Footballers and money

[@owlstalk]

Not all players are on massive money in football. 
 

Not all players at our club are on big bucks. We have Under 23’s turning up to training with our first team, driving into the car park at Middlewood and seeing the first team’s cars.

 

They will also see our first teamers on nights out splashing the cash.

 

Throughout football there is a real hidden problem that these younger players or players moving to a bigger club but not on massive wages try and keep up an appearance

 

Expensive cars, clothes, houses, credit cards and other things mean that to everyone they’re successful footballers, but behind the scenes they’re spending way more than what they get in wages.

 

If you think this isn’t a thing think again. It’s real and it’s a massive problem as footballers try to keep up with others, present an image, and end up bankrupt or worse.

 

Have a read of this. It’s a long read but a detailed account of how it happens, what can unfold, the pressure in the game from other players and friends outside football who imagine you’re on massive wages and all first hand from a professional footballer

 

Its a great read
 

 

https://fraserfranks.sport.blog/2020/06/05/money-in-football-keeping-up-appearances/

[@owlstalk]

 

[Wednesday_Jack]

What’s the point??? This happens in every day life

[Ian_D]

Just cannot feel sorry for any footballers concerning money. Any of them on less than a tenner an hour? Thought not.

[pazowl55]

1 minute ago, Ian_D said:

Just cannot feel sorry for any footballers concerning money. Any of them on less than a tenner an hour? Thought not.

Wouldnt be surprised if some of our u23s or u18s wasnt far off only earning that.

[Andrew_Owl]

Don't spend money you don't have, especially when your a young footballer already on a decent wage who can go on and collect an excellent wage.

[whatdial]

This happens in every walk of life. Only your parents can teach you the value of money. 
 

I think schools should teach lessons on finance, mortgages, credit cards, to give context to those that won’t have the guidance. Show how much things cost and what you need to earn in order to have them comfortably. 

 

don’t see how we should feel sorry for footballers though. 
 

 

[lanzaroteowl]

I wouldn't cry too much for them.

It's like starting as an apprentice at a steel works.

You are on 20% of skilled pay when you start.

You don't go out and buy an RS 2000 just because the top paid skilled man drives one.

[TheEnchanter]

It's hard to have sympathy to be honest and why are they always trying to seek it? 

[Hougoumont]

Ah! Bless...as if they don't have enough problems having to earn a living doing something that 99% of us non talented blokes dream about. Perhaps they could add a 5% surcharge to all ticket prices as a fancy car fund for all up and coming young footballers so they don't feel embarrassed. I mean, how are they supposed to pull the cream of the female population when they are forced to drive around in second hand vehicles?

[@owlstalk]

16 minutes ago, TheEnchanter said:

It's hard to have sympathy to be honest and why are they always trying to seek it? 

Seeking what?

[Womble Owl]

1 hour ago, Wednesday_Jack said:

What’s the point??? This happens in every day life

Exactly. I'm on minimum wage a drive a clapped out 56 plate fiesta. My boss is on 50k a year and drives a brand new BMW

[@owlstalk]

4 minutes ago, Womble Owl said:

Exactly. I'm on minimum wage a drive a clapped out 56 plate fiesta. My boss is on 50k a year and drives a brand new BMW

That totally misses the point of the thread though

[Chris Apolon]

I work in the debt industry and cannot begin to tell you how many stories I've heard that are so similar to this - it's so easy to get credit nowadays especially when credit referencing apps are nothing but credit brokers selling debt

 

One bloke I spoke to the other day, was paying 600 quid a month for a Merc. His income was 1300. He had rent to pay, bills, lived on his own, all cos he wanted to impress his mates.

 

Another guy kept getting offered credit. All on 0% interest but a lot of people don't realise it ends. Suddenly he's paying 1500 quid a month to debt, a large amount on interest and not seeing it come down.

 

I could tell you hundreds of stories and the "if you can't afford it don't get it" does my nut in when it's such an easy trap to fall into and there is ZERO education in schools about money management.

 

This story, whilst interesting, is no different from someone one a well paid job who gets made redundant and finds a job on 70% of what they were on or less and really should be used to highlight problems in society as a whole 

[@owlstalk]

2 minutes ago, Chris Apolon said:

This story, whilst interesting, is no different from someone one a well paid job who gets made redundant and finds a job on 70% of what they were on or less and really should be used to highlight problems in society as a whole 

Exactly this yes.

[TheEnchanter]

21 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

Seeking what?

 

Sympathy. Obviously not all of them but it's been pretty rich hearing certain footballers complain over pay and contracts during coronavirus when (which of course they have the right to do) when the everyday average individual or family who already spend huge amounts to watch these stars are subject to even more severe money worries. A lot of footballers have done some great things during this crisis so I will steer it away from being a generalisation but the average Championship players earns more in 2-3 weeks than the yearly rate of people paying to watch them. Its just hard to really find sympathy for a lot of players who can't afford a fancy car anymore. The same constraints are hitting normal people and hitting them harder. 

[Animis]

It's a society thing in general - credit-fueled consumer boom, and the banks; governments sit by or worst encouraging it to happen them pull the rug when shiet hits the fan.

 

Footballers are probably no different but it's amplified; particularly at big clubs where there's a big squad of players and levels of teams, and probably a big difference is wages. 

 

It's all about education - Barcelona were renowned for schooling the kids through the youth ranks and hopefully put the finances/money/career into context. I don't see this model much in the money-hell pit that is the EPL.

 

Having said all this, I never used to pull into the works car in my modest second-hand car and looked at the CEO's Range Rover thinking; I best get that loan tomorrow sorted. 

[@owlstalk]

1 minute ago, Animis said:

Having said all this, I never used to pull into the works car in my modest second-hand car and looked at the CEO's Range Rover thinking; I best get that loan tomorrow sorted. 

It's not about that though, it's about when you've pulled into your works car park as a youngster just starting out, walking into work, and then all your work mates ripping you to bits and laughing at your car all day every day etc

[Animis]

10 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

It's not about that though, it's about when you've pulled into your works car park as a youngster just starting out, walking into work, and then all your work mates ripping you to bits and laughing at your car all day every day etc

 

I think it is the same - the youth players are in a hierarchy in staff levels - youth; squad; first team. It's the same at companies.

 

If you are saying all the youth players are playing Billy big bo!!ocks buying stuff they can't afford then ok - but the club should take them to one side as it's clearly unsustainable.

[Chris Apolon]

16 minutes ago, TheEnchanter said:

 

Sympathy. Obviously not all of them but it's been pretty rich hearing certain footballers complain over pay and contracts during coronavirus when (which of course they have the right to do) when the everyday average individual or family who already spend huge amounts to watch these stars are subject to even more severe money worries. A lot of footballers have done some great things during this crisis so I will steer it away from being a generalisation but the average Championship players earns more in 2-3 weeks than the yearly rate of people paying to watch them. Its just hard to really find sympathy for a lot of players who can't afford a fancy car anymore. The same constraints are hitting normal people and hitting them harder. 

 

I would argue players in the lower leagues (league 2 level and below) have far higher outgoings than the average person too though. Imagine playing for a team in London, rent/mortgage ain't going to be cheap plus as the article mentions, finance agreements that are unsustainable in normal times (car finance, credit cards, who knows). 

 

Footballers with debt is akin to the 80s/90s drinking culture and the 00s/10s gambling culture in my eyes and I reckon this article will be the first of many over the coming decade

 

I also think the complaints over furlough were from general club staff rather than footballers.