[overkill]

A recent survey shows that despite reining in labour costs last year for the first time since 92', English premiership players cost their clubs £785 milllion in wages last year. Down from an awe inspiring £811 million the year before. This means that the premiership is not only the fattest paycheck in Europe, but also a breathtaking 29% higher than the next highest payers, Italy. Bear in mind of course, that once upon a time Italys wage bill was double their only, and nearest rivals Spain.

Now I don't mind seeing money well spent, but would anybody argue that La Liga is not stronger in depth as well as at the top than the Premiership? Also of course, Spain won both European trophies this year. Yet Spain spent nearly half what the English did on wages.

I hate to keep on about this, but what's going on? How can paying massive wages to average players, in average teams be good for the game? Or the fans?

Over to you.

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by overkill

A recent survey shows that despite reining in labour costs last year for the first time since 92', English premiership players cost their clubs £785 milllion in wages last year. Down from an awe inspiring £811 million the year before. This means that the premiership is not only the fattest paycheck in Europe, but also a breathtaking 29% higher than the next highest payers, Italy. Bear in mind of course, that once upon a time Italys wage bill was double their only, and nearest rivals Spain.

Now I don't mind seeing money well spent, but would anybody argue that La Liga is not stronger in depth as well as at the top than the Premiership? Also of course, Spain won both European trophies this year. Yet Spain spent nearly half what the English did on wages.

I hate to keep on about this, but what's going on? How can paying massive wages to average players, in average teams be good for the game? Or the fans?

Over to you.

I 100% agree that the majority of players in the Premiership are no more than average quality. Many moons ago I was an apprentice at Sheffield United but was released and decided not to take up contract offers from a couple of old Div 4 sides, basically because I didn't think I was good enough to make a career out of football.

Now seeing the standard of players around the Championship and even in teams in the top 8 of the premiership I think that even I could have made the grade. Now that's saying something. £20k a week would be nice though.

Martin

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by overkill

A recent survey shows that despite reining in labour costs last year for the first time since 92', English premiership players cost their clubs £785 milllion in wages last year. Down from an awe inspiring £811 million the year before. This means that the premiership is not only the fattest paycheck in Europe, but also a breathtaking 29% higher than the next highest payers, Italy. Bear in mind of course, that once upon a time Italys wage bill was double their only, and nearest rivals Spain.

Now I don't mind seeing money well spent, but would anybody argue that La Liga is not stronger in depth as well as at the top than the Premiership? Also of course, Spain won both European trophies this year. Yet Spain spent nearly half what the English did on wages.

I hate to keep on about this, but what's going on? How can paying massive wages to average players, in average teams be good for the game? Or the fans?

Over to you.

I agree that there is massive salaries being paid to the average player in this country but I don't agree with comparing like for like across countries. The company I work for has people working out of our Madrid office on half the wages I earn & rightly so, the cost of living is completely different.

I know this makes no difference when you're earning upwards of 1/2million a year but in principle, that's the way things are at the moment.

I think we need to look at why the wages are this high in this country & it isn't just about premiership players & TV money, it's about all divisions. You can go down as far as Kettering Town or Canvey Island & find players on over £1000 a week on a part-time basis, take that up through the Conference, Leagues 1 & 2, the Championship & then you start to see where these Premiership wages start to come from.

I still think to relation to other sports footballers aren't particularly over-paid, it's to do with the number of pro's in the game (I imagine more than any sport worldwide) & the coverage it has.

If Jason Donovan could command £30,000 a week in Joseph 10 years ago then Emile Heskey can the same now in football.

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by DJT75

I think we need to look at why the wages are this high in this country & it isn't just about premiership players & TV money, it's about all divisions. You can go down as far as Kettering Town or Canvey Island & find players on over £1000 a week on a part-time basis, take that up through the Conference, Leagues 1 & 2, the Championship & then you start to see where these Premiership wages start to come from.

But by the laws of supply and demand, if there are more pros in England then the wages overall should be lower. Right?

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by overkill

A recent survey shows that despite reining in labour costs last year for the first time since 92', English premiership players cost their clubs £785 milllion in wages last year. Down from an awe inspiring £811 million the year before. This means that the premiership is not only the fattest paycheck in Europe, but also a breathtaking 29% higher than the next highest payers, Italy. Bear in mind of course, that once upon a time Italys wage bill was double their only, and nearest rivals Spain.

Now I don't mind seeing money well spent, but would anybody argue that La Liga is not stronger in depth as well as at the top than the Premiership? Also of course, Spain won both European trophies this year. Yet Spain spent nearly half what the English did on wages.

I hate to keep on about this, but what's going on? How can paying massive wages to average players, in average teams be good for the game? Or the fans?

Over to you.

There is absolutely nothing i can disagree with there!

[RMCF]

overkill, agree 100% (or 110% for the pro footballers).

Sky is mostly to blame for the high wage bill in the EPL as they pump so much of our (subscribers) money into it. The clubs in England get so much money from Sky. I saw a league table a couple of years ago and the relegated teams got from £15million to £20million paid to them by Sky just for having their games televised. Compare that with Celtic who are the top team in Scotland and have 60,000 at every home game but get £1.5million per year in TV rights.

The smaller teams in Spain and Italy have no hope of getting money like that.

So if you plough money into a league then the clubs are going to offer bigger wages to try and stay in it. I think thats why you see so many average/bad footballers about earning great money. As ashworthacca said, I have played with many players over the years who appeared to be different class to fellas playing in the EPL now, but did not make it for whatever reason. I watch footballers regularly now who have a worsr 1st touch that me!!! The Championship is really full of duds - the standard is so poor its untrue.

As for the comparing of leagues, I am slightly biased, but the vast majority of sensible football reporters will tell you that La Liga is the best league in the world. It easily has a better spread of talent across the entire 1st division with some great players in the 'average' sides. Anyone arguing just go back and watch Sevilla v Middlesbrough.

[overkill]

I didn't take up ashworths point, although it's valid, as even I've felt that watching games recently! As JohnG will verify the standard in the current 3rd flight is woeful, and frankly I would have felt insulted watching that shower when I was playing. Their (lack of) positional sense, tackling, and passing makes mine (as a central defender) look top class! Even with the prem, I see players now, that compared to some of the guys I know who had trials in the 70's, that are embarrasing. One of my old friends could do things with a ball that would have the media making stupid 'brazilian comparisons' these days! He was written off by Chelsea of all people, as, get this, and Siete will be purring here, 'too tricky'.

I agree DJT. It's gone totally crazy. There are players in Div 3 (old style, I'm sick of the silly new names!) earning more than a top flight player would have dreamed of not so very long ago!

[RMCF]

Not being given a pro contract because you were 'too tricky' probably happened to a lot of players in the past. I believe that this is mainly down to the fact that , I bet, a lot of these players tend to be fairly small. For a long time English picked big strong players first. I also bet a lot of those disgarded 'tricky' players might have made it further if they had been on the continent, where skill came before size.

Also hate the new naming convention for the English leagues. I think its to make the lower ones sounds more important. I mean the League One play-offs are actually 3rd division!! All because they called the 1st the Premiership, and then took it even further by calling the old 2nd division 'the Championship'.

But no-one can argue with the fact that some 'awful' players are earning huge money. Pele recently said in an interview that when he talks to the likes on Ronaldo and Robinho he tells them that they earn more now in 1 season than he did in his full 20 year career. A shame!! (I'm not saying these 2 are awful by the way)

[wiz]

While we keep subscribing to S$y nothing will change!

[la gran siete]

Originally Posted by overkill

I didn't take up ashworths point, although it's valid, as even I've felt that watching games recently! As JohnG will verify the standard in the current 3rd flight is woeful, and frankly I would have felt insulted watching that shower when I was playing. Their (lack of) positional sense, tackling, and passing makes mine (as a central defender) look top class! Even with the prem, I see players now, that compared to some of the guys I know who had trials in the 70's, that are embarrasing. One of my old friends could do things with a ball that would have the media making stupid 'brazilian comparisons' these days! He was written off by Chelsea of all people, as, get this, and Siete will be purring here, 'too tricky'.

I agree DJT. It's gone totally crazy. There are players in Div 3 (old style, I'm sick of the silly new names!) earning more than a top flight player would have dreamed of not so very long ago!