Salford City, The State of Football & Financial Fair Play

But if you were a billionaire or Ken Morrison, shouldn't you be allowed to take your hard earned money and invest it in your favourite team? That's what Hoyle at Huddersfield and the fella at Bristol City have done, isn't that our right as supporters? If you can't invest money then only the big teams stay big and no-one else can challenge them

 

Not if it completely damages the ethics of what football should be about no.

 

Ethics? Professional sport?

 

As funny as it sounds yep, football is a fans game and the way it's going it won't be for much longer. Look at the Europa League final, 5 goals but it was the one of the drabbest ever events I can remember with no fans. The wages been paid in lower league football are absolutely stupid!

 

I't'll never really be a level playing field and for every Club that buys a bit of success, there is always another who gets there on a budget.

 

You've exceptional high standards then.

 

You are honestly telling you didn't find that the weirdest final you've seen in a long time? As I said this is going to get worse, Posh have just paid a 7 figure sum for Mo Eisa. The fees in football are becoming astronomical.

 

A bit weird watching a London derby 2,500 mile away agreed, but drab it wasn't.

 

How does it?

Money is spent at every level and is no guarentee of success.

People complain about Man City but they did it the right way. They got top directors of football from Barcelona etc. Got the best coach in the world and have a fantastic ceo who runs it day to day and then the money obviously helps from the top.

Not every club who gets significant investment ends up at the top and wins things. It has to be done right. And that is one thing that annoys me about people complaining about Man City etc. They have spent money but who hasn’t? They do it right and are reaping the rewards.

 

If you don't think a League One football club paying a seven figure sum is football going the wrong way fair enough. Salford rumoured to be paying 6k a week for Towell, it's absolute madness and has a knock effect on every other club in the EFL.

 

Felt more like a pre season friendly than anything to me.

 

It’s not something new. With inflation and the like it’s just bigger fees than in the past.

Rushden and diamonds did it ages ago and got as high as league two I think and are now bust.

Fleetwood did it and can’t get out of league one.

Forest green are owned by a wealthy backer yet are still in league two.

Salford haven’t even had one season in this league yet and you’re talking as though they are going up as champions.

They get so far and it stops as teams get better. Makes no odds to me. Always a rich club in every league

 

Totally agree. It's about sustainability and the bottom line is that the way things are going is going to spell disaster for a hell of a lot of clubs in the lower leagues.

 

I'm not saying it's anything new, but I'm saying it's getting worse.

 

Second half, I posted if can only get better after a very poor first half .
I'm sure UEFA are trying to showcase the game all over Europe but they need to take fans costs into consideration, I except they can't pre-empt who the finalists will be but for traveling fans it was horrendous.
Possibly it being an all English final it emphasised the broblems, I would assume it would have nearly been as difficult for French, Spanish or Italian fans ?.

 

Define worse?

 

I guess its what suits your agenda. It was the wrong place to play the game but the game itself wasn't that bad. The second half Chelsea played arguably the best football of their season.

 

Bradfordbanter just beat me to it. It was like a pre season friendly, it was weird and I cannot recall a major football final played with so little atmosphere. All to be politically correct and take a final to the most outflung post of Eastern Europe.

Im dreading the World Cup in Qatar, because it will just be the same

 

I just have, Posh spending 1.5m. Even Fleetwood didn't pay the sort of money that Salford are paying Towell, The Neymar fee, Coutinho to Barca fee I mean the list is getting endless

 

Then you've got China to throw into the mix - one club offering Ramos a 60 million pound 3 year deal this week. Real rejected Ramos's request for a free transfer this time yes, but that isn't going to stop clubs in China offering ridiculous sums of money to tempt the best players in Europe.