The frightening increase in losses in lower league football continues

It'll be interesting to see how much City lose for this first year back in League 1, guess we won't find out until next years accounts.

Wild guess is £3million (below the league average?) - how long can Rupp continue to fund that without getting external investors in?

 

I'm sure the Human Rights people would be involved if a situation like that was ever tried to be implemented, I don't know how fans of certain Premiership clubs can afford season tickets : Ranked: The most expensive Premier League season tickets in 2025/26

 

Did we get parachute payment, when relegated from premier league?

 

Yes we did, but nothing like they get today.

 

No its not. Those players went through the wringer as kids at club academies. Clubs are always scouting so if they find a kid they like more its down the road you go. If they get a new coach they run the risk of no longer being favoured and down the road they go. When they get to 16 and at a lower league academy they run the risk of being replaced by ex prem league cast offs. They then have to prove themselves through late teens missing out on job or apprentice opportunities. Any player who makes it even at semi pro level deserves what they can get for all that mental anguish.

 

We got enough to buy a parachute.. which failed to deploy.

 

Mental anguish because they weren't considered good enough to play the sport at a professional level and had to get out into the real world of employment? That's just life and I'm sure given the time again, they'd all choose to have a go at the football route, just incase they made it.

 

Offered with no strings attached.

 

I thought was the dodgy Tampax deal.

 

Obviously I’m pleased for my son in law that he can earn £400 for a few hours work on a Saturday afternoon, to supplement his salary from his full time career as a manager in Tesco’s head office.

But my point was that I’m surprised that a tier nine club with crowds of a few hundred per game can afford to pay him that much per game. They must be being heavily subsidised by the owner, which was the point of this thread.

And, incidentally, he never came through an academy. He went to Loughborough Uni (where he played for their first team) and then into full time IT employment, which he combined with training two evenings a week and playing on Saturdays. He twice achieved promotion to National League/the Conference but both times got displaced by ex league players and quickly.dropped back down to tier six clubs.

 

As I know you like posting stats and data, here's a few from the BBC football site.

Based on data from the last decade, English Premier League clubs have significantly outspent Spanish La Liga clubs, with the gap in transfer market investment growing wider, especially since 2020. The Premier League's spending has dominated European football, often exceeding the combined spending of other top leagues, while La Liga has focused more on financial sustainability.

Key Spending Trends (2015–2025)
Financial Dominance: Between 2010 and 2019, the Premier League spent more than double that of La Liga. In the period from 2015–2024, Premier League clubs had a net spending (money spent minus money earned) of over -€11 billion, compared to significantly lower spending in Spain.
Recent Gaps: In recent transfer windows (e.g., Summer 2024), the financial disparity has become even more pronounced. In 2024, Premier League clubs invested roughly €2.57 billion, while Spanish clubs maintained much more modest, controlled spending.

The Post-COVID Shift: The 2020/2021 period marked a major divergence. While English clubs continued to spend, La Liga saw a sharp 37% decrease in investment compared to 2019, heavily driven by the financial constraints of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Top Spenders: In the last five years (2020–2025), Premier League teams have dominated the top of the spending charts, with Chelsea (over €1.7B in 5 years) and Manchester United often leading the way, surpassing the top Spanish spenders.

English Premier League clubs also spent significantly more on transfers in total between 2000 and 2010 compared to Spanish La Liga clubs.
Data indicates that, looking at cumulative spending since 2000, the Premier League outspent Spain's La Liga by more than 2 to 1.


So in summary, that's at least 26 years of the 33 years of the PLs existence that it's been heavily outspending La Liga and I imagine will continue for the next 26 years but yeah, it's all been Spanish led for the "majority of the PLs existence"

 

It can be a bit more insidious than that though. I'm not close to junior football, but I saw it from the other side when I taught in primary schools.

I've mentioned this before, but Manchester City provide sports services to a lot of schools. The kids love the association etc, but at the same time the drive is there to scout the best players as young as possible. I knew a young lad, very decent footballer who was playing at Manchester City. They decided to release him two weeks before sitting his SATs (a separate debate about their relevance), but despite being asked by the school and his parents to delay it, the kid was released. He was devastated. I'm sure he has recovered now, and yes you can argue that's life, but that still doesn't sit well with me as a responsible way to deal with children especially when it impacts their education.

Slightly differently, I also taught a young lad who was an outstanding footballer and the big clubs were falling over themselves to sign him. He had a day out with his family to see the first team train at Liverpool, he had a kick around with Zlatan when he went to Manchester United etc- I saw the mobile recording of it. A huge amount of effort was put in to get the family to agree to which team they would sign with. He was only 8 years old. It looks as though he could make as he is now doing very well at Manchester United - you can look up Edson Manchester United on YouTube.

My point is that because it is football, which millions love and the potential financial benefits from participating are life-changing, there is a dark side to how the industry engages with children in the hope of long-term financial reward which tends to get ignored.

 

I completely agree but this is hardly a secret anymore in a cut throat business and children entering academies should be made very aware by the parents that it's a very, very low percentage that will make it through and ensure the relevant back up plans are in place for the inevitable 'bad news'.

Of course that's easier said than done and the kids minds will likely be solely on a career in football but it's still a business and just like working for any company these days, you're only a number and only valued until the moment you're not.

It's not just PL academies these days though, it's even clubs in the NL like Park Avenue. They use the governement funded "apprenticeship" schemes where kids of any footballing level can pick up a trade qualification (that generally is only a very basic entry level certificate) alongside training and playing football for PA 5 times a week. They use these kids to bulk up the numbers, knowing full well they aren't anywhere near the required level but ensure game time for the 1 or possibly 2 that they might be interested in taking on.

These kids are then released on mass after 2/3 years with a meaningless qualification and behind in the job market but the kids get to pretend they'll be footballers for a few years and I imagine the government fills its quota of giving young people "trade skills" while artificially keeping the unemployment numbers lower.

 

Here we go again
These poor professionals football players, forced to do something that most fans can’t only dream of and all for a pittance and having to retire in their mid 30’s
I know lots are not on vast sums, but even their wages are far better than the average working person and it’s not like it’s hard labour

 

Wow, you really are big in to conspiracy theories. No one said anything of the sort.

This is quickly developing into the same sensationalist nonsense you peddled on the Isreali fans (which was proven factually wrong but you still refused to accept) so on that note I'll bow out and leave you to the tinfoil.

 

We did I think about 5 million but it got immediately swallowed up by the excessive debts we built up on crazy salaries and ground development debts. We got relegated in a disastrous financial position described by Gordon Taylor of the PFA as the worst financial crisis he had seen. It was later beaten by Leeds Utd a couple of years later.

 

Arnt the PFA and player wage “ demands” the largest drivers of club debt …Ironic he should say such a thing?

 

They always have to trump us .