In a speech at the Leaders In Football conference held at Stamford Bridge this week, the Football Association chairman David Triesman attacked the football industry that he claimed had racked up £3billion in debt and spoke of the “very tangible fears” for the game in the face of the global financial crisis.
Triesman raised the issue of enforcing a salary cap to the Premier League, saying that “A sensible form of [wage] restraint would make sense and it is not inconceivable. It’s very hard to do anything unless all parties want to do it and everyone needs to want to do it. Preferably without being compelled.”
He also outlined proposals for a radical shake up in the regulatory structure of the governing bodies in English Football, claiming that “We are too fragmented with too many bodies responsible for too many parts of the sport. Greater clarity is needed about who is responsible for the fitness and future of the game. A clear sports law could clarify the position. The time has come for a comprehensive sports law apportioning responsibility and accountability.”
In a week when Premier League attendances have come under intense scrutiny, much of what Triesman says makes financial sense. The game of football has improved immeasurably in England over the past decade or so, but what we now have is a game that is too expensive for the fans to watch on a weekly basis. Football stadiums have been given over to corporate hospitality where finance has hitherto not been an issue.
But this too is likely to change in the face of the credit crunch. It is time to rethink the financial rules, clubs should be made accountable and run as any other business, where income controls outgoings.
What do you think. Are footballers paid too much? Will football prosper through the financial crisis or will we see a collapse of football clubs that cannot survive the recession?
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