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Articles and reports on financial issues within football – soccer – from The Political Economy of Football.
There has been renewed speculation about the possibility of the Barclays Premier League ending promotion and relegation on the American model. This latest bout of speculation has been inspired by the impending takeover of Everton which, it is suggested, could mean that there would be the necessary fourteen clubs to vote through change.
With the increasing broadcasting revenues, a number of clubs are taking the view that relegation is no longer affordable.
With due diligence undertaken, a £200m takeover of Everton could be completed in the next few weeks. It is understood that the pace of talks has picked up. Two China-based investors are also interested, but they have made much less progress.
The club has emphasised that the construction of a new stadium nearby in Walton Hall Park will depend as much on a partnership with the city council as outside investment.
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and senior officials at Liverpool discussed the club’s controversial new ticket pricing structure after around 25 per cent of fans walked out in the 77th minute of the game against Sunderland.
FSG were apparently surprisd by the size of the protest and disappointed by accusations of avarice. They felt they had covered the issues raised during the consultation period. However, more prices have gone up than come down.
Rangers is ending its joint venture with Sports Direct having seen off a legal challenge from the chain. Rangers gets just 4p in the pound from merchandise sold from the deal. Unfortunately, there is a seven year notice period so disentangling from it may not be easy.
Newcastle United were the biggest spenders in the Barclays Premier League last month, investing £28.5m on three new players. They appear to have taking a calculated risk that the signings will move them up the table. Not only are they paying high wages, they have not protected themselves financially in the event that they go down.
Premier League clubs spent £175m in the January 2016 transfer window, according to analysis by Deloitte, the business advisory firm. This brings the total gross spending by Premier League clubs for the 2015/16 season to over £1 billion, a new record. This surpasses the previous season record of £965m, set last season.
Chinese clubs have had their biggest spending winter. They are responsible for three of the four biggest deals in the January window. They spent more money per player than any other country in the transfer window and are expected to end up second in the table of total spending.
Liverpool fans are disappointed by a new ticket pricing structure at the club. As well as the outcome, fan groups are dissatisfied with the process by which the decision was taken. They consider that there was insufficient consultation with fans over a decision taken in Boston.
Football has become the latest battleground for Brexit campaigners. Karren Brady, vice-chair of West Ham United and a key member of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign has warned of ‘devastating consequences’ for the game if the UK votes to quit the EU.
Lady Brady said that in the event of a Brexit, English clubs would find it harder to attract international players, while fans would be stung by higher costs when travelling to games on the continent.
Leicester City may have every prospect of qualifying for the Champions League this season, but the chances of a club outside the elite taking part will be reduced in future if the European Club Association gets its way.
They are concerned that too many big clubs are finding their way to the competition barred, particularly in the more competitive English and Italian leagues.