13th May 2010

Can the Premier League force footballers to wear a cap?

At 16:56 on an overcast Saturday in May 2008, referee Mike Dean blew his whistle to signal the end of the 127th FA Cup Final.

Premier League Portsmouth had triumphed over Championship opposition Cardiff with a single goal from Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu.

As Dean raised the whistle to his pursed lips and chaotic scenes of celebration ensued throughout the Portsmouth areas of Wembley Stadium, not even the most pessimistic fan in attendance could possibly have envisaged the colossal downfall to follow in the next 21 months.

Fast-forward some 634 days to February 10th 2010; the Portsmouth board make another trip up the A3 to the capital for a meeting with a considerably different agenda, the outcome of which likely to end with the club ceasing to exist in its entirety.

Fortunately, for fans of both Portsmouth and football in general, that threat of a ‘winding-up order’ due to reported unpaid tax bills did not materialise and the club were granted a reprieve by the High Court.

However, that let off proved short-lived, as Portsmouth had little choice but to enter administration - the penalty for which being a nine-point Premier League deduction - helping them on their way to relegation from the top-flight.

So, just how did a club with a rich history of over 100 years fall from grace so spectacularly? How did they find themselves in such catastrophic financial problems in such a short space of time, and perhaps more importantly, what can be done to prevent it from happening again?

Unfortunately, Portsmouth just happen to be the latest, and perhaps most high profile casualty of the financial mismanagement that is becoming all too common throughout the world, as football detaches itself further from ‘the beautiful game’ and becomes ‘the ugly business’.

Football clubs are no longer owned and operated by loyal, lifelong football fans with the clubs best interests at heart. Increasingly more clubs throughout Britain are being bought by multi-millionaire businessman, looking - it seems - to make a quick profit and seemingly oblivious to a clubs heritage and history.

Football is big business and footballers are the major commodities commanding the movie star salaries.

As such, Premier League footballers are some of the highest paid players anywhere in the World, with the recent goings on at Manchester City [now owned by Abu Dhabi Royalty and reportedly spending upwards of £200million on transfer fees and £100million on players wages alone since the takeover in September 2009] only strengthening English footballs position in the salary league table.

The so called ‘big-four’ clubs in the Premier League, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have filled the top four positions in each of the last four seasons [upto 2008/2009] and it is that top four finish for which every Premier League team strives, as it ensures qualification for THE mega-money competition, the UEFA Champions League the following season.

football detaches itself further from ‘the beautiful game’ and becomes ‘the ugly business’

Prize-money in the Champions League is extraordinary. UEFA award an initial £3million to each qualifying team, who amass further riches dependent on progression throughout the tournaments Group and subsequent knockout stages. 32 teams from across Europe compete for the title of ‘Champions of Europe’ stockpiling pots of gold along the way.

Dan Jones, producer of the yearly Football Money League report and partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, states in the 2010 edition that, "Participation and relative performance in the UEFA Champions League continues to be a key factor in determining a club’s position in the Money League".

Meanwhile, the remaining Premier League clubs are left languishing while the top four teams pull further clear in the revenue stakes.

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