To football fans everywhere

[31Dec1966]

55 minutes ago, scram said:

Keep saying it but it seems the penny won't drop. 

 

Until player and agents fees and wages are addressed then whatever new money EFL clubs take in will end up in the pockets of the aforementioned

 

And round we go

Agents and worldwide TV have ruined football.   Silly wages have made it even worse but you can't blame  players for taking them.

In that popular phrase, it is what it is, it won't change now.......sadly.

[jp1981]

8 hours ago, The Dukeries Owl said:

I listened to the now Preston and former Leeds chairman on the radio on Sunday morning and the situation is this:-

 

The Premier League made an offer to the FA's 72 League clubs and though not over the moon with it, voted to accept the deal. Now this offer has been withdrawn by the Premier League.

 

Either they remain true to their word or the independent regulator HAS to come in. The Premier League's clubs words can not be trusted when it comes to paying the ferryman.

 

It would serve the Premier League clubs right if an independent regulator rules that they must pay more to the 72 clubs than the original offer that they then reneged on.

 

Then the PL might look sideways out of the trough they've got their noses in.

It was Peter Ridsdale. The deal would have seen Championship clubs 5 to 6 million pound a season better off. 

 

Did he also say that it wasn't the rich clubs that pulled the deal more so the other clubs?

[torryowl]

22 hours ago, HarrowbyOwl said:

 

 

.

 

Our approach over the last two years has been a dual focus on investment into our squad and delivering an affordable product for our fans.

 

We have seen this bear fruit in terms of our current league position and an increase in average attendance of nearly 100%.

 

This, however, is not a sustainable model under current financial parameters and without change, will see the necessity for us to sell players and potentially increase prices for our fans.

 

 

 

 

terrible that .......he fills the stadium with cheap ticket prices invests in the team gets the feel good factor in the city  and if they dont go up he may well have to put up prices sell players and the team & attendances will no doubt plunge ........the bloke cant win at the same time some consortium with no more ambition  at fulham  than to sit  comfortably   in mid table in the prem charging 90 quid for tickets and get given  north of 100 million year  for doing so . 

[WalthamOwl]

Sounds a good owner. Wish we had one of those. 

[g-owls]

Give every EFL club millions more and they’d still find a way in which to waste it and still find ways to run into financial hardship.

The problem is not what they currently receive, but the huge disparity between the top flight and everything below.

 

Pure and simply, the Premier League has become far too big to somehow scale down the cash it spends. The Football League hasn’t helped itself over the years either, they have a great product that could and should have been marketed far better. As for the FA, well if they did their job as the governing body there wouldn’t have been any need for a regulator.

 

As for the regulator, don’t believe they’ll be some shining white knight,  well the one in charge of energy has helped us all hasn’t it…

 

 

[oranjeowl]

Flies are in your pea soup baby

 

Please check out this T-Shirt, you'll be helping an owl if you decide to buy one.

[fpowl]

Out of curiosity what’s the current offer

 

What was proposed 

 

and what’s the premier league team willing to offer to what the football league is wanting

[scram]

3 hours ago, HarrowbyOwl said:

Do you think moving to the touted UEFA style Squad Cost Ratio, with player wages not to exceeed 70% of revenue, will make a difference?

That seems to be expected of the EFL as quid pro quo for receipt of more EPL broadcasting revenue 

 

 

In theory it's a good start

 

My concern is the ways that clubs find to get around the rules and regulations

 

In the open letter in the OP the Hull owner laments their financial situation could mean they have to sell a player

 

Well, yes

 

That's what balancing the books entails, isn't it?

 

Clubs are "allowed" to run at a considerable permanent financial loss

 

That's extremely unhealthy and the root cause of this needs sorting out

[room0035]

11 hours ago, HarrowbyOwl said:

Do you think moving to the touted UEFA style Squad Cost Ratio, with player wages not to exceeed 70% of revenue, will make a difference?

That seems to be expected of the EFL as quid pro quo for receipt of more EPL broadcasting revenue 

Every UEFA system is based on turnover not profitability, that means the big teams get bigger and everyone else stays in their place. Look at the championship league in the last 5 years how many times have Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern, Man City, not made the knock out stages.

 

UEFA talk about sustainability but all their bothered about is lining their pockets.

[@owlstalk]

4 minutes ago, room0035 said:

 

 

UEFA talk about sustainability but all their bothered about is lining their pockets.

 

Hate this kind of statement 

 

It doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny

[room0035]

4 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

Hate this kind of statement 

 

It doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny

Look at the last 8 in the Champions league over the last 5 or 6 years its the same teams every year.

 

UEFA dont spread the wealth, they line the same clubs every year, then when a team get above their expectations they change the rules to put them back in their place.

[wakefieldowl]

On 18/03/2024 at 13:31, The Dukeries Owl said:

 

Paying people that support and make possible your existence is not a subsidy, it is a debt which they are trying not to pay.

 

To make the Championship work you need  two things to happen.

 

The ridiculous formula for working out FFP where clubs with 25,000 plus crowds have to work within the same financial framework as clubs with a 3,000 core support. The 39 million permitted loss has not changed in years, despite costs and player's wages rising way beyond the rate of inflation which in effect means that clubs are working on ever smaller budgets and competing against 3 clubs with a 59 million pound start.

 

The Premier League should pay a contribution towards all the 72 "feeder clubs" that try to exist and develop future players by doing it from scratch or paying for the privilege of giving their Academy products good level football experience to get them "Premier League ready"

Their inability to sort out the absurdly unfair parachute payments system and now work out a fair deal to create an equality payment, almost gives the impression that people running football, haven’t a clue what they are doing!

[swfc4_sufc0]

On 18/03/2024 at 20:00, scram said:

Keep saying it but it seems the penny won't drop. 

 

Until player and agents fees and wages are addressed then whatever new money EFL clubs take in will end up in the pockets of the aforementioned

 

And round we go

Employment and Competition legislation etc. means that's never going to happen. The Maximum Wage or its equivalent is not coming back. Having said that I don't actually know what the answer is. It seems to me that a "Super League" would be the best place to start. Good riddance.

[trumbullowl]

If the regulator is going to have to approve a sustainable business plan for every club then I reckon wages will be forced down anyway.

I also reckon that any sustainable business plan Chancer will be able to present to the regulator will be describing a mid-table League One

club with overpaying 20,000 plus crowds. 

[scram]

3 hours ago, swfc4_sufc0 said:

Employment and Competition legislation etc. means that's never going to happen. The Maximum Wage or its equivalent is not coming back. Having said that I don't actually know what the answer is. It seems to me that a "Super League" would be the best place to start. Good riddance.

 

 

Who said anything about a maximum wage?

 

It's entirely about clubs living within their means - paying what they can afford

 

There is no law against that

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

On 17/03/2024 at 21:16, HarrowbyOwl said:

To football fans everywhere,

 

As the proud Chairman of Hull City, it may seem strange that I am addressing this letter to fans of all clubs, but it is my strong belief that, at what could prove to be a watershed moment for our game, strength comes in unity.

 

Since arriving in the English game just over two years ago I have witnessed that unity and felt a real appetite for change amongst, not only the majority of clubs, but also politicians and fans alike.

 

So, it is with real disappointment and sadness that we have been forced to address the lack of progress in the Premier League’s discussions with the EFL over a new funding offer.

 

We were fortunate enough to take on a football club that was very prudently run in financial terms, but increasingly, particularly in the Championship, it is almost impossible to consistently balance the books and remain competitive on the pitch.

 

With that in mind, we fully support the vision for revised financial redistribution combined with enhanced cost controls.

 

Our approach over the last two years has been a dual focus on investment into our squad and delivering an affordable product for our fans.

 

We have seen this bear fruit in terms of our current league position and an increase in average attendance of nearly 100%.

 

This, however, is not a sustainable model under current financial parameters and without change, will see the necessity for us to sell players and potentially increase prices for our fans.

 

Although I am now in a privileged position to own a football club, before all else I am a football fan and I fell in love with the English game many years ago.

 

The competitiveness and subsequent drama in our game is unlike any other and it is of paramount importance that we protect that.

 

I firmly believe that the Premier League has an obligation to be the leader in protecting that competitiveness and I would urge it to deliver on its commitment to deliver a new funding offer.

 

Of course, I understand the need for clubs to protect their best interests, but the strength of any pyramid is in its foundations.

 

You only have to look at the recently announced England squad to understand the importance of the EFL to the very pinnacle of our sport.

 

This is why we are also in full support of the proposed introduction of an independent regulator with sufficient autonomy and powers to make decisions for the benefit and long-term sustainability of the footballing pyramid. 

 

At Hull City we have a motto of ‘One Family, One Dream’, right now I think the whole of the English game should have a shared dream – a fair and equitable sport for all, that preserves the competitiveness and excitement it has always had.

Yours in football,

Acun Ilicali

Football fan and Chairman of Hull City

 

 

Year One.

 

The premiership have been engaging in play offs offering massive payments with all the benefit bonuses of Premier League 'Bounce Back'. Only one club should it attain Top three status should regain their old status.

 

Year Two. As above; Only one club should it attain Top three status. A relegated club  should it achieve promotion inside EFL one be promoted to their  old Premiership status. 

 

  Sorry if this comes across as confusing but I'm sure their are a few people who maybe able to put together an amendment which may prove useful.  

 

 

[Alb1owl]

Wages simply have to decrease. Not in relation to turnover or profit; for every single player as an individual. No more eye watering salaries for ordinary players. 
 

And the “big clubs” are becoming more and more welcome to the super league with every passing weekend for me. 

[leftpeg]

Parachute payments should not be allowed to be used to offset any FUTURE debts after the last day of the relegation season, only to service existing player contracts, facilities work, youth team and community work.    You can use it to pay the wages of players signed after your promotion but before your relegation for a maximum of 1 season.  After that it comes out of your day to day money, giving you ample time to sell on decent terms.

You can not use it for transfers fees or the payments in relation to those transfer fees if spread over a period of time, only wages, existing commitments that will improve your prospects and community.

 

Simple, if you come down with a 100 mil in Parachute payments, you can only use them for their intended purpose, to give you time to re-cut your cloth, not to give you a 70 mil headstart over every other team.

Clubs should have to show the new regulator what the parachute money is for and have it approved, any excess is given to charitable foundations or added the pool of money that goes towards supporting non league and grass roots football.

[akbuk]

On 17/03/2024 at 21:16, HarrowbyOwl said:

To football fans everywhere,

 

As the proud Chairman of Hull City, it may seem strange that I am addressing this letter to fans of all clubs, but it is my strong belief that, at what could prove to be a watershed moment for our game, strength comes in unity.

 

Since arriving in the English game just over two years ago I have witnessed that unity and felt a real appetite for change amongst, not only the majority of clubs, but also politicians and fans alike.

 

So, it is with real disappointment and sadness that we have been forced to address the lack of progress in the Premier League’s discussions with the EFL over a new funding offer.

 

We were fortunate enough to take on a football club that was very prudently run in financial terms, but increasingly, particularly in the Championship, it is almost impossible to consistently balance the books and remain competitive on the pitch.

 

With that in mind, we fully support the vision for revised financial redistribution combined with enhanced cost controls.

 

Our approach over the last two years has been a dual focus on investment into our squad and delivering an affordable product for our fans.

 

We have seen this bear fruit in terms of our current league position and an increase in average attendance of nearly 100%.

 

This, however, is not a sustainable model under current financial parameters and without change, will see the necessity for us to sell players and potentially increase prices for our fans.

 

Although I am now in a privileged position to own a football club, before all else I am a football fan and I fell in love with the English game many years ago.

 

The competitiveness and subsequent drama in our game is unlike any other and it is of paramount importance that we protect that.

 

I firmly believe that the Premier League has an obligation to be the leader in protecting that competitiveness and I would urge it to deliver on its commitment to deliver a new funding offer.

 

Of course, I understand the need for clubs to protect their best interests, but the strength of any pyramid is in its foundations.

 

You only have to look at the recently announced England squad to understand the importance of the EFL to the very pinnacle of our sport.

 

This is why we are also in full support of the proposed introduction of an independent regulator with sufficient autonomy and powers to make decisions for the benefit and long-term sustainability of the footballing pyramid. 

 

At Hull City we have a motto of ‘One Family, One Dream’, right now I think the whole of the English game should have a shared dream – a fair and equitable sport for all, that preserves the competitiveness and excitement it has always had.

Yours in football,

Acun Ilicali

Football fan and Chairman of Hull City

A most pertinent letter that really gets to the point of the financial situation facing clubs outside the top half of the Premier league, massive debt bubble waiting to burst