"If you want some accessible but informative insight into football then I suggest you couldn't do better than the Political Economy of Football website, which is not only intelligible but comes with the added bonus of being written by Addicks fan Wyn Grant." Ben Hayes - Charlton Athletic programme
A new report, the first of its kind, shows that Manchester’s economy is boosted by £330m a year by the presence of two Premiership clubs in the city. It’s the equivalent of hosting the Olympic Games once every four years and eight times the similar effect from football in Glasgow.
The example of the Premier League casts a long shadow. Much criticised domestically, it is seen as a business model to emulate across the world.
A number of clubs are in the market for naming rights deals, not least West Ham in relation to the Olympic Stadium. Football takes just under a quarter of a global market worth $750m a year, according to data from Sponsorship Today. Multi-purpose venues, which would include the Olympic Stadium, account for 29 per cent.
Rescuing Portsmouth FC has been a highly complex process involving persistence and a wide range of skills. These skills will become even more necessary once the Pompey Supporters’ Trust (PST) is in charge.
The legal experts who made up the Versiona Team were spurred on by their personal passion and dedication to Portsmouth FC. They voluntarily dedicated hundreds of hours at all times of day, night and at weekends.
Coventry City owners Sisu are trying to get talks restarted on their tenancy of the Ricoh Arena. They have made a direct appeal to the chief executive of the city council, Martin Reeves. As has been the case for some time, the main sticking point is not the rent, where Arena Coventry Limited have made a substantially reduced offer, but matchday revenues.
Reports are appearing on social media that Pompey Supporters’ Trust (PST) have agreed a deal in principle to buy Fratton Park from Balram Chainrai have now been confirmed by the BBC. It is thought that the out of court settlement involves the payment of £3m plus add ons to Chainrai’s Portpin Group.
A £10m debt to former players will be covered with a £9m parachute payment from the Premier League. Ordinary creditors such as local businesses will receive 2p in the pound.
Bury FC could go bust within days unless they can raise £1m. They are appealing to local business people to contribute £100k each to a consortium, although assurances that they would get their money back need to be treated with some caution.
Many people argued that the arrival of television would mean the end of radio or at least of talk radio as distinct from a dj playing music (or perhaps no dj at all). However, radio remains important to football, particularly keener fans.
It’s fair to say that Mrs Thatcher was no fan of football. She tended to see it through a ‘law and order’ lens, although it has to be admitted that there were serious problems of that kind during the time she was prime minister.
She came up with a completely unworkable membership card scheme for football fans which, if implemented, would have seriously damaged the game. It was another case of treating football fans as second class citizens, although unfortunately that still happens today.
Crystal Palace have reported a trading loss after tax of £2.2m for twelve months to June 2012. This compares with a loss of £9.4m in the previous corresponding period. It also compares well with recent results from other Championship clubs who do not benefit from parachute payments or wealthy foreign owners. Charlton, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday have all reported larger operating losses.
The club also has £13.3m in hand in respect of player sales. This is thought to be largely the result of the sale of Zaha to Manchester United.