Anyone who follows football will know that June is known as the ‘silly season’ mainly due to the speculation of players moving from one club to another and the astronomical fees that clubs demand for these players!
However, a recent report by Deloitte has given ‘silly season’ a whole new meaning, the financial auditing and consulting company found that the 20 clubs that form the prestigious English Premier League (EPL) now spend over 68% of their total income on wages and that figure is based on 2009 /10 – the report also states that total revenues for the 20 EPL clubs topped £2billion for the same period (2009/10)
The EPL is a very strange set up when you think about it, there are in effect 3 separate mini leagues – there are (maybe) 6 clubs who could compete for the title, there are 8 clubs who usually by Christmas are safe from the threat of relegation but are too far adrift to even challenge the top 6 and then there are the usual suspects who fear relegation from the first game!
The 2010/11 is now over with Manchester United being champions, Chelsea finishing runners up and a new face in third spot – I for one was glad to see Manchester City win the FA Cup and breakup the usual top 3, but this comes at a price…
Manchester City are now owned by Sheik Mansour who reportedly tops footballs ‘rich list – he is worth billions and has not been shy in splashing the cash to take City into the ‘big league, this however, does come at a cost, in the same Deloitte report they state that Manchester City’s wage bill against revenue stands at 107%!!
That’s a loss in my book!
Ok back to reality, my club is Leeds United (queue the boos! 
) and if there is ever an example of a club who chased the dream and lost it’s my beloved LUFC – the current chairman Ken Bates isn’t everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ (in fact I would go as far to say that he is rather a disliked figure in English football) but it has to be said he has turned the financial fortunes of the club around and now operates a ‘tight ship’ where players do not hold the club to ransom – only this month 2 ‘first team’ players have moved on (I’m guessing for more money) because they couldn’t get the financial rewards (they think they deserve) from Leeds United.
Players will continue to call the shots until a wage cap is implemented, UEFA are looking at what can be done but until things are changed the silly season will be a year round affair and not just confined to June…
On a brighter note, the fixtures for 2011/12 are released on Friday!
Andy
Today
