Football's Magic Money Tree

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 9:28 pm

Part 7 of the Mathew Briggs doc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrxmHfNT7tU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- you can catch the rest here http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... start=1420" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The BBC did a long article on this series last week - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48372551" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:00 am

As the world adapts the fact that "Influencers" are actually paid to promote various goods the law is catching up - with sports starts and especially footballers having all kinds of commercial contracts (Ronaldo signed one for over $800m with Nike a couple of years ago) they are being required to clearly signal those items they are being paid to promote across social media - Here one of the country's top sports law firms gives a brief about how individuals should proceed to best protect themselves

https://mailchi.mp/7e4cf4c48c45/the-she ... c788c890e4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:08 am

Now that he is free to exert his influence over the summer transfer market - Mino Raiola is weighing up just how much commission he can get - The Guardian look at what managers hate but his clients love

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ball-deals" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 2:23 am

In post #877 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=876" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and #885 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=884" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) following Necastle announcing their financial results GodIsADeeJay81 and Royboyclaret note that the Newcastle fans are quite deluded about the financials of their club (I blame Sir John Hall getting carried away in the 90's). What is apparent though is that delusion has not changed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... nners.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:04 pm

Unlicensed football agent and private airplane booker Willie McKay (see post #555 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=554" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) is looking likely to be going to jail for Fraud - From the Telegraph

Exclusive: Willie McKay facing up to two years in prison after being charged with fraud - Ben Rumsby
25 June 2019 • 5:00pm

Willie McKay has been charged with fraud, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

The man who booked Emiliano Sala’s doomed flight is due to appear in court next month after being charged with two counts of fraudulent transfer of property.

News of McKay’s latest brush with the law comes a day after Telegraph Sport revealed police had issued a harassment warning to the Scot following a complaint he threatened to “burn” Cardiff City and to “kill everybody” there.

Charges were issued following a probe by the Insolvency Service, which said on Tuesday: “William McKay is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court on 31 July having been charged with two counts of fraudulent transfer of property.”

If found guilty, McKay faces up to two years in prison.

The Scot was issued with a harassment warning last month after being accused of making threats to Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman, chief executive Ken Choo, player-liaison officer Callum Davies and one other man.

As revealed by Telegraph Sport, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after McKay, who turned 60 this month, found out where one of his alleged victims lived and confronted him at a nearby cafe before committing what the force described as a “possible public order offence”.

It said the incident was not being treated as “threats to kill” amid claims the Scot subjected the same man later that day to threatening phone calls in which he said, “I’ll shoot the lot of you”, and, “You don’t know who you’re dealing with”.

Confirming its investigation into the February 22 altercation had “now concluded”, the Met said: “A man, aged in his 50s, was interviewed under caution on Tuesday, 28 May. He was not arrested. The man was issued with a first instance harassment warning.”

The force issued a statement less than a week after the pilot McKay asked to organise Sala’s fatal January 21 flight was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act.

Dave Henderson, 64, was held by Dorset Police amid an investigation into the striker’s death, including into accusations the man drafted in to fly the plane, Dave Ibbotson, was not properly licenced.

McKay has repeatedly stated he had no input into the selection of Ibbotson – who is missing presumed dead – while Henderson has yet to comment on his own arrest or role in the tragedy.

He has also denied threatening Cardiff officials or that he was issued with a harassment warning by police.

Following the Telegraph’s reporting of the outcome of the Met investigation, McKay responded to requests for comment with threats relating to the reporter's family.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:26 pm

The Mail are getting a tad overexcited at the prospect Man City will be banned from the Champions League as a result of FFP malpractice - must be a quite day - not a bad overview of the case though

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... eague.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:53 pm

There are plenty of people who will tell you that the way the Glazers leveraged Man United to buy the club and get the club to pay the interest has had no significant affect on them. @KieranMaguirre thinks differently (like me)

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 2909073408" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:23 pm

It appears they were a number of financial reasons why Newcastle let Rafa Benitez leave - from Offthepitch.com

- Newcastle bosses look outside Britain for a new manager after Benitez leaves - by Martin Hardy - 24 June 2019 5:09 PM
- Lee Charnley, the MD at Newcastle, is well-connected outside Britain and it seems likely he would fancy a young promising continental manager.
- The new manager installed at Newcastle should accept less influence on deals and transfer-budgets than previous managers.
- Benitez salary a problem as lengthy talks end in bitter split.

Managing Director at Newcastle United, Lee Charnley, will lead the hunt for Rafael Benitez’s replacement, but it seems highly unlikely that Newcastle will return to the kind of high profile, big-earning manager that Benitez was.

That would appear to rule out Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger who have both been mentioned in relation with the position in the last month.
Indeed offthpitch.com has learned that Benitez’s salary became a problem as contract talks broke down after months of negotiation.

Names that have been installed at short odds include former Newcastle managers Chris Hughton and Alan Pardew, but both are not expected to feature

Ease power
Instead, having developed strong contacts on the continent over recent years, and watched the emergence of young, foreign coaches, Newcastle and Charnley could go down that route

Certainly the desire to ease power away from the manager’s dugout, a favoured approach of Ashley and his managing director at St James’ Park, now seems absolutely inevitable.

They will want the new man in charge, who may even be given the title of head coach, as Steve McClaren, the man to precede Benitez had, to work much more closely with their recruitment team.

Part of Benitez’s contract was that he retained the final say on any incoming players and there was believed to have been a clash last summer over the possible arrival of two young forwards.

Newcastle are now searching for their ninth permanent manager in the 12 years that Mike Ashley has been in control of the club.

Internal row
Offthepitch.com has already been told that the man to replace Benitez will not be Garry Monk, who was installed as the early favourite on Sunday evening.

The bitter internal row at Newcastle United that saw Rafa Benitez leave the club on Monday lunchtime did not just centre over recruitment and the amount he would have to spend, but also what he would earn.

Benitez officially left his position as manager of Newcastle United after 38 months when the club released a terse email at 12.30 on Monday morning in which they said: “It is with disappointment we announce Rafael Benítez will leave Newcastle United upon expiry of his contract.

“We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a period of time, however it has not been, and will not be, possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives.”

Not prepared to offer improved terms
Key elements that had plagued talks which have gone on between representatives of the club and Benitez for 18 months were the size of the budget - £50 million a year plus whatever was gained in player sales - the size of the wage bill and whether Benitez would be allowed to sign players in their late twenties.

Newcastle stood firm on what would be available. They also, as revealed by Offthepitch.com in March, remain keen to sign younger players and they were also not prepared to offer improved terms on the contract that Benitez would actually sign.

Benitez’s initial contract when he joined Newcastle in March 2016 was believed to have been around £5 million-a-year. After leading Newcastle in the Championship in his first full season at the club, he saw that deal rise to £6 million-a-year.

Varying levels of the length of a potential new deal were discussed, ranging from five years, to three years, until finally a 12-month short-term option appeared the most likely to break the impasse.

Cleared their homes
However, offthepitch.com understands that the amount included in that deal, the same basic of £6 million-a-year that had been agreed when he signed the three-year deal, was not up for negotiation.

That appears to have played a role in the haste with which Benitez’s time in charge at St James’ Park came to a dramatic halt on Monday.
Offthepitch.com revealed on Monday morning that Benitez’s staff had already cleared their homes and their desks, the biggest indicator to that point that the relationship of just over three years was at an end.

rob63 · Post by **rob63** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:57 pm

Chester Perry wrote:Following our discussion yesterday about Sheff Wed post #1465 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1464" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and post #1467 through post #1470 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1466" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) it appears that Sheff Utd also are split into a myriad of companies and also do not directly own their ground

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 5027848192" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's online today that Sheff Utd are looking to re-name Bramhall Lane under a sponsorship deal...... they take the view that now they've reached the Premier League it would be foolish not to maximise their income whilst they're in it.
How about Sell-out Lane?

rob63 · Post by **rob63** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 9:24 pm

Chester Perry wrote:It appears they were a number of financial reasons why Newcastle let Rafa Benitez leave - from Offthepitch.com

- Newcastle bosses look outside Britain for a new manager after Benitez leaves - by Martin Hardy - 24 June 2019 5:09 PM
- Lee Charnley, the MD at Newcastle, is well-connected outside Britain and it seems likely he would fancy a young promising continental manager.
- The new manager installed at Newcastle should accept less influence on deals and transfer-budgets than previous managers.
- Benitez salary a problem as lengthy talks end in bitter split.

Managing Director at Newcastle United, Lee Charnley, will lead the hunt for Rafael Benitez’s replacement, but it seems highly unlikely that Newcastle will return to the kind of high profile, big-earning manager that Benitez was.

That would appear to rule out Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger who have both been mentioned in relation with the position in the last month.
Indeed offthpitch.com has learned that Benitez’s salary became a problem as contract talks broke down after months of negotiation.

Names that have been installed at short odds include former Newcastle managers Chris Hughton and Alan Pardew, but both are not expected to feature

Ease power
Instead, having developed strong contacts on the continent over recent years, and watched the emergence of young, foreign coaches, Newcastle and Charnley could go down that route

Certainly the desire to ease power away from the manager’s dugout, a favoured approach of Ashley and his managing director at St James’ Park, now seems absolutely inevitable.

They will want the new man in charge, who may even be given the title of head coach, as Steve McClaren, the man to precede Benitez had, to work much more closely with their recruitment team.

Part of Benitez’s contract was that he retained the final say on any incoming players and there was believed to have been a clash last summer over the possible arrival of two young forwards.

Newcastle are now searching for their ninth permanent manager in the 12 years that Mike Ashley has been in control of the club.

Internal row
Offthepitch.com has already been told that the man to replace Benitez will not be Garry Monk, who was installed as the early favourite on Sunday evening.

The bitter internal row at Newcastle United that saw Rafa Benitez leave the club on Monday lunchtime did not just centre over recruitment and the amount he would have to spend, but also what he would earn.

Benitez officially left his position as manager of Newcastle United after 38 months when the club released a terse email at 12.30 on Monday morning in which they said: “It is with disappointment we announce Rafael Benítez will leave Newcastle United upon expiry of his contract.

“We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a period of time, however it has not been, and will not be, possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives.”

Not prepared to offer improved terms
Key elements that had plagued talks which have gone on between representatives of the club and Benitez for 18 months were the size of the budget - £50 million a year plus whatever was gained in player sales - the size of the wage bill and whether Benitez would be allowed to sign players in their late twenties.

Newcastle stood firm on what would be available. They also, as revealed by Offthepitch.com in March, remain keen to sign younger players and they were also not prepared to offer improved terms on the contract that Benitez would actually sign.

Benitez’s initial contract when he joined Newcastle in March 2016 was believed to have been around £5 million-a-year. After leading Newcastle in the Championship in his first full season at the club, he saw that deal rise to £6 million-a-year.

Varying levels of the length of a potential new deal were discussed, ranging from five years, to three years, until finally a 12-month short-term option appeared the most likely to break the impasse.

Cleared their homes
However, offthepitch.com understands that the amount included in that deal, the same basic of £6 million-a-year that had been agreed when he signed the three-year deal, was not up for negotiation.

That appears to have played a role in the haste with which Benitez’s time in charge at St James’ Park came to a dramatic halt on Monday.
Offthepitch.com revealed on Monday morning that Benitez’s staff had already cleared their homes and their desks, the biggest indicator to that point that the relationship of just over three years was at an end.

In other words they want a young coach, desperate to make a name for himself in a foreign land, who'll do as he's told, keep his mouth shut & toe the party line while keeping the punters parting with their hard-earned!
I'm saying he, unless Ashley thinks he can get round the Equal Pay Act & get a woman to work for less money - wouldn't put it past him!
Just surprised he doesn't try to get someone on a Zero Hours contract!

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 10:51 pm

The Yorkshire Evening Post has published a list of the Richest owners in the EFL - There are a few standout's for you to pick and a lot of unknown's some of which are supposedly Billionaires or were until they go involved with football club ownership

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leed ... d-16482809" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:10 pm

@Marcotti gives us a breakdown of all the nuances in the transfer process and marketplace

https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/marcot ... s-and-more" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The final section on misconceptions is great

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:30 pm

Chester Perry wrote:The Yorkshire Evening Post has published a list of the Richest owners in the EFL - There are a few standout's for you to pick and a lot of unknown's some of which are supposedly Billionaires or were until they go involved with football club ownership

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leed ... d-16482809" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Think I counted 19 specific cases of Championship clubs with owners worth £175million or higher. The remainder, classed as unknown, included Venky's down the road where the figure involved will be considerably higher. Even Trevor Hemmings at PNE has now amassed over £1billion.

At the last count I recall Mike and John between them came in around £88million, the only conclusion to draw is that we must be doing something right at Burnley.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 11:40 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:Think I counted 19 specific cases of Championship clubs with owners worth £175million or higher. The remainder, classed as unknown, included Venky's down the road where the figure involved will be considerably higher. Even Trevor Hemmings at PNE has now amassed over £1billion.

At the last count I recall Mike and John between them came in around £88million, the only conclusion to draw is that we must be doing something right at Burnley.

Given that Mike owns nearly half the club and for the last couple of years it has been valued some way north of £300m (not that I think we are really worth that) I always find it strange that these holdings never seem to impact the wealth estimates of the owners

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 12:06 am

Signing big commercial deals can help a football club massively, but with that much money committed sponsors/partners want some bang for their buck and can be pretty insistent

https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/22/manchest ... op.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

which males me think Pogba leaving is a bigger problem for Woodward than Ole

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 12:13 am

With reference to that @Marcotti piece on transfers, amortisation and cost (see post #1489 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1488" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) - I give you this from Football365.com, Number of Players by club on long term deals

https://www.football365.com/news/which- ... -long-term" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 12:20 am

The world is full of gadgets and gizmos that we don't really need - is there really a market for this in football?

https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-fut ... iedad/rrss" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Am I reading this correctly - the scarf has a chip that syncs with the owners phone to provide updates that the user reads on their phone - surely a simple app is the practical way to go about this - not create more waste - Now if the wording/pattern/colour on the scarf changed on request that would be "smart" in a technological sense

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:13 am

Chester Perry wrote:Given that Mike owns nearly half the club and for the last couple of years it has been valued some way north of £300m (not that I think we are really worth that) I always find it strange that these holdings never seem to impact the wealth estimates of the owners

The valuations tend to reflect the owners wealth outside of the game so for instance the source of wealth for Mike is Michael Bailey Associates and John B is Freight Investor Services. Currently Mike owns 49.3% of BFC and John 27.6%.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:38 pm

Following yesterdays article on transfers by @Marcotti (see post #1489 http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1488" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) @DanielGeey a sports lawyer and author of "Done Deal" gives further insight as to what actually goes on during the transfer process.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news ... s-revealed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:47 pm

Shirt sponsorship is regarded as the prime real estate in commercial opportunities for football clubs, but what is the return on investment for these sponsors, This article focussed on la liga is about a report done on the ROI via TV airtime

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/la-l ... dk.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:49 pm

Forbes.com asks "What If Pro Sports Operated Like Other Businesses? 7 Ideas Teams Could Use Now"

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kirkwakefi ... e968764ecd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:06 pm

Nottingham Forest's relationship with former owner Fawaz al-Hasawi isn't the best - yesterday they effectively accused him of stealing a replica of the FA Cup (they won the cup in 1959)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... -al-hasawi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

today we learn they have been ordered to pay him over £5m with immediate effect

https://offthepitch.com/a/forest-ordere ... 52-million" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 11:29 pm

I first mentioned Championship clubs unhappy with the EFL deal considering a breakaway in post #376 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=375" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) well it appears that the clubs are still unhappy and are still thinking about a breakaway - from Offthepitch.com

Media: Championship clubs are talking about EFL breakaway - again - by Peter Høyer - 26 June 2019 1:36 PM

- The 24 Championship clubs are not satisfied with the EFL.
- The clubs are, according to The Sun, talking about a breakaway - unless the next chief executive is "credible."

Initial hopes that acting EFL boss Debbie Jevans could satisfy the 24 Championship clubs, who have been rumoured to be breaking away from the EFL numerous times, have not materialised.

Criticised TV deal
The clubs won a victory last week when Brentford’s Cliff Crown gave up his place on the EFL board rather than lose the election to Derby’s Stephen Pearce. Crown was blamed for waving through the controversial new £595 million Sky TV deal against the wishes of 21 of the 24 clubs.

The deal has been heavily criticised despite a year-on-year increase of 35 per cent of the current deal. The clubs wanted a more lucrative agreement and also criticised the EFL for blindsiding them on the terms of the deal. Afterwards, they threatened to legally challenge the agreement.

"We’ve got to have someone who wants to reach out for help and listen to us," said the anonymous insider.

"If not, we have to look out for ourselves. That means potentially leaving the EFL."

According to The Sun, Premier League chiefs are reluctant to encourage any breakaway talk because it is not on their agenda.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:11 am

Article from the Telegraph on the pursuit of young players born in 2003 whose schoolboy contracts expire at midnight on Sunday. Anyone who has seen the Mathew Briggs Documentary I have been posting on here (all links from here http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1477" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) will probably wonder how many of these hopefuls will fall into the same path

Best English academy talent being asked to make life-changing decisions earlier than ever as European giants come calling - by Sam Wallace - Chief Football Writer - 26 June 2019 • 4:50pm

For a small group of elite, English, teenage, footballers the world will change on Monday, the day in their young lives when the latest crop of graduates from the English academy system are allowed to walk out of their childhood clubs, as long as someone is prepared to pay.

And it seems that for many of the English generation born in 2003 - a good crop if not quite the vintage of those 2017 Under-17 World Cup winners born in 2000 - there are many clubs prepared to pay for them. When the calendar hits July 1, the date upon which schoolboy contracts expire, the market is already hot for the best young English players who can be prised away from their current academies by overseas clubs for relatively small compensation payments.

From last season’s England Under-16s squad, the West Bromwich Albion striker Louie Barry is expected to sign for Paris St-Germain having been courted by Barcelona. Harvey Elliott, the Fulham 16-year-old who made history in May as the youngest-ever player in the Premier League, has offers from Real Madrid and RB Leipzig. Liam Delap, son of Rory, and currently at Derby County, is expected to join Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £1.6 million. City tend to pay well over the compensation guidelines in order to maintain good relations with English clubs whom they may well deal with regularly for academy talent.

But for those boys moving overseas, there is the chance of a much cheaper deal for the buying club. Fifa compensation tariffs mean that they will pay around €90,000 for every season the boy has spent at his club from the age of 12. It is not an inconsiderable amount but for those clubs who have been scouting this generation of players for the last 18 months it is considered an acceptable risk: the question for the boys and their families is whether it suits them.

Attitudes have changed towards the English talent pool in the last two years, when Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho were part of that Under-17s group that won the World Cup in India. The top players and their families are being offered the life-changing money to switch their allegiance to club academies across Europe with guaranteed professional contracts at the first opportunity, although it is not an option that has been taken up by all of them.

The two leading players in England’s 2003-born generation are Karamoko Dembele, the south London born, Glasgow-based Celtic attacker who has played for England and Scotland at youth level; and Jude Bellingham, the jewel in the crown of Birmingham City’s academy. Both of them would have been the prime targets for all the most financially-powerful clubs in Europe and yet both of them have chosen to stay put.

Dembele signed professional aged 15 at Celtic before Christmas, two years ahead of the age he would have been able to do so in the English system. An extremely gifted left-footed dribbler and goalscorer, he turned 16 in February and was named in the Celtic squad for the Scottish Cup final in May. Six days earlier he had made his first-team debut in the final league game of the season against Hearts, another move intended by his club to show him that they can give him what the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona cannot: first-team opportunities.

For Bellingham, the motivation seems to be much the same. In the aftermath of Garry Monk’s departure, he is understood to have signed scholarship forms plus a lucrative professional deal at Birmingham when he turns 17 in 12 months’ time. Whoever succeeds Monk in the long-term will be expected to fast-track their brightest young talent into the first team. If Bellingham fulfils his potential then there is no doubt he will leave Birmingham in the next few years, but he will do so having gained valuable first-team experience. His club will benefit from the uplift in his value, selling him as a professional rather than for relatively meagre academy compensation.

All over the leading academies, there are young players being forced to make decisions about their future with serious money on the line. Their parents have to weigh up the advantages of joining a club in Europe with all the usual questions you might have about sending your teenager off to adapt to a new school in a new country with a new language to be learned. There is no question that it feels like the bold move and if it is in order to pursue a genuine first-team pathway then it has good intentions at its heart. But some of the clubs mentioned are as hard to crack as a top Premier League side, and some boys are going elsewhere for that reason.

Noah Ohio, a Dutch-born striker at Manchester City, another of the 2003 cohort who has represented England and Holland at junior international level, has turned down a scholarship, plus professional deal, at the club. He is understood to be another target for RB Leipzig, who have a track record of developing young players and can offer good professional deals to teenagers acquired on compensation payments. The best player at West Ham’s academy, Amadou Diallo, is another of the 2003-born group who has attracted serious interest around Europe.

This is modern football. The era of apprentices cleaning boots and mopping out showers while dreaming of their first-team chance are long past. The market is for the kids, and spotting the opportunities to acquire prime academy-honed talent that will appreciate in value considerably. The scouts were all in attendance in April when England Under-16s came third in the prestigious Montaigu tournament in western France, winning their third-place play-off against Brazil 4-0, which included goals from Dembele, Barry and Delap.

By the time they pull on an England shirt again, many of those players will have changed clubs and made a decision as profound to the success of their career as footballers will in this transfer window.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:39 am

In post #1477 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1476" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) I mentioned that Chester MP Chris Matheson was presenting a bill for an Independent Football Regulator utilising the 10 minute bill rule. It occurred today and you can watch it here

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/f ... t=13:14:27" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:29 am

It has been a while - he is actually on holiday - @AndyhHolt on the Football Creditors rule and why it is flawed

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 9514853376" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 10:47 am

It is a hot topic in the EFL (especially the Championship, as it is being used as a means to evade FFP) but is a practice common across the pyramid and one for which I am on record as being against (posts #1467 through #1474 being one discussion http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1466" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), even though I understand all the varied reasons for doing so (and it saved our own club from going under). @AndyhHolt responds to a question on ground sale and leaseback to owners, underlying many of my own concerns on the practice

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 4499538944" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:00 am

It is hardly a surprise where support for Chris Matheson's Bill for an Independent Football regulator (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) is coming from, the pain in those communities is real and both the FA and the EFL have been shown to be powerless in their actions.

https://www.gordonmarsden.com/latest-ne ... regulator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://twitter.com/JamesFrith/status/1 ... 7531951106" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport ... n-16491216" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/fo ... nt-3022639" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the surprising/disappointing thing is the lack of pick-up in the national press

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:06 am

Following on from @AndyhHolt's thread on sale and leaseback of grounds @KieranMaguire has his own thread on the subject for purposes of FFP evasion, it transpires the revision of FFP rules (now Profit and Sustainability) has allowed for a practice that was once prohibited for FFP purposes. You couldn't make it up.

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 1569497088" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:21 am

I have long been surprised that more has not been made of this for Premier League clubs - especially established ones and even moreso the big six whose turnovers and profits are so huge (never mind player salaries). Many, many clubs fail to pay a living wage to their staff.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... paign.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As of now "Of the 20 clubs in next season's top flight, only Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and West Ham are accredited payers of the hourly rate, which is £10.55 in London and £9 elsewhere."

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:41 am

Chester Perry wrote:Following on from @AndyhHolt's thread on sale and leaseback of grounds @KieranMaguire has his own thread on the subject for purposes of FFP evasion, it transpires the revision of FFP rules (now Profit and Sustainability) has allowed for a practice that was once prohibited for FFP purposes. You couldn't make it up.

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 1569497088" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With our transaction in 2006 it wasn't a case of avoiding FFP problems, in fact I don't think FFP even applied at that time. The £3.2million that we raised from our ground sale resulted from struggling to compete in the Championship and desperately needing the cash.

From memory it was quite an innovative move by Barry at the time but clearly has subsequently been copied by many clubs since then, albeit in some instances for different motives. It soon became obvious that Barry was uncomfortable being both landlord and tenant and after three years sold the ground on to another party, to whom we continued to pay an annual rent.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:04 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:With our transaction in 2006 it wasn't a case of avoiding FFP problems, in fact I don't think FFP even applied at that time. The £3.2million that we raised from our ground sale resulted from struggling to compete in the Championship and desperately needing the cash.

From memory it was quite an innovative move by Barry at the time but clearly has subsequently been copied by many clubs since then, albeit in some instances for different motives. It soon became obvious that Barry was uncomfortable being both landlord and tenant and after three years sold the ground on to another party, to whom we continued to pay an annual rent.

My understanding is that there were also clauses in the deal protecting the use of the facilities for the club and rental terms that couldn't be toyed with at the whim of the owning party - which was very thoughtful of Kilby, and clearly showed he had the club as his primary concern, and that is underlined by the buyback at the earliest opportunity.

I still remain distinctly averse to the concept though and especially when it is used as a means of continuing largesse rather than saving the club from a shortfall of contracted income. I am aware of no other case where sale and leaseback has been done to save a club from financial ruin as a result of a 3rd party failing to fulfil contractual payments. Every other case I am aware of can be attributed to overspending at the club concerned.

Royboyclaret · Post by **Royboyclaret** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 2:37 pm

Chester Perry wrote:My understanding is that there were also clauses in the deal protecting the use of the facilities for the club and rental terms that couldn't be toyed with at the whim of the owning party - which was very thoughtful of Kilby, and clearly showed he had the club as his primary concern, and that is underlined by the buyback at the earliest opportunity.

I still remain distinctly averse to the concept though and especially when it is used as a means of continuing largesse rather than saving the club from a shortfall of contracted income. I am aware of no other case where sale and leaseback has been done to save a club from financial ruin as a result of a 3rd party failing to fulfil contractual payments. Every other case I am aware of can be attributed to overspending at the club concerned.

The key clause in the original contract between BFC and Longside Properties (Barry Kilby and John Sullivan) was the option to buy back the ground at any given time should circumstances permit. That was always of paramount importance and the amount involved was to be the original purchase price of £3.2m.

However, three years after the original transaction Longside Properties sold on the ground to Lionbridge, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, for reasons I outlined in a previous post. BFC continued to pay an annual rent of £330,000 to Lionbridge for four further years until in 2013 the Club was in a position to return Turf Moor to it's rightful ownership. It was at that point there was discovered to be an omission in the contract between Longside Properties and Lionbridge and a result it required an additional seven figure sum to be paid for ownership to be returned to the Club. So, somewhat fortuitously, Turf Moor became an asset on the books of BFC once again and no doubt everyone at the Club connected with the deal breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:57 am

I have posted numerous times about China's reason's for its sponsorship of sporting events and clubs from soft power to furthering of the Belt and Road initiative. Now Simon Chadwick, who has been a key point of reference on the above, now asks "is data surveillance a motive for Chinese sports sponsorship - from ejiinsight.com

Simon Chadwick
Jun 28, 2019 4:17pm
Is data surveillance a motive for China’s sports sponsorship?

Although the latest Grand Slam tennis tournament at Wimbledon is now upon us, it seems unlikely that Chinese players will be prominent during the coming weeks. Currently, the country has no ranked players in the men’s top-100, though as is becoming increasingly a norm in Chinese sport, China’s women are performing better (with four players ranked in the top-100).

Although we won’t be seeing large numbers of China’s tennis professionals crowding the courts of the London-based event, it is highly likely that large numbers of Chinese tennis fans will be congregating at the All England Club to partake in a quintessentially British experience. Indeed, in recent years, the Wimbledon organizers have deliberately sought to entice China’s affluent middle class into engaging with the event’s history and heritage, while persuading them to part with their cash.

Hence, as television cameras pan across the crowds during many of the upcoming matches, one shouldn’t be surprised to see significant numbers of Beijing’s, Shanghai’s and Guangzhou’s new rich soaking up the atmosphere at one of world tennis’ biggest events. Watching the likes of Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka will be one attraction for them, catching a glimpse of a royal family member will be another. And all in a setting that comes laden with Chinese preconceptions about England, Shakespeare, and Harry Potter.

Yet this year’s event will be notable from a Chinese perspective for another reason. For the first time in its history, Wimbledon has a sponsor from Asia in the form of the Guandong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation. More commonly known simply as Oppo, the Guangdong-headquartered telecoms company is among China’s leading producers of smartphones and other mobile devices.

This is not the first such deal that Oppo has engaged in. The recent French Open tennis Grand Slam also saw the Chinese brand’s name featuring prominently around the courts of Roland Garros in Paris. At the same time, another Oppo deal has featured heavily during the current cricket World Cup as the result of its sponsorship agreement with the world’s leading team, India. Yet Oppo is not alone, as its domestic telecom rival Vivo has also rapidly developed an impressive sports sponsorship portfolio.

One suspects that Vivo’s title sponsorship of Indian Premier League cricket isn’t coincidental, and that it is intended to conveniently sit alongside Oppo’s deal. Vivo also has a high-profile contract with FIFA, which saw it become a World Cup sponsor from 2018 onwards. Yet another Chinese telecoms business, Xiaomi, is similarly making inroads into the world of sponsorship, signing deals with the likes of Indian football’s FC Goa.

Others from the digital sector that have also followed suit are Alipay, which has recently signed a long-term deal with European football’s governing body UEFA, and arguably China’s sponsorship trailblazer Huawei (which at various stages has had deals with properties including Atletico Madrid and Polish international footballer Robert Lewandowski).

Alipay’s UEFA sponsorship sees the company become UEFA’s official global payment partner for tournaments such as UEFA EURO 2020 and 2024 as well as the UEFA Nations League finals. In announcing the deal, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said, “Alipay is at the forefront of digital payments and in association with its global partners, Alipay has unique connections with over 900 million users.”

That Chinese telecoms and digital businesses are now immersing themselves in the world of sports sponsorship should be no surprise. Each is a corporation with global aspirations, keen on surpassing the worldwide successes of rivals such as Apple and Samsung. Utilizing the medium of sponsorship builds visibility, awareness and recall, while helping them to establish strategic relationships that can drive business development as well as profitability.

This is all consistent with the Chinese government’s industrial policy, which places global business growth at the heart of sustaining the country’s recently impressive economic development. It is also helping China to build its soft-power influence around the world. Indeed, despite the controversies surrounding Huawei, most mobile-phone users associate the company with good quality phones at affordable prices rather than subterfuge or espionage.

However, it is the international scrutiny of Huawei that raises questions about what else lay behind the rapid emergence of Chinese telecoms and digital businesses, and their apparent thirst for associations with some of world sport’s leading sponsorship properties. There is political capital to be made from the legitimacy that sponsorship confers upon the entities that engage in football, tennis, cricket and other sports deals.

Though as many people now suspect, Huawei may be involved in gathering intelligence using its technology, something that has seen governments as far apart as the United States and Australia refusing to do business with the company. Hence, the use of the word “entity” is entirely appropriate as Chinese businesses are never more than a step or two away from the state.

Observers have long criticized the Chinese government’s use of surveillance, which now even extends to monitoring the movements of people deemed to have displayed socially unacceptable behaviors (such as building up personal debt). In this era of big data, where information is readily collected and analyzed, one therefore wonders what hidden hands are pulling the strings behind the likes of Alipay’s deal with UEFA.

For a Chinese corporation to have access to the data of more than 900 million people, raises questions about what is being done with this data and by whom. It also suggests that sports may have inadvertently become embroiled in a world about which they know little and over which they have no influence.

Oppo and Vivo’s unusually coincidental deals in Indian cricket also suggest some interesting data security issues as well. China and India have a deeply suspicious relationship with one another, often bordering on the fractious. Notwithstanding any commercial intent, China has nevertheless driven itself right into the heart of Indian society via a sport that is more a religion than a competitive contest. One wonders what data benefits this helps to generate in terms of the information that both of these Chinese companies can collect and make available for state-level monitoring.

In the heavily regulated environment of Wimbledon sponsorship, it is unlikely that Oppo will be able to make a huge noise that grabs consumer attention. But for the telecoms company, that may not matter; instead, it may find purpose in its own promotional tag line: “Further your vision”. This could also be an allusive tagline for the Chinese government’s possible involvement in the country’s now impressive haul of sponsorship assets.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:29 am

We are all aware of the threat of match-fixing from Betting syndicates, but there are many other forms of betting that these syndicates can profit from. This makes the inside information from clubs valuable, but also that what initially seems to be innocuous info can be leveraged as relationships develop to gain greater inside information - Kevin Carpenter (@KevSportsLaw) of Genius Sorts advises on the issue in sportsbusiness.com.

The threat from within: Combatting the integrity risk of insider information
In association with Genius Sports

The root causes of match-fixing are often attributed to sports’ growing relationships with betting and the involvement of criminal organisations.
But this neglects one, much simpler factor.

For a match-fixer to succeed, they need access to a participant. Players, referees, coaches and officials are among the ‘insiders’ preyed on by fixers to impact the outcome of an event or garner information that isn’t otherwise available.

Shutting down that access is easier said than done, as too many athletes and other insiders are naïve about the value of the information they hold and oblivious to any potential wrongdoing.

By failing to effectively define, communicate and enforce what insider information is, sports are keeping the oxygen supply of match-fixing flowing.

Match-fixing’s hidden threat
Contrary to public perception, match-fixing scandals don’t all start with illicit meetings between criminal organisations and players looking to make easy money. At the lower levels of sport – where access to players and officials is easier and wagers are lower – extracting valuable intelligence can be as simple as approaching a coach with seemingly harmless questions about a player’s form, injury status or personal circumstances.

While these questions may seem innocent, participants sharing information with the wrong individual can step through a gateway into a vicious cycle of betting-related corruption. Criminals can use this initial information as leverage, demanding a player takes the money and provides a continuous flow of insider knowledge or risk being reported to the authorities or having their family threatened.

Do more than define
Tackling the threat of insider information begins with defining the problem. Many sports will have a definition in their rules and regulations, but it is vital that policies remain up-to-date within a rapidly evolving betting landscape.

And in reality, the definition is the easy bit. The key lies in sports communicating and enforcing their rules. Just as many financial brokerage firms educate their employees on the risks and consequences of insider trading, so sports must proactively ensure their participants understand the potential threats they face, going far beyond explaining what match-fixing is and why it is bad.

If a player isn’t aware of the type of information that may influence a betting market, how can they know not to put themselves at risk? And if a coach isn’t sure of the systems in place to report an approach for information, how can a sport be certain it has visibility over these threats?

Face-to-face workshops and e-Learning modules, like those deployed by the PGA Tour in partnership with Genius Sports, are invaluable for all sports in demonstrating the rules they have put in place and the potential consequences insider information poses.

Fronting up
If a sport has effectively communicated its rules and regulations, they are also in a much stronger position to enforce sanctions that adequately reflect the severity of the threat.

Proving incidents of insider information is far simpler than full-scale match-fixing. And often sports will use insider information charges to strengthen their case against offenders to throw them out of their competitions.

Sanctions must be strong enough to deter participants from – knowingly or not – engaging with any form of betting-related corruption.
If sports can get their strategy against insider information right, this match-fixer’s lifeline might begin to close.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This probably explains why seemingly innocuous info like teams being released early on social media are clamped down on by clubs and may lead to dismissals

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-48582357" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:58 am

This is a biggie - CAS have upheld Uefa's ban on AC Milan for their competitions over FFP breaches - last seasons ban was suspended pending appeal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48801681" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Uefa held off on a judgement for a repeated FFP breach this season so Milan could get a 2nd season ban now (see post #822
http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... &start=821" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

EDIT https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ffp-breach" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AC Milan have negotiated a 1 year ban for the 2 offences -Man City will use this to their advantage I am sure

RammyClaret61 · Post by **RammyClaret61** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 12:08 pm

Haven’t AC Milan stated that they would welcome a ban because they don’t want to play in the Europa League.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 12:20 pm

RammyClaret61 wrote:Haven’t AC Milan stated that they would welcome a ban because they don’t want to play in the Europa League.

Don't thinks so - they were thinking about quitting this coming seasons competition to avoid subsequent bans as a they try to get their finances in order, this is what this could all be just presented in a way to make the authorities look strong

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... a-16543680" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 1:06 pm

Taking loans out against future income is nothing new - even in modern football were season tickets, transfer fees and tv income are all used as collateral - it does carry a cost, but not one that many seem to bother about. There is always the business argument that that the money can be made to work harder and for greater reward than if you had it sat in the bank, but as I regularly argue football is not like other businesses, we are currently in a time of enormous outgoings (wages, transfer fees, out of season infrastructure upgrades and maintenance) with little incoming for many. @KieranMaguirre has been reporting what seems like a lot of payday lending (that is what it is effectively, albeit with better rates of interest) which makes me glad that we have an unusually strong cash position for a club our size and therefore do not currently (we have done it in the recent past) have to borrow to the same degree.

It happens even at clubs that exist purely at the largesse of their owners

Brighton
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 4081943552" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Leicester
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 3201333254" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Middlesbrough
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 1436512257" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EDIT - even Man City

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 9403225089" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:24 pm

A chart that clearly underlines the financial mess at AC Milan - no wonder that the owner ended up defaulting on a loan, and lost the club as that the security on the loan

https://twitter.com/Football_BM/status/ ... 7456303104" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:26 pm

PSG have been signing quite a few new sponsorship deals recently, but this is a big one

https://twitter.com/Lu_Class_/status/11 ... 7349104641" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 3:42 pm

With Juventus apparently winning the race for De Ligt net wages no one else is prepared to match and apparently very keen on Pogba returning, you wonder how it is possible - on top of Ronaldo joining last season. Well the Italian senate has made it easier, Italy now has it's version of the now revoked "Beckham Law" in Spain, whereby tax rules for foreign "athletes" are made exceptionally favourable.

https://twitter.com/malvestefano/status ... 8903563264" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Expect Italian football to enjoy a bit of a resurgence

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 7:23 pm

It has been suspected that the Aston Villa owners would sell and lease back Villa Park to help manage FFP, ever since Derby announced that Mel Morris had bought Pride Park to lease back to the club. The club have now confirmed that this happened 5 weeks ago - from OffthePitch.com

New filing reveals that Aston Villa sold stadium to owners 5 weeks ago - by Mark Bisson - 28 June 2019 2:34 PM

- The filings explains why Villa has been so confident about not breaching the FFP rules.
- Villa Park sold for £56.7 million to NSWE Stadium Limited.
- More than three weeks after stadium ownership changed hands, CEO Christian Purslow didn't make any mention of the sale at a fans consultation group meeting.

Updated (15:25) Aston Villa have sold Villa Park to their NSWE Stadium Limited in an apparent bid to avoid breaching the EFL’s financial fair play rules.

A filing at the Land Registry on June 6, which has not been made public by Villa, states that ownership of the ground transferred from the club to NSWE Stadium Limited on May 21st for £56.7 million.

The company was set up by Villa’s owners some time ago as Recon Football Limited.

will only appear in Villa’s accounts next year
But in May its name was changed to NSWE Stadium Limited, suggested the club’s new owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, were preparing for a possible sale and leaseback of the stadium.

NSWE Stadium Limited is outside of the club’s group of companies.

Villa's accounts
How much the stadium has been sold above the book value for and how much the club spends leasing it back will only appear in Villa’s accounts next year.

The filing surfaced as Aston Villa’s plans to regenerate the area around Villa Park, including plans for a museum or hotel, were unveiled by the Birmingham Mail.

Villa CEO Christian Purslow failed to declare the stadium sale plan at the June 11th Fans Consultation Group meeting.

He was asked if Villa had any plans to sell and lease back Villa Park, similar to what Derby County did with Pride Park, a move which helped the East Midlands club post pre-tax profits of £14.6 million in their 2017/18 accounts and avoid FFP sanctions.

Cheating FFP rules
In the minutes to the Fans Consultation Group meeting, Villa responded: “The club and our owners have no intention whatsoever of selling the stadium to a third party.”

Derby County’s stadium was on the club’s books for £41 million but sold for £80 million to another company owned by club chairman Mel Morris. It was then leased back to the club for around £40 million.

Without going into any detail, Purslow also told fans at the meeting that the club’s battle to escape a possible points deduction or hefty fine for cheating FFP rules was over.

“Mr Purslow informed the meeting the EFL Finance Department has confirmed that, subject to the final audit of our accounts, Aston Villa’s 2018-19 accounts are compliant with the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability Regulations,” the minutes of the meeting stated.

Declined to respond
In March, Villa chiefs admitted they faced “significant challenges” to avoid being punished by the EFL for cheating the FFP system.

League rules allow for clubs to post losses of up to £39 million over a three-year period. Villa can lose up to £61 million, as their 2016/17 year in the Premier League is factored in.

With financial figures for the club’s first two years in the Championship showing losses amounting to £50.6 million, the sale and lease back of the stadium was seen as one option to avoid EFL sanctions.

The EFL declined to respond when asked if their finance department had, as Purslow claimed, told Villa that, subject to the final audit of their accounts, the club is compliant with its profitability and sustainability regulations.

A spokesman told offthepitch.com the league wouldn’t comment on an individual club’s financial submissions or reveal when they have passed profit and sustainability tests.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 8:20 pm

CAF and it's president Ahmad Ahmad have been in the news quite a bit recently
post #1338 http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... start=1337" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
post #1442 http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... start=1441" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
post #1445 http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... start=1444" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
post #1448 http://www.uptheclarets.com/messageboar ... start=1447" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gianni Infantino who recently claimed that FIFA was free of corruption and regarded highly for it's integrity had a large part to play in Ahmad's rise to power, In the first of a series of articles following an 8 month investigation Philippe Auclair and Pål Ødegård look at the CAF and their President.

http://josimarfootball.com/infantinos-a ... YA.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:05 am

@AndyhHolt explains his financial approach to building Accy as a club , business and community asset, while pointing out the downside borrowing to fund the playing side. Also the reasons he makes loans from his business (which is relevant to post #1516 (http://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/vi ... start=1515" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) - it is very insightful for the average fan

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/11 ... 0141519872" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:09 am

That post from @AndyhHolt was inspired by a question from a Notts County supporter after it emerged yesterday that county have not paid players this month

http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidl ... ay-reports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/fo ... go-3029135" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

they join a long list of clubs, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Reading, Morecambe etc. who have failed to pay their wages on time in the last 12 months

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:22 am

In a more positive outlook for the game the number of club owners that are putting money into their clubs via new share issues is on the increase, something Venkys do at Rovers regularly, also a practice of Championship sugar daddies most notably Villa.

Plymouth £3m
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 9275695104" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wrexham £100k
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 8956126209" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fulham £30m - not known if it is a loan conversion yet
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 7989874690" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plymouth (again) £161k loan conversion
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 9085573122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hibs £77k
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 7448724482" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ebbsfleet £923k
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 2280242176" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

edlass · Post by **edlass** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:29 pm

Chester Perry wrote:That post from @AndyhHolt was inspired by a question from a Notts County supporter after it emerged yesterday that county have not paid players this month

http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidl ... ay-reports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/fo ... go-3029135" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

they join a long list of clubs, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Reading, Morecambe etc. who have failed to pay their wages on time in the last 12 months

Just Co incidence that most of those are North west/Lancashire?

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:43 pm

@KieranMaguire gives a rundown of gross transfer in Premier League spend of all 49 clubs who have been part of it as of today - we are 26th on the all time list - bit weird that each chart has the highest spenders at the bottom - come on Kieran sort it out

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/statu ... 3369624576" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:48 pm

Chester Perry wrote:With Juventus apparently winning the race for De Ligt net wages no one else is prepared to match and apparently very keen on Pogba returning, you wonder how it is possible - on top of Ronaldo joining last season. Well the Italian senate has made it easier, Italy now has it's version of the now revoked "Beckham Law" in Spain, whereby tax rules for foreign "athletes" are made exceptionally favourable.

https://twitter.com/malvestefano/status ... 8903563264" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Expect Italian football to enjoy a bit of a resurgence

and maybe these favourable tax rules will help attract attention of Dwight McNeil and similar - or at least their agents.

Great job, Chester, with all this football's finances data. Maybe some of us posting on the transfer threads should take a look at all this data - which may put into context our "place in the market...."