Football's Magic Money Tree

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:30 pm

Aston Villa issue another bunch of shares - £22m worth, not yet known if it is a cash injection or conversion of debt to equity

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 5709494272" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

that is £74m in the last 5 months

see posts
#962 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=961" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
#1616 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1615" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:02 pm

Well this is a surprise - following the demise of Bury a number of Premier League clubs are willing to increase the solidarity payment - From the Telegraph

Premier League clubs open to increasing solidarity payments to EFL clubs after demise of Bury - Tom Morgan, Sports News Correspondent
29 August 2019 • 10:30pm

A number of Premier League clubs have opened the door to increasing solidarity payments for the lower leagues in the wake of League One Bury's collapse.

Top-tier teams including Manchester United are understood to be supportive of a review of the current support package after it was reduced for the first time this season.

Currently, £675,000 is handed out by England's top tier to League One clubs, down from £690,000, and £450,000 to League Two clubs, down from £460,000.

The 72 EFL clubs - now down to 71 after Bury's termination - are getting two per cent less every year because Premier League's domestic TV rights fell by 7.5 per cent for the 2019-2022 period from £5.4 billion to £5 billion.

However, the demise of Bury this week, and protracted takeover of Bolton Wanderers, has prompted some of Europe's biggest clubs to consider a rethink.

There is an acceptance among certain officials that the revenues around the Premier League should be enough to ensure the safety of those at the other end of the spectrum.

Parachute payments for the three clubs relegated last season from the Premier League are £41.8 million, also down two per cent, but the overall amount that the Premier League is paying in parachute payments has gone up this season, from £105 million to £107 million, because of differences in the number of clubs receiving second-year compared with third-year payments.

There is a growing feeling among the clubs that the growing profits gap between divisions is forcing clubs - particularly in the Championship - to employ dangerous boom or bust tactics to get promoted.

The poverty gap has been brought into focus this week as the EFL terminated Bury's League One status after months of mismanagement by owner Steve Dale.

Damian Collins, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, will now lead MPs in reviewing the crisis. The inquiry may consider whether the Premier League is doing its bit to help the EFL.

Vysyble, the data firm which claims it warned the EFL of a potential crisis two years ago, said Bury's expulsion could be just the start, despite Bolton's reprieve.

On Thursday night, Bury launched a blistering attack on the EFL, expressing “astonishment and dismay” at the apparent decision to ignore “a credible bidder”.

The club said in a statement: “Everyone connected with Bury were shocked and disappointed with the EFL’s decision to expel this wonderful, historic, community-driven club from the Football League. This decision was taken despite a credible new bidder being made aware to them before Tuesday’s 5pm deadline.

“Given this, all staff, players and no doubt fans of Bury are utterly devastated that, despite the new bid to buy the club, the EFL have informed us that they will not be rescinding their decision.

“This is something we are struggling to comprehend as the new bidder has proven significant funds to the EFL, funds to allow them to take over, run and secure the long-term future of Bury. Everyone at the club believed that such were the capabilities of the potential new owner, this would have started a brand new era for the club, seeing it go from strength to strength.

“The extreme lack of communication from the EFL has left all involved with Bury astonished and in dismay.”

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:26 am

"Football isn’t just a game, it’s embedded in our culture."

An elegy for Bury from some well respected football academics

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/poli ... ball-elegy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Aug 30, 2019 11:55 am

This suggested revamp for the Champions League is so ludicrous it just may come to pass

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... clubs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:02 am

John Nicholson has a book out - "Can We Have Our Football Back? How the Premier League Is Ruining Football And What We Can Do About It" - I suspect the articles he wrote for Football365.com will form a large part of it - The Telegraph have this to say about it

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... oycotting/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

meanwhile here is his latest column - https://www.football365.com/news/forget ... revolution" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:09 am

Chester Perry wrote:John Nicholson has a book out - "Can We Have Our Football Back? How the Premier League Is Ruining Football And What We Can Do About It" - I suspect the articles he wrote for Football365.com will form a large part of it - The Telegraph have this to say about it

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/20 ... oycotting/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

meanwhile here is his latest column - https://www.football365.com/news/forget ... revolution" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have a lot of time for John Nicholson and he talks more sense than most. Look forward to reading the new book.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:11 am

A powerful piece by Carlisle United reporter Jon Colman on the problems in the pyramid from a lower league perspective

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/foo ... -care-die/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it partners well with this from Jonathon Wilson in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/football/bl ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:13 am

The 4 year ban on Michel Platini is almost up - @BarneyRonay looks at his enduring influence

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... a-downfall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:42 am

Royboyclaret wrote:I have a lot of time for John Nicholson and he talks more sense than most. Look forward to reading the new book.

I find him an important and reasoned voice though I cannot agree with everything he says, very much worth listening too though and worthy of much respect. On the subject of his latest column I am less inclined to view fan owned clubs as the be-all and end-all, Wycombe have had 2 goes at it now but have again agreed to selling the club to a majority owned shareholder - the numbers of fan owned clubs that fail and/or sell is increasing

http://www.wycombewandererstrust.com/20 ... rob-couhig" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:47 am

The Price of Football looks at the next clubs that are in danger of collapse - A shortened version of this appeared in the Mail yesterday

http://priceoffootball.com/football-fin ... ents-kiss/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

apparently Oldham are the next club on the list

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:10 pm

Interesting Investigation piece from the Times on Gambling partnerships with 1xBet

Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham face huge fines over 1xBet deal - Jon Ungoed-Thomas - September 1 2019, 12:01am - The Sunday Time's
The gambling regulator has warned the elite football teams they risk prosecution unless they ditch a Russian sponsor

Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham football clubs are being warned by Britain’s gambling regulator that they risk prosecution and millions of pounds in fines if they continue to promote their global betting partner 1xBet.

The Russian firm is no longer licensed to operate in Britain after an investigation last month by The Sunday Times. Harry Kane, the Tottenham striker, the Liverpool star defender Virgil van Dijk and the Chelsea striker Willian are among players who have helped plug the firm.

The Gambling Commission confirmed that it has written to the three clubs to say any promotion of 1xBet in this country may be unlawful, risking unlimited fines and up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment. Tottenham said this weekend that it had ditched 1xBet as its sponsor.

It is the first significant intervention by the regulator in a growing backlash over the bankrolling of football by the gambling industry. Premier League clubs have sponsorship deals with betting companies worth more than £80m a year.

It comes after this newspaper revealed 1xBet’s websites had been blacklisted by regulators around the world. Its brand had been used to promote betting on children’s sports, cockfighting and a “pornhub” casino with topless women dealing the cards. The firm is also one of the biggest advertisers on sites that stream Premier League matches illegally.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, said: “It is shocking that these football clubs failed to do the most basic due diligence checks on 1xBet before signing up for these multimillion-pound deals. It’s an absolute debacle.”

Founded in Russia in 2007, 1xBet is one of the fastest-growing gambling firms. Tottenham made 1xBet its global betting partner in Africa a year ago. In July this newspaper exposed the company for fuelling a youth gambling epidemic in Kenya.

Liverpool announced that month that 1xBet would be its official global betting partner in a four-year deal, with advertising at Anfield and on the club website. Chelsea made 1xBet its official betting partner for the next three seasons. Ten of the Premier League’s 20 teams have deals to promote a betting firm on their strip.

White Bullet Solutions, a London monitoring firm, has found that in the six months to July 31, 1xBet was the biggest advertiser on a list of nearly 4,000 websites with illegal content.

1xBet operated in the UK on a platform provided by FSB Technology (UK). This firm is now being investigated by the Gambling Commission, and 1xBet’s UK website is suspended. The commission said licensed betting firms were not permitted to advertise on sites with illegal material.
It added: “We recently wrote to Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC to remind them that organisations engaging in sponsorship, and associated advertising arrangements, with an unlicensed operator may be liable to prosecution . . . for the offence of advertising unlawful gambling.”

Tottenham said all its 1xBet rights had been “terminated”. Liverpool said it had no comment and Chelsea is understood to be “monitoring the situation”.

1xBet said: “We take very seriously the allegation that 1xBet’s brand has been promoted on prohibited sites, which is strictly against our policies, and we have launched an investigation. Pending the outcome . . . we believe it is responsible to temporarily suspend our advertising activity in the UK.”

The charity Samaritans was criticised yesterday over a tie-up with Paddy Power Betfair. The deal involves fundraising, corporate donation and volunteering. Both organisations said the charity would help the betting company improve how it helps vulnerable customers.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 12:16 pm

Unfortunate sponsorship but Danny Kelly's and Simon Jordan's podcast is actually quite good and they are currently in a series of the Seven Deadly sins in Football

1 - Wrath (or anger)
https://audioboom.com/posts/7347970-wrath" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2 - Greed
https://audioboom.com/posts/7353841-greed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

all their other efforts can be found here

https://audioboom.com/channels/4993308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:24 pm

@AndyhHolt has a proposal for football's problem of getting reasonable commercial loan rates

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 6468483072" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

he then put this out to supplement it

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 5675054080" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

he actually proposed this to Sean Harvey at an EFL meeting - whose response was interesting idea and then moved straight on to the next agenda item of changing the transfer window

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 2065002497" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:27 pm

Bolton's new owners begin their reign with loans amounting to £40m from two of their number at 4% interest p.a.

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 8374417408" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

now then - does that strike you as a good idea?

claptrappers_union · Post by **claptrappers_union** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 1:37 pm

How are Bolton Wanderers going to pay back over £40 in League 1 & 2... are they going to sell the stadium and move to Gigg Lane?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 4:48 pm

claptrappers_union wrote:How are Bolton Wanderers going to pay back over £40 in League 1 & 2... are they going to sell the stadium and move to Gigg Lane?

You would think they would start by issuing share capital rather than loans, there are the debts to clear and while this will no doubt consolidate them at a very good rate to what the commercial market would offer I think it is a dangerous weight on the club at this stage with a team and confidence to build

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 5:59 pm

Many of us have though that SkySports putting highlights of Premier League games on youtube for free shortly after the games have finished as a bit of an own goal - this article looks at the possible benefits for them doing so

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/08/28 ... ee-youtube" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 6:14 pm

Last week saw the release of 2019 edition of the BDO Annual Survey of Football Club Finance Directors

Offthepitch.com had this to say about it https://offthepitch.com/a/rising-number ... ash?wv_id=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The BDO released this statement https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/insights/in ... ors-report" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; there is also the ability to download the report from that link

grim reading in those 2 pieces even at Premier League level - yet we have still had people moaning at the perceived lack of spend at our stable (currently sustainable) club on this very board in the last couple of days

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 6:22 pm

A look at how Arsenal are seeking to keep the Emirates up to scratch with Tottenham's new ground seen as the new guiding light (Arsenal fed into the development process for that ground quite significantly)

http://www.sportspromedia.com/interview ... LI.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 6:25 pm

Not sure how I missed this a few weeks ago - a complete commercial overview of the Premier League and it's constituent clubs for the start of the 2019/20 season - from TV deals to sponsorships and commercial partners

http://www.sportspromedia.com/analysis/ ... ghts-deals" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 6:32 pm

Real Madrid have posted their headline financial results for 2018/19 season (don't expect ours before late March 2020 at the earliest)

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/real ... -19-season" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the clubs own statement

https://www.realmadrid.com/en/news/2019 ... -transfers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

love how this does not include transfers

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 6:50 pm

Once again Simon Chadwick shows us the delicate (sometimes impossible) balance between European football's desire to gain traction outside of it's home territory and the politics of the region it is targeting #ModernColonialism

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 3496300544" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:01 pm

Here is another China related thread from Simon Chadwick - showing how football sponsorship is being used for Diplomatic purposes - like we did not already know with this specific case. They play Africa like the US do South America, supporting anyone who is compliant with their needs.

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 7720868866" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:03 pm

Much has been made of the exploitation of workers in Qatar as it prepares for a series of Global sporting event, but what about Japan - Simon Chadwick once again on the case

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 3097407489" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:19 pm

The New York Times had an article about the pre-dominance of loan-to-buy deals last week (see post #1996 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1995" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) today the FT have done the same following an analysis of 26000 deals - unfortunately I cannot access that, however John Burn-Murdoch who did much of the research has released this very detailed thread of his findings - thanks John

https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status ... 7676068864" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:25 pm

Cardiff's apparent refusal to pay the transfer fee for late Emiliano Sala continues, even though FIFA have given them until Friday to make the initial payment

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49517124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:26 pm

you take a few days away from your screen - the result - an absolute torrent of posts to bring a thread back up to date - my apologies to you all if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:31 pm

The Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the Macolin Convention) has become active - that's match-fixing to you and me - from small beginnings

https://www.coe.int/en/web/sport/manipu ... _count%3D5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:35 pm

Chester Perry wrote:Real Madrid have posted their headline financial results for 2018/19 season (don't expect ours before late March 2020 at the earliest)

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/real ... -19-season" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the clubs own statement

https://www.realmadrid.com/en/news/2019 ... -transfers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

love how this does not include transfers

Whether their financial results are good, bad or indifferent, Real Madrid cannot be accused of witholding available and relevant information from shareholders and supporters. Wish we at Burnley could say the same.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:36 pm

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators has issued what can only be called a timely article on Sports Governance

https://www.icsa.org.uk/knowledge/gover ... ying-field" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:46 pm

Interesting move from Tranmere (taking on an Indonesian minority investor) and a big aim to be a sustainable Championship club

https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/2 ... -chairman/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

cannot really see what this particular investor gets from this, the statement mentions nothing of them having a business in the area - so why would they do this in a club with no Premier League ambition, which would give a return on investment. Owning a club like Tranmere (or even ourselves) is more about custodianship rather than investment, which comes as a result of local ties rather than expected returns

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:49 pm

Touched on this a number of times over the summer, but given it is @SwissRamble, this is likely to be the most comprehensive comparison of the tv deals of the Big 5 European Leagues

https://twitter.com/SwissRamble/status/ ... 8308502528" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:55 pm

AFC Wimbledon's crowdfunding scheme aimed at getting them back to Plough Lane has passed the £2m mark

https://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/201 ... cwimbledon" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

things have slowed down after that breakneck start when the scheme opened see post #1803 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1802" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:07 pm

It is the EFL Trophy tonight - attendances will be very low as the call for boycotting B Teams gains more and more traction - and with the EFL making calls like this is it any wonder

https://twitter.com/R0ryDrake/status/11 ... 6472170498" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

for those who do not know about the issue - this is a good place to start

https://thesetpieces.com/features/b-teams-jpt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:33 pm

A follow on from post #2029 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=2028" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and the growing issues around 1xBet

https://sponsorship.sportbusiness.com/n ... h-options/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:39 pm

Interesting move from FIFA - introduction of Legal Aid and seeking legal counsellors who will work pro bono

https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we- ... no-counsel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:05 am

Well this is an interesting if somewhat belated move (not unusual for this lot) - The EFL are investigating Derby's sale and leaseback deal and getting their own independent valuation done - From the Times

Derby County could face sanctions over sale of Pride Park - Matt Lawton, Chief Sports Correspondent - September 4 2019, 5:00pm,

Derby County could yet face sanctions for possible breaches of financial regulations after the Football League ordered an independent valuation of their Pride Park stadium.

Derby are among a number of clubs who have been accused by rivals of exploiting a loophole in the rules that has allowed them to buy their stadium to make themselves financially compliant.

That has prompted the EFL to commission property experts to provide a valuation of the Sky Bet Championship club’s ground, The Times can reveal. Sources have said that independent stadium valuations have also been commissioned for Sheffield Wednesday and Reading.

In Derby’s case, the owner and chairman Mel Morris used a separate company to purchase the ground for £80 million — with a deal to then lease it back to the club — when it was listed as an asset on the club’s books with a value of only £41 million.

It meant that Derby reported a pre-tax profit of £14.6 million this year when losses in excess of £13 million per year over a three-year period amount to a breach of the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules. Last season, Birmingham City were docked nine points after recording total losses of £48.8 million from 2015-16 to 2017-18, taking them close to £10 million more than the £39 million limit.

It remains possible that Pride Park’s valuation could be boosted by a proposal to build a roof that would make the stadium a multipurpose venue, but the 24 planning application documents listed on Derby council’s website appear to be focused on a two-storey extension for a food court.

One property expert with knowledge of Pride Park believes that it could be valued even lower than the £41 million previously stated in Derby’s books.

A senior figure at a rival Championship club dismissed plans for a new roof at Pride Park as “irrelevant” when it had not been built at the time of the purchase by Morris.

Derby, who have made a slow start to the season under new head coach Phillip Cocu and are 19th in the Championship, are already under renewed scrutiny after signing the former England captain Wayne Rooney as part of a controversial £100,000 a week player/coach deal in collaboration with a betting firm.

Clubs have accused Derby, among others, of breaching financial fair play rules, with Middlesbrough even reportedly considering legal action.

The Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson levelled such accusations at Aston Villa and Derby at a meeting of Championship clubs in March, and the Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani argued that Derby should have faced sanctions for selling their ground to their owner.

“We should revisit the rules,” Radrizzani said at the Financial Times’ Business of Football Summit. “We were judged as a cheating club when we sent a scout to watch [Derby] training, so they should take a similar view on what I would say is greater cheating by these clubs.

“If it’s cheating to send a scout in a public street, what should be the punishment of selling the stadium to a sister company to increase income of the clubs?”

Derby, Wednesday and Reading have consistently denied breaching any regulations.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is noticeable that Villa are not part of that investigation - the Premier League do what they want and they want Villa (and quite probably any of Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds, Sunderland and Forest at the expense of Bournemouth, Burnley and Watford)

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:27 am

The Premier League continues it's war with counterfeiters

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/prem ... W_wZ4BLsjU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)

On first sight I though that number was miniscule until I saw that it does not include the actions of the clubs or other authorities

More interesting is the idea that counterfeiting is costing the league £1m a game in lost sponsorship - that is £380m or £19m per club (more than we have ever spent on a single transfer) not that it would ever be shared out in an even way

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:39 am

The fallout and ramification's following Bury's expulsion from the EFL continue - At the weekend the Price of Football published an article relating to which clubs are currently most at risk (see post #2028 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=2027" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Here @DrRob_Wilson fuels an alarming (for the unaware) article in the Yorkshire Evening Post about the scale of debt, overspending and the consequent number of clubs at risk

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/f ... -1-9972707" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:45 am

A different angle but an equally depressing outlook, this time in the I with input from Simon Chadwick

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/bury ... -chadwick/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:04 am

following his tweet on Monday about Hong Kong fan clubs of European clubs (many with official affliation) banning membership from Police Officers (see post #2040 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=2039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) Simon Chadwick has this to add to those clubs planning tours in Chinese territories next summer

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 6856948736" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:08 am

"Never before have we seen these many stars up for sale. And never before were there so few takers. Was it a market correction? Was it FFP? Are top clubs entertainment brands to the point that results on the pitch don't actually matter that much?"
@Marcotti looks at why so many stars were up for sale this summer apparently unwanted by their clubs, and why many remain unsold

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog-ma ... e-not-sold" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:26 am

@AndyhHolt telling some home truths to Bolton fans (many still refuse to hear it)

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 5770491904" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

even calls out Blackburn fans too
https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 7613179904" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:50 am

A private UEFA study showing the huge wealth gap in European football between the Big 5 and other leagues. It was commissioned by UEFA from Deloitte to feed into the fraught talks over the future of the Champions League - from the Associated Press by @RobHarris

Study finds huge wealth gap in European soccer

A study commissioned by UEFA to aid in the debate over the future of the Champions League shows the financial and talent gap between the top five European leagues and the other 50 leagues on the continent is growing.

The destabilizing effect of the power of the “Big Five” leagues — England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France — is set out across a 50-page study by accounting firm Deloitte marked “private and confidential” and obtained by The Associated Press after being presented to UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council in Monaco.

The data shared with key European soccer officials is certain to fuel the heated debate over the future of the Champions and Europa Leagues heading into key meetings of clubs next week in Switzerland. The divisiveness of the discussions led to UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, to call off a meeting that was also scheduled for next week involving clubs and leagues. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin believes they are not “ready for a meaningful discussion.”

The “Polarization in European Football” report was commissioned by UEFA in June during the increasingly fraught talks involving leagues and clubs over attempts to overhaul the format of European competitions from 2024. UEFA initially presented the idea of reserving 24 places for clubs in the Champions League to return the following season, but it has since backed off the proposal because it has left some of the biggest leagues at odds with their best teams.

Changes to the format are being pursued by the top clubs to ensure them more games against each other and guarantee inclusion in lucrative annual tournaments without qualifying. One of the most powerful figures in the fight is Andrea Agnelli, who has wielded his power as head of the European Club Association and is chairman of Italian champion Juventus, Ronaldo’s team.

The biggest leagues have pushed back, saying changes that would limit the opportunities for teams to earn a place in the European competitions such as the Champions League devalue their leagues.

The European Leagues group has worked to divide the elite, perennial trophy winning clubs from their less prosperous counterparts.

One of the most recent leagues to publicly denounce the ECA was the Czech Republic, which said their clubs agreed it was “inappropriate for European football bodies to create plans that would alter the structures, calendar and competitiveness of the domestic game.”

The wealthy Premier League clubs offered support with a rare joint statement in June that highlighted the “obligation to maintain the health and sustainability of domestic league football.”

Caught in the middle is UEFA, who is using the study to help support its claim that it is the only European soccer body that distributes funds across the continent. The report shows how the top leagues are monopolizing the best players and the cash of broadcasters.

Some key findings:
— The Big Five accounts for 74 percent of the 19.7 billion euros ($21.7 billion) generated by leagues across the continent, up from the 68 percent 10 seasons earlier.
— Forty-Seven teams account for 60 percent of the revenue generated by all 720 clubs in the 55 nations assessed by Deloitte.
— The attractiveness of the Big Five league matches on television could at least partially account for a drop in stadium attendances this decade across the 45 lowest-ranked leagues by revenue.

“To meet broadcast demand, the Big Five match calendar has increasingly been spread to collectively cover the weekend from Friday through to Monday nights to ensure live Big Five games are always available to watch in non-Big Five markets,” the report said. “Meanwhile, most leagues in Europe have seen a decline or little or no growth in matchday attendances.”

— The Big Five leagues banked 97 percent of the 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion) generated in non-domestic broadcast revenue by all European leagues in the 2017-18 season.

Rights holders in the other 50 European nations paid 430 million euros ($474.3 million) to show matches from the Big Five, accounting for 18 percent of the Big Five’s international broadcast revenue.

“Nothing is coming back in my country,” Romanian federation president Razvan Burleanu recently told the AP, referring to money Romanian broadcasters pay to screen league games from abroad. “This can be an idea to contribute to decreasing the gap between top-five leagues and the rest.”

UEFA argues it is doing just that, sharing the revenue from European competitions.

While generating 373 million euros ($411.4 million) from broadcasters in countries beyond the Big Five, UEFA distributed more than double that to clubs in the 50 bottom-ranked countries.

The Big Five also profited but to a lesser degree: UEFA gave them around 150 million euros ($165 million) on top of the fees those markets paid for Champions League and Europa League games, taking the total to around 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion).

The Big Five redistributes some of their revenue domestically to lower divisions, but Deloitte highlights how they “do not make direct solidarity payments to other European leagues.”

— The report also shows how the Big Five has increasingly been a magnet for foreign talent, with more than a fifth of the players in those leagues coming from the rest of the continent last season.

No country was impacted more than the Netherlands, which lost 50 players to the Big Five — a rise of 61 percent since the 2007-08 campaign. European champion Portugal is next on the list, with 49 players lost.

The struggle keeping players at home is particularly acute for Belgium and Austria. They have experienced around a three-fold increase in the number of players going to the Big Five in a decade.

The report does not touch on the players who benefit from Big Five salaries and the chance to win the biggest trophies.

— Transfers fees are not significantly filtering across the European game, with 67 percent of transfer spending — or 3.5 billion euros — circulating within the Big Five last season compared to 56 percent — or 1.4 billion euros — in 2007-08.

Non-Big Five leagues only receive 18 percent of the transfer spend, down from 23 percent in 2007-08.

“Only the Big Five leagues in aggregate are profitable,” Deloitte concluded to UEFA. “Operating losses have increased across all other tiers, in aggregate, since 2007-08.”

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:15 am

Not expecting any English clubs to post financial results for last season any time soon - though that doesn't stop people speculating - 3 such pieces I would love to read in full from offthepitch.com but most of the content is behind a paywall

Brighton expected to post a loss
https://offthepitch.com/a/seagulls-set- ... d-spending" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Man City expected increased profits after domestic treble - probably not as much as you would expect
https://offthepitch.com/a/citizens-set- ... tic-treble" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tottenham are expected to post new world record profits - remember that the FA lost money in 2017-2018 on Tottenham's rental of Wembley while the club posted record revenues and a world record profit (a point no one in the press seemed to question at all)
https://offthepitch.com/a/spurs-set-pos ... ive-profit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:20 am

Another proposal for the revamped Champions League post 2024 - known as the Copenhagen plan

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/foo ... p-18968055" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The curious thing about this is Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar is an Executive President of the ECA and this goes against everything in their proposals that he was advocating only 2 months ago

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:00 am

@KieranMaguire offers is views on the EFL's elite barn door closing squad's investigation into the ground sales at Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading via the Yorkshire Evening Post

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... -1-9976354" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

you do get a sense from the city of Leeds that everyone believes it is now or never for them to get promotion and they crave positive opinion on how they are doing it as much as will they do it

Tricky Trevor · Post by **Tricky Trevor** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:03 pm

http://www.skysports.com/share/11803041" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
EFL review following Bury demise.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:58 pm

Well this is a surprise - the Premier League are to lok at the sale of Villa Park in a parallel investigation to that of the EFL on Serby Sheffield Wednesday and Reading

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49600851" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:00 pm

Tricky Trevor wrote:http://www.skysports.com/share/11803041
EFL review following Bury demise.

Well that seems reasonably structured at first glance