front of sparse crowds? Any increase to their wage might suck much needed expertise from the local community into the cusp of the pro game hoping they might make a success of a long shot, in the same way plenty of skilled people Jack their local jobs in and head off to London hoping to make it big in banking only to be chewed up and spat out again to the detriment of society. |
|
|
|
Post by welshrover on Sept 2, 2022 21:31:19 GMT
Fans do get frustrated it's like when you're kids looking out the window and seeing your friend with a brand new mountain bike while you get the hand me down drop handle bar. As someone who rides a road bike (what you term a drop down handle bar) I would prefer the second hand road bike over a new MTB every day of the week. |
|
|
|
Post by jimexotic on Sept 2, 2022 23:50:21 GMT
Cost of living is nothing to do with football. Coldplay tickets in Cardiff are going for £600 odd on ticketmaster as they’ve introduced dynamic pricing, and as few are left, this is now the face value of the ticket. That is wrong. If you paid me £600 I might sit through a Coldplay gig |
|
|
|
Post by welshrover on Sept 3, 2022 7:22:30 GMT
Cost of living is nothing to do with football. Coldplay tickets in Cardiff are going for £600 odd on ticketmaster as they’ve introduced dynamic pricing, and as few are left, this is now the face value of the ticket. That is wrong. If you paid me £600 I might sit through a Coldplay gig You're a braver man than me 🙂 |
|
|
|
Post by bale-droed on Sept 3, 2022 8:33:35 GMT
I never get why footballers are always targeted more than other industries. There are obscene amounts of money involved in F1, the music industry, Hollywood and plenty of other celebrity sectors, but it's always the footballers that get targeted. Think it's a hangover from football being a working class sport, whereas other industries such as acting are often skewed towards the upper classes. So potentially an attitude that has subconsciously bedded in over time, that these kids off the streets of London etc. have no right to be earning the amounts of money they get. The truth is, football is a multi-billion pound industry because of the entertainment it provides and its popularity around the world, more than any other sport. As such, the revenue generated by the industry goes to the stars of the game. It's as simple as that. Whilst I’ll contradict myself from my above point debating why footballers wages are targeted in the media more than film stars. I’m sure it’s a working class thing. These people aren’t supposed to have wealth the accents aren’t associated with wealth so we must ridicule |
|
|
|
Post by jimexotic on Sept 3, 2022 8:53:59 GMT
I like it when a side from the lower leagues with players on anything from £750 (still a very good wage if you ask me) to 10k a week plays one of the big boys and the lower league side act like they're a council house tenant without enough money to put the heating on having Jeffery Bezos over for a freeze dried coffee. There's money throughout the professional leagues, the idea that it's only with the big boys is an insult to the average working person. Obviously there's more with the big boys but to earn what say a Tranmere Rovers player gets a week I have to do 50+ hours a week.
|
|
|
|
Post by welshrover on Sept 3, 2022 10:41:56 GMT
I must admit I have personally yet to see any signs of all these people who are on "the bones of their a-se"
Despite record fuel prices the roads are still choc a block with 4 x 4's and other flash cars and I don't see any evidence of reduced car journeys to save money.
Houses in our village are being snapped up within a day of going up for sale at what in my opinion are rediculously over valued prices.
Record numbers of people are trying (airport chaos apart) to get abroad for foreign holidays and staycations appear to be just as popular despite some ludicrous asking prices for a week in a "cottage"
Many people are still spending fortunes on mobile contracts, streaming TV services etc and certainly when we go into the City Centre the bars and restaurants still seem full.
I am not suggesting for one minute that there are'nt people who are going to have to make hard choices but looking around I don't see a great deal of evidence of it. Maybe people are adopting a "what will be" attitude / spirit.
I realise this is veering away from the original topic and feel free to remove if required, I was just interested in other board members observations / experiences.
|
|
|
|
Post by insertname on Sept 3, 2022 16:05:50 GMT
I must admit I have personally yet to see any signs of all these people who are on "the bones of their a-se" Despite record fuel prices the roads are still choc a block with 4 x 4's and other flash cars and I don't see any evidence of reduced car journeys to save money. Houses in our village are being snapped up within a day of going up for sale at what in my opinion are rediculously over valued prices. Record numbers of people are trying (airport chaos apart) to get abroad for foreign holidays and staycations appear to be just as popular despite some ludicrous asking prices for a week in a "cottage" Many people are still spending fortunes on mobile contracts, streaming TV services etc and certainly when we go into the City Centre the bars and restaurants still seem full. I am not suggesting for one minute that there are'nt people who are going to have to make hard choices but looking around I don't see a great deal of evidence of it. Maybe people are adopting a "what will be" attitude / spirit. I realise this is veering away from the original topic and feel free to remove if required, I was just interested in other board members observations / experiences. It’s yet to hit though, the energy price cap goes up soon and will do again early next year. Winter will be the time of struggle when energy prices really become a factor. Housing data lags by a few months. Rents going up, interest rates going up, wages going down etc etc etc. Basically, we’re still in the calm before the storm at the moment. If the country falls into recession as expected and job losses start that’s when things are going to get pretty bleak. |
|
|
|
Post by conwy10 on Sept 3, 2022 17:35:33 GMT
Yeah, footballers have always been targeted for some reason. ‘£100,000 a week for kicking a ball around, why not pay nurses that, they deserve it more’ ‘Er,because you don’t get 50,000 people paying £60 a time to watch a nurse do their job’ Without medical professionals a lot of people wouldn’t be alive to pay to watch footballers kicking a ball. The fact that footballers earn so much whilst some nurses and carers sleep in their cars is not necessarily a footballers fault, it does cast society in general in an ugly light though. It's just how things work. If we abolished the health care system and ran health care as independent business' then the pay would sharply go up as they'd be competing for the best staff. Would people be happy to pay £30,000 to give birth in a hospital though? Nurses do an amazing job but unfortunately it's not a well paying one. But comparing it to elite world class sport is a bit strange. |
|
|
|
Post by underwood on Sept 3, 2022 18:02:19 GMT
I must admit I have personally yet to see any signs of all these people who are on "the bones of their a-se" Despite record fuel prices the roads are still choc a block with 4 x 4's and other flash cars and I don't see any evidence of reduced car journeys to save money. Houses in our village are being snapped up within a day of going up for sale at what in my opinion are rediculously over valued prices. Record numbers of people are trying (airport chaos apart) to get abroad for foreign holidays and staycations appear to be just as popular despite some ludicrous asking prices for a week in a "cottage" Many people are still spending fortunes on mobile contracts, streaming TV services etc and certainly when we go into the City Centre the bars and restaurants still seem full. I am not suggesting for one minute that there are'nt people who are going to have to make hard choices but looking around I don't see a great deal of evidence of it. Maybe people are adopting a "what will be" attitude / spirit. I realise this is veering away from the original topic and feel free to remove if required, I was just interested in other board members observations / experiences. It’s yet to hit though, the energy price cap goes up soon and will do again early next year. Winter will be the time of struggle when energy prices really become a factor. Housing data lags by a few months. Rents going up, interest rates going up, wages going down etc etc etc. Basically, we’re still in the calm before the storm at the moment. If the country falls into recession as expected and job losses start that’s when things are going to get pretty bleak. I agree with this point, many are in denial about the forthcoming situation, particularly the young who either don’t care that they’re headed for a life of debt, or to be blunt, are a little bit too stupid & self-absorbed to appreciate the gravity of what is upon us. |
|
