"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
The Wall Street Journal has published an article by a British expat asserting that American football is a better game than ‘soccer’. No surprise there, you might well say. He even manages to get in a pop at Canada’s favourite game, [ice] hockey.
This was the placard a Blackburn Rovers fan was holding aloft at a recent game. You can see where he is coming from. For at least two decades, Blackburn Rovers have been punching above their weight. Jack Walker’s millions helped them to become the only club outside the top group to win a Premier League title, but they have also benefitted from being well run. When top clubs came to Ewood Park they knew they had a game on.
At the beginning of the season on ‘CAFC picks’ I selected both Sheffield clubs to be promoted from League 1 this season. It’s a prediction I stand by. Both these clubs deserve to be in the Championship at the very least. As for the Premiership, well, many feel the calling, but few are chosen. The first goal must be to consolidate in the Championship.
The pulsating draw between Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town was one of the most exciting matches yesterday. The Owls remain in the frame for promotion from League 1, as do Sheffield United who won yesterday. But why are these two former Premiership clubs both languishing in League 1? It is a question we shall tackle in two articles, the first looking at the city of Sheffield itself.
The former vice-president and general manager of Barcelona, Ferran Soriano, has written a book entitled Goal the title of which is clearly designed to appeal to football fans, but the sub-title reveals its real intended market Management Ideas from the World of Football. Moreover, the book is published by Palgrave-Macmillan, the publishing house I primarily use, but we took The Transformation of European Football to Manchester University Press who are building up a list in the area.
Currently in the relegation zone in the Championship, Nottingham Forest are also facing challenges off the pitch. They made a £11m loss in the last financial year and owner Nigel Doughty is unwilling to put in any more money. What is particularly worrying is that their wages to turnover ratio exceeds 100 per cent.
The transfer of Nicolas Anelka to Shanghai Shenhua in January will bring together a mercurial owner and a mercurial player. Its been an up and down ride for fans with Zun Jun who made his money out of the Warrior Warcraft game but then had to conduct a fire sale of players when he lost the franchise in 2009.
Accrington Stanley do not have a massive support base and they face recurrent financial problems, but they also inspire a great deal of interest and affection. Hence, selling shares at £100 each may be a way out of their financial problems. They have already made sales to people from Australia, Brazil, Canda and Bulgaria.
Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean insisted on Radio 5 this morning that there are no financial problems at the relegation threatened club. After the defeat at Sunderland yesterday, he appeared to know nothing about the financial situation. In any event, Barclays Bank clearly think otherwise. They sent a delegation of senior managers to Ewood Park last Tuesday, not to offer congratulations on Kean’s first year in management, which will be celebrated tomorrow, but demanding to see the colour of the club’s money.
Everton’s debt mountain remains stable at £44.9m according to the accounts released yesterday for the year to 31 May. The club managed to boost turnover by 3.7 per cent but had an operating loss of £500,000 before player trading. Player sales amounted to some £15m leaving manager David Moyes to rely on free transfers and loan signings.