"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
Kidderminster Harriers have defended their £4 pies against criticism that they are the most expensive football grub in the country. However, the club argues that the ‘home baked’ cottage pies are a meal in themselves.
Leeds have the highest season ticket prices in the Championship, ranging from £462 to £752. What particularly annoys fans is that they consider that the money has not been reinvested in the team.
The recent financial troubles of Hereford United raise questions about just how much it does cost to run a club in the lower divisions, interpreted here to mean League 2 and the Conference.
Consider wages first. I have been told not that a not untypical wage in the Conference is £500 a week. Interestingly that is equivalent to the median gross (before tax) wage in the UK which was £501 a week in 2011 (and probably hasn’t changed much since then).
Football rivalry between Guernsey and Jersey is intense. This is reflected in the interest that surrounds the annual Muratti Cup competition which has not seen the island of Alderney in the final for a long time. The less populated island of Guernsey has stolen a march over its neighbour by an entering a highly successful team in the English non-league system.
Another obstacle has appeared in the protracted takeover of Leeds United by Gulf Finance House (GFH). It appears that the takeover may not be compliant with Sharia law. This could complicate delay obtaining the fatwa that is necessary for the Islamic finance house to complete the long drawn out takeover.
Norwich City have faced grave financial problems twice over the last twenty years, but their latest accounts show how their fortunes have been transformed since they have been in the Premier League. They now have every prospect of becoming debt free.
I have rarely seen as many twists and turns in the saga of a football club in trouble, but Truro City have been saved from expulsion from the Conference at the last minute. An initial 12 noon deadline was extended to 17.00 BST.
The financial gap between teams either side of the Anglo-Scottish border is widening according to accountants PKF in their recent study.
Charles Barnett, head of PKF’s football industry group, told the BBC: ‘There is clear evidence that clubs are absorbing some of the financial lessons of the last decade and are reducing wages to turnover to ensure they operate within a manageable ratio.’
In recent articles we have suggested that Championship clubs are the most likely targets in the immediate future for takeovers. There are hardly any Premiership clubs available. Championship clubs are available at more realistic prices and offer the excitement of developing them so that they can challenge for promotion.
Barnsley are hardly the most glamorous takeover target. They have only ever been in the top flight for one season and, despite recent efforts at regeneration, their hinterland has faced economic difficulties since the end of coal mining.
Like it or not football is increasingly becoming entangled with the law. The number of lawyers specialising in sports law is growing all the time. The implementation of Uefa’s financial fair play scheme is likely to be challenged in the courts.
Hence it is very helpful to have an authoritative website run by a lawyer and dealing with some of these issues, e.g., there is an article on the recent penalties imposed by Uefa on some clubs.