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Articles and reports on financial issues within football – soccer – from The Political Economy of Football.
The takeover of Watford FC by the Pozzo family has now been completed. Also owners of Granada and Udinese, they have a track record of success in developing clubs just below the top rank.
Watford fans will be pleased to see the back of Lawrence Bassini from Vicarage Road. He was never popular with supporters at Vicarage Road despite a track record of moderate success. Worries about his background persisted.
Six clubs have now opposed the compromise solution of the ‘newco’ Rangers being relegated to Division 1, Clyde being the latest. Of course with Clyde having one of the larger stadiums in the third division, it could be argued that they have a financial interest in Rangers playing there.
With the problems of Rangers multiplying, can you name six other Scottish clubs that went under? Here’s a blog that gives you the answers and provides some fascinating facts about their history.
Nine senior Rangers players are insisting that they are free agents and can leave the club in the wake of its liquidation. The Charles Green consortium is taking an uncompromising position, well aware that the club’s depleted assets would shrink further if it loses the players’ transfer values. The club said that it would be filing claims for breach of contract.
The auditors of Coventry City Football Club, BDO, have raised doubts over the club’s accounts. They said there was a ‘fundamental uncertainty’ over a series of key issues. Auditor Julian Rye stated in his report, ‘These conditions …
Uefa have been able to raise nearly £335,000 in fines on teams taking part in Euro2012. Mind you, that’s only 0.2 per cent of the £158m prize money.
The Russians have racked up almost £150,000 in fines together with a suspended six point deduction for the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Croatia have picked up £85,000 in penalties for the behaviour of their fans with Germany being charged £8,000 for the same offence along with England (£4,000) and Poland (£3,200).
Motherwell are concerned that they could be tipped into administration if Rangers are thrown out of the Scottish Premier League (SPL). However, they also think they could take a hit if Rangers stay in because fans might boycott the game.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Sven Goran Eriksson are among a number of sporting personalities and City figures who could face huge individual tax bills after a scheme to reduce their liabilities backfired. The 289 investors in Eclipse 35 could end up paying several times more than the £117m of tax they sought to avoid.
A reported plan for Rangers to buy Bury FC has been scotched by the League 1 club. Under the plan Bury’s home fixtures would be moved to Ibrox and played there, starting with the game against Brentford.
It is unclear why Bury was selected or whether the scheme would be compatible with the rules of either English or Scottish football.
The progress of Greece to the quarter finals of the Euros has given the country a much needed morale boost, while the match against Germany offers a chance of sweet revenge for the financial humiliations perceived to have been heaped on the country.