"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 typical Fifa money and power grab which would diminish the quality of the compeition was how critics of the organisation characterised its proposals for changes to the World Cup from 2026. More moderate critics were concerned that Fifa was diluting its brand, The tournament would be expanded from 32 to 48 countries, meaning that it will involve about a quarter of all Fifa nations.
As part of his campaign to cap high pay in the UK, Jeremy Corbyn has specifically targeted footballers’ pay. This is, of course, good populist politics.
Lewisham Council has postponed a meeting scheduled for tonight which would have approved a compulsory purchase order for land around Millwall’s New Den ground. The meeting will be rescheduled, but no date has been given.
Millwall are concerned that the purchase would make the ground no longer viable for football and have said they might have to relocate to North Kent. Some locals think that a move to the vicinity of the O2 and North Greenwich tube would be more likely.
The basis on which payments are made to clubs for FA cup success may change. The sums received can be a financial lifeline for lower league and non-league clubs. There was resentment that the £144,000 fees for live broadcasts in the third round all went to larger clubs.
Soocer economics guru Stefan Szymanski thinks that, among the Asian nations, China is most likely to produce a globally competitive soccer league in the next decade. That is because it is following the European model: spend, spend, spend.
As usual, there were some unexpected results in yesterday’s FA Cup games. However, some Premiership clubs put out weakened teams, while attendances were generally low, in some cases because of supporter boycotts.
Millwall may be forced to quit their historic home in New Cross. It looks as if Lewisham Council will approve a compulsory purchase order on land around the New Den next week. This is needed for a so-called ‘regeneration’ project involving a mystery offshore developer with links with Lewisham Council.
If you look at today’s Premier League table there are the top six clubs (three from London, two from Manchester, one from Merseyside) and then nine points behind the last of the top six can be found Everton. Given their history, Everton fans feel that they also qualify as a top club.
Farhad Moshiri has a 49.9 per cent stake in the club and he has made them a £80m interest free loan. He has vowed to return them to the elite of English football.
After several months of rumour and negotiation, 50 per cent of Leeds United has been sold to Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani.
Massimo Cellino’s stake reduces to 30 per cent. It may in time reduce further. Radrizzani is understood to have an option to buy the rest of the club in the summer.
Gate money is less and less important to top clubs compared with broadcasting revenue and income from commercial sponsorship. That is not to say that it is insgnificant, otherwise clubs would not bother spending large sums of money to expand their stadiums (although there is a prestige element there as well). Gate money can give clubs a financial edge.
Some of the highest matchday ticket price are now to be found in the Championship. Rotherham United fans had to pay £42 for the privilege of seeing their side beaten 3-0 by Leeds United yesterday.