Football economist Stefan Szymanski has written an interesting article posing the question, what future for Fulham? Mohamed Fayed has now been in charge for a decade and has pumped £200m into the club. But what will happen when he is no longer with us?
Football economist Stefan Szymanski has written an interesting article posing the question, what future for Fulham? Mohamed Fayed has now been in charge for a decade and has pumped £200m into the club. But what will happen when he is no longer with us?
The Premiership model is based on television money, but gate money is also important as the example of Manchester United shows. Fulham lacks gate income, indeed leaving aside clubs like Wigan it probably earns less through the gate than the vast majority of Barclays Premier League clubs. Ticket prices are low and the club cannot sell out what is a small stadium by Premiership standards. (I think that Szymanski is a bit harsh in calling it ‘tiny’ and it does have a superb location).
Szymanski points out that Fulham has not been able to tap its wealthy south-west London hinterland. It’s not for want of trying: when I was last there, Fulham even had a section of the ground for ‘neutrals’. And I have not heard posher accents at any other London football ground. However, probably many of the potential supporters favour egg chasing.