Football accounts for nearly half of the hundred sportsmen listed in the new Sunday Times sports rich list. The number of footballers, managers and past players has gone up from 48 to 49 compared with last year. In the first list, the number was 57, but no other sports come near. Golf and motor sport have eight each.
In the list of 40 sports stars under 30, all but nine are footballers with fortunes of £5m or more. There are 27 foreign-born footballers in the top 100 and the under-30 list out of a total of 71.
Football accounts for nearly half of the hundred sportsmen listed in the new Sunday Times sports rich list. The number of footballers, managers and past players has gone up from 48 to 49 compared with last year. In the first list, the number was 57, but no other sports come near. Golf and motor sport have eight each.
In the list of 40 sports stars under 30, all but nine are footballers with fortunes of £5m or more. There are 27 foreign-born footballers in the top 100 and the under-30 list out of a total of 71.
The two Manchester clubs and Chelsea dominate the list. Between them they have 34 current players or managers. David Beckham tops the list. Wayne Rooney is the highest ranked current player at 15th with a fortune of £51m, up by £6m. His wife Coleen was 29= in the Young Rich List of non-sportsmen and women, her £14m wealth coming mainly from media work.
Rio Ferdinand is the next highest ranked current player at 18= with an estimated fortune of £42m, up by £2m. Michael Owen goes into retirement with a fortune of £38m. Next in line among football people is Alan Shearer with £36m, followed by Sir Alex Ferguson on £34m.