Friday, 5 June 2009
Liverpool FC
Barely 48 hours after my post warning of the perils in football due to inflated wage bills and ridiculous transfer fee's than one of the most famous clubs in world football announce they may not be able to continue as a functioning unit next season. And this on the back of their best finish since the 2001 season.That may seem like scaremongering but it is a real possibility Liverpool the dominant side in domestic and European football through the late sixties through to the eighties find that that may indeed be WALKING ALONE unless a buyer is found urgently. The American duo Gillet and Hicks have overstretched themselves. it is possible that new financial arrangements can be put in place without a buyer but that will just be sticking a plaster over a broken leg. if Liverpool were to have a bad season ie not qualify for champions league or exit domestic cups in the early stages then the loss of revenue would have an immediate impact. So many other factors can have an influence on their future.Hypothetically the swine flu that recently threatened this country could have resulted in league fixtures being delayed indefinitely. Had it taken hold then Liverpool as well as other clubs could have ended up like our financial institutions Begging for help. But unlike in the case of the banks the cavalry would not appear over the hill in the guise of government.The debt is so tightly serviced that even short term drop in revenue is catastrophic for many clubs. And the bigger the club the more stringent the conditions attached to that debt. lets hope that Liverpool ride out this storm and this serves as a wake up call to all football clubs before the monster that is the premier league ends up devouring itself. its only been a week since the season finished and I miss football terribly and I am sure I'm not alone in feeling like this. How would we feel if it never restarted. incidentally a report published yesterday by the FA claimed that football had bucked the current financial crisis and had in fact shown a 27% increase in profits on the previous year. Go figure.
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Yes - lets hope they go under. Car crime around away stadiums will diminish, and the fans can concentrate on doing what they do best - feeling hard done by and sorry for themsleves.
ReplyDeleteAltogether now...calm down...calm down...
bit harsh mate. I dont like them either but I feel if one club collapses it could have a domino effect. and nobody wants that.
ReplyDeleteYes - but this overspending, overreaching has to stop - and the only way it will if the big spenders get a short sharp shock. To be fair, Liverpool aren't really among them, but for heavens sake, whenever a small club has a good player come through the ranks, or a bargain 'find' , the big clubs get their wallets out, and make a ridiculous offer the player can't refuse.
ReplyDeleteTake Brede Hangeleand for example - a giant of a defender unknown to everyone outside Finland - but a star for Fulham in his first season - and now Arsenal want to spend £12m to prize him away - so he can sit on a subs bench?
So if big clubs hit the rocks - serve 'em right.
I know this doesn't apply to Liverpool, and I'm not singling them out - but you get the picture.
About two seasons ago I went to see Fulham vs Chelsea at the Cottage - and what struck me was the value of the Chelsea SUBSTITUTES bench outstripped the total value of the ENTIRE Fulham team (and we won). And why? because their bankrolled by aman of dubious origin, and other teams by massive loans and debt.
So, if they get into trouble - good.
great argument Kem. chelsea subs more expensive than fulham first team. But Fulham still getting a result should be held up as a banner for the whole league. there is a lesson there. and if I'm honest I never heard of Hangeleand. yet £12000000. what a joke.
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