QuoteAfter years of raping this country of it´s best young talent, English football is getting what it deserves- I´m loving every bit of this
From BBC online
[FONT=century gothic][COLOR=firebrick]League dismisses club cull
Clubs' financial positions are worsening in England
The Football League has hit out at a bid to reduce the number of professional football clubs to 50.
Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon warned on BBC Radio Five Live that less than half the 92 clubs would survive the current financial crisis.
And, in a bid to keep the sport afloat, he suggested reducing the number of professional clubs to just 40.
But League spokesman John Nagle said: "The momentum is moving the other way with numbers of professional football clubs increasing rather than declining.
"There are now 10 full-time clubs in the Conference taking professional football over the 100 mark, with many others currently considering the same step."
The majority of football clubs were hit by the earlier collapse of ITV Digital, with some being forced into administration.
But Nagle remains confident all the professional clubs can stay solvent.
He added: "If the game continues to re-distribute some of its wealth through Cup competitions, transfers and the direct funding of youth football, clubs can be viable in the long term."
United chief Kenyon had earlier unveiled his bid to make the sport more financially viable.
He explained: "Quite clearly, I don't think we can have four divisions of professional football any longer.
"I can't see much beyond the first two divisions being professional and the third being semi-professional, so probably around 40 clubs."
His sentiments were backed by BBC director general Greg Dyke, a former director at Manchester City.
He told Radio Five Live that lower league footballers would increasingly have to look elsewhere for work to supplement their income.
If clubs adopted simple housekeeping, there would be room for four professional divisions
Leeds United deputy chairman Allan Leighton, however, warned wage restructuring was the immediate answer.
Leighton said: "Some clubs have big squads of 25 to 30 players who are paid whether they play or they don't, whether they are fit or not, whether you win or you don't.
"I think one of the things I would like to see coming much more into the game, the same way as it is in many other businesses, is performance-related pay."
Some lower league clubs' wage structures are already in good order, according to Torquay chairman and owner Mike Bateson.
Bateson, whose side are currently sixth in Division Three, said: "We're not struggling. We've got money in the bank.
"If other clubs adopted simple housekeeping then there would still be room for four professional divisions."
But Sheffield United football executive Terry Robinson said that, whatever was put in place, clubs would begin to fall by the wayside.
Robinson said: "I believe that with some changes that the number [of clubs that could be sustained} could be nearer 60 clubs."
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By Manchester United chief Peter Keynon
We can't have four divisions of professional football anymore
Last edited by Xlex; 05/12/2002 at 3:40 PM.
After years of raping this country of it´s best young talent, English football is getting what it deserves- I´m loving every bit of this
Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon believes English football can only sustain 40 professional clubs.
Kenyon has called for a review of the way the sport is structured in England, claiming that less than half the 92 professional clubs will survive the current financial crisis.
"There has to be a review of the structure," Kenyon told BBC Radio Five Live.
"Quite clearly, I don't think we can have four divisions of professional football any longer.I can't see much past the first two divisions being professional
"There are too many clubs. That's not to say they can't all exist, but they can't all be professional and that has to be reviewed.
"I can't see much beyond the first two divisions being professional and the third being semi-professional, so probably around 40 clubs."
'Almost a fad'
Manchester United currently has a stock market value of about £260m - well below its peak of more than £1bn.
"I am not sure why most football clubs went public in the first place. It was almost a fad."
"I think that the majority of the City think that football clubs shouldn't be quoted.
"They have not changed their management structure. They have not demonstrated that they can manage costs.
"They have not demonstrated that they can be anything other than a football club.
"There is huge uncertainty and all those things are not what the City like to invest in. They don't like shocks.
"They don't like great peaks and troughs, and football as an industry gives you that."
I'd say 40-50 fully professional sounds too little. i'd be surprised if they didn't keep 3 divisions fulltime pro.
I'd expect similar massive cull of squad sizes again this summer with few young players having contracts renewed......
A lot of clubs over there been paying unrealistic wages in the lower divisions for years & only themselves to blame. I think i saw new peice that Walsall (english 1st?) made something like there 9 yearly profits in a row this year by only spending what they knoew they guaranteed.
btw i'm sure Carlisle have some crazy huge player squad as well?
I don't believe that to be quite true. It has been a very long time since an English League club actually did go out of business (there has been only one in the last decade).Originally posted by pete
A lot of clubs over there been paying unrealistic wages in the lower divisions for years & only themselves to blame.
The latest raft of clubs that are experiencing difficulties were to a certain extent led down a blind alley. Significant monies were promised to lower division clubs on the back of the ITV Digital deal. These increased anticipated revenues were not unsurprisingly matched by increased cost bases. When the revenues failed to materialise, its hardly shocking that a number of clubs began to face serious deficits.l
A bit harsh Eanna, surely! The fact that the FAI and L of I clubs have, for a full generation, been incapable of providing a significant number of young lads with professional status here is hardly the fault of the English leagues!Originally posted by Éanna
After years of raping this country of it´s best young talent, English football is getting what it deserves- I´m loving every bit of this
English clubs have been the beneficiaries of us not being able to get our act together domestically for forty years. Their acquisition of Irish talent became an inevitability due to the failings of the domestic game. They can hardly be held responsible for our own structural difficulties.
Couldn't agree more with Money Man. Éanna can call it rape but the majority of Irish players are like kids desperate to get laid by a professional that will impress their mates. Kilkenny City or Northampton Town? Sadly the English club are a more attractive proposition...
Obviously Irish clubs have to take a huge amount of reponsiblility for what happened, but it doesn´t excuse the number of lives that have been wrecked by English clubs.
The number of lives wrecked?!? I'm certain that there are any number of individuals who came home disillusioned and heart-broken because they haven't made the grade. But there will always be more people who want to make a living out of the game than can be sustained. Whether they are English, Irish, Czech or Chinese is irrelevant, there are hard luck stories everywhere.Originally posted by Éanna
Obviously Irish clubs have to take a huge amount of reponsiblility for what happened, but it doesn´t excuse the number of lives that have been wrecked by English clubs.
Well I don't know a lot and don't care much about teams in the English league, but purely from a selfish point of view, surely this is a good thing for City?
I would think that this increases our chances of hanging on to Dan Murray for next season and keeping J O'F here for a while longer. It could also mean we get some decent returnees. Of course, it also means we need a lot more revenue if we are to increase the number of full-time players at the club.
I think a decent central defender, a creative midfielder and a good striker(even though we just got rid of an excellent goal scorer) added to the squad we have, and I see us winning the double next year !!!!
Originally posted by oddboy
surely this is a good thing for City?
and I see us winning the double next year !!!!
what makes you think City will be the only club to benefit?
Obviously,the jackeens will get in on the act whilst cleaning out the rest of the eL of talent.
Bohs are currently lanes ahead of City squadwise and will probably improve close-season.
Where in my post did I say "only City would benefit"???Originally posted by Badweather Fan
what makes you think City will be the only club to benefit?
Obviously,the jackeens will get in on the act whilst cleaning out the rest of the eL of talent.
Bohs are currently lanes ahead of City squadwise and will probably improve close-season.
I'm a Cork City fan, that is the club I'm interested in, Bohs can look after themselves.
As would be obvious to anyone who thought about it, the eL in general should benefit.
Does that clear up your confusion?
Fair enough but suggesting we'd gain enough of an advantage as to win the double sounds bit narrow-minded.Originally posted by oddboy
Where in my post did I say "only City would benefit"???
Oh boyOriginally posted by Badweather Fan
Fair enough but suggesting we'd gain enough of an advantage as to win the double sounds bit narrow-minded.
If City were to sign some players of high quality, who were released by English clubs, thereby strengthing the Cork City squad, we may produce a side capable of doing the double.
This feat has been acheived a few times in recent years, Bohs, $hels etc, because they had very strong squads and consequently were the dominat team that season. I was expressing an opinion that if City acquired such a dominant squad, it might be possible for City to do the double.
As regards a narrow-mind, will the above explanation help to broaden yours?
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