The Beautiful Game is now firmly in the land of the fairies

[Micky]

... and look at Newcastle. Matey can't find a buyer for his club and he has dropped the price! He has put in something like £200m quid. It appears that the whole game is financially unviable in its current form. The crash is coming.

 

Exactly - and he knows if he starts to sell - he aint going to get anywhere near his 200 back. When you look at the debt in the Premiership, if the bubble were to burst - we would probably be quite an attractive 'investment' (and I mean that in the proper meaning of the word) proposition.

[Thedelldays]

lol

 

been told the crash is coming for 15 years...every time man utd broke the transfer record one way or another....still...nothing yet

 

you say newcastle could not sell but city did (twice in a year)....

 

just because the geordies could be bought at the mo does not mean football is dying..

[lordswoodsaints]

i think the same things were being said in 1979 when brian clough paid £999,999 (double the previous record) for trevor francis.

the country was in financial ruins then,millions were jobless and the poor were a lot poorer than they are now.

life goes on,if man city are stupid enough to pay vast amounts for a player then let them get on with it.

football will not be ruined by it as it was ruined years ago,the days of players wanting to play football for footballing reasons ended in the early 90's and it will never ever go back.

[1976_Child]

lol

 

been told the crash is coming for 15 years...every time man utd broke the transfer record one way or another....still...nothing yet

 

you say newcastle could not sell but city did (twice in a year)....

 

just because the geordies could be bought at the mo does not mean football is dying..

 

yeah but we haven't had a recession in the last 15 years. Also, just because there hasn't been a crash, doesn't mean there will never be! It is the same ostrich mentality which got our economy all stuffed up. Debt is bad. Individuals, families, councils, companies, governments and football clubs can not go on borrowing for ever! There is always payback time. Everyone needs to start to live within their means. The debt-era is over.

[Thedelldays]

yeah but we haven't had a recession in the last 15 years. Also, just because there hasn't been a crash, doesn't mean there will never be! It is the same ostrich mentality which got our economy all stuffed up. Debt is bad. Individuals, families, councils, companies, governments and football clubs can not go on borrowing for ever! There is always payback time. Everyone needs to start to live within their means. The debt-era is over.

i think what lordswood posted makes sense

 

the debt era is not over...the country would not function at all..not capitalist country would

[rocknrollman no2]

I swear to god I will never watch another prem football match if this transfer goes through. Utterly fvcking ridiculous. With the world's economy on its knees, how in the hell is a footballer worth £100m? In what twisted version of reality do millions of people starve every day yet someone gets paid £200,000 a week just to kick a bit of leather around a field?

Good post and i totally agree.

The whole worlds gone mad.

[1976_Child]

i think what lordswood posted makes sense

 

the debt era is not over...the country would not function at all..not capitalist country would

 

sorry, I don't mean finance which is costed and covered by positive cash flow, I mean the senseless frittering away of money, whether it is by shoppers (or "consumers" as they are now called) buying useless crap they don't need on unsecured credit cards or by governments spending future tax receipts which have yet to be paid or football club owners throwing their personal wealth down the plug hole to fund their fantasy play-things. There is absolutely NO way that Kaka's price tag will ever be recouped. Nor will his £10,000,000 wage bill or £75,000,000 signing on fee. It is just fiction. And unsustianable.

[lordswoodsaints]

i think what lordswood posted makes sense

 

the debt era is not over...the country would not function at all..not capitalist country would

 

exactly,without debt the country would come to a standstill,everybody needs to be in debt for the fnancial institutions to operate,they have got us all by the balls.

30 years ago virtually everybody in the land was paid in cash,cash in hand,little brown pay envelopes filled with cash.....but the banks didnt like it, the government didnt like it, so we had BACS forced upon us,ok this made things easier and safer for employers but it also made the banks extremely rich and the government were able to keep tabs on us all.

in those days cash was king,these days debt is king.

 

this is why we are in a mess today.....the banks have lost confidence in lending to each other,the customers (us) have lost confidence in the banks.

when the banks eventually grow a set of balls again they will want their profits up again,the only way they can bring back the good times for themselves is to get us in more debt than we have ever been in.....no lessons will be learnt,they will be rich and so will we but the difference is we will have to pay through the nose to be rich.

 

for a football club to be the best in the world they have to pay the best transfer fees and the best wages even if they go into debt to do it......it will all end in tears.....just ask leeds fans.

[dubai_phil]

Nah stop whingeing.

 

100 mil - drop in the ocean..

 

Where did the money come from in the first place? - You lot, with your SUV's your Ford Galaxy's and the obsession with driving everywhere.

 

yep you still kept filling up when the oil price was $147 a barrel and the locals were making about $120 a barrel profit. How many lillion barrels a day were they pimping (sic) out???

 

So look on this as a whole new Green recylcing angle. You bought the oil and it ends up in the back pocket of some dodgy agents who'll buy some new cars with it and bingo...

 

Wanna stop this as REAL foootball fans then stop paying your Sky subscriptions, stop reading about football in the media, buying kit, stickers et al.

 

That won't happen, Abu Dhabi won't pull out of Man C and dump them (after all this IS only a Brand building exercise) so get with the programme or get out of football.

 

(OK Irony peeps Irony)

 

There HAS to be a better way this is just WRONG and I completely fail to understand why Abu Dhabi think it is such a good idea at THIS point of time. Very strange things ego's as we've found to our cost over the years

[BadgerBadger]

Kaka is going to Manclechester City for a reported £100,000,000 transfer and £200,000 per week plus a £75,000,000 signing on fee.

 

I don't understand. I just don't understand. How can a footballer be "worth" the same amount as two brand new, fully equiped state of the art hospitals? Sorry folks, but this is perpostrous. The game is rotten. No wonder the United fans god fed up and formed FC United of Manchester.

 

It is a f\/cked up world. Jobs being lost left, right and centre and a footballer is sold for £100 million pounds. Barking mad.

 

Totally and emphatically agree with your point - search history and the wealth moves around the globe and there has always been a main commodity that wealth is made by, at the moment it's fuel and these wealthy peeps will be building there own 'follys' of football for a few years yet and I'm kind of glad Saints are not being turned into a circus by these individuals.

[Micky]

Totally and emphatically agree with your point - search history and the wealth moves around the globe and there has always been a main commodity that wealth is made by, at the moment it's fuel and these wealthy peeps will be building there own 'follys' of football for a few years yet and I'm kind of glad Saints are not being turned into a circus by these individuals.

 

I kind of agree - perverse as it may seem, but I would much rather be where we are now than where City are. Yes they are in the Premier League, yes they have millions of errr whatever to spend, yes they are buying the best players - but given all of that, is this real football.

 

They are probably one of only 3 or 4 clubs that can now compete in this country. Such has the finance taken over the game that we now have our very own mini league in which just a very few are members. All we need now is another 92 Sugar Daddies and perhaps we can all be in the 'same' league.

 

Am I interested in how City do this/next season? Not really, much more interesting to see how Luton Town do to be honest.

[1976_Child]

Am I interested in how City do this/next season? Not really, much more interesting to see how Luton Town do to be honest.

 

Exactly. Perversely the amount of cash sloshing around in football might be a catalyst to bring up attendances at lower- and non-league clubs as people begin to realise that it is a more 'pure' form of of the beautiful game.

[lordswoodsaints]

would we all be saying the same if we were in man city's shoes?

the whole thing is perverse,in the same way as princess diana visiting starving,dying kids in africa wearing a £20k dress, but would we all care if it was us wearing the dress ? if you know what i mean:-)

[Micky]

I kind of agree - perverse as it may seem, but I would much rather be where we are now than where City are. Yes they are in the Premier League, yes they have millions of errr whatever to spend, yes they are buying the best players - but given all of that, is this real football.

 

They are probably one of only 3 or 4 clubs that can now compete in this country. Such has the finance taken over the game that we now have our very own mini league in which just a very few are members. All we need now is another 92 Sugar Daddies and perhaps we can all be in the 'same' league.

 

Am I interested in how City do this/next season? Not really, much more interesting to see how Luton Town do to be honest.

 

would we all be saying the same if we were in man city's shoes?

the whole thing is perverse,in the same way as princess diana visiting starving,dying kids in africa wearing a £20k dress, but would we all care if it was us wearing the dress ? if you know what i mean:-)

 

I think that I made that clear in the first line of my last post...!

 

As for the dress comparison - I'm struggling - do not see the correlation at all. Asides, Princess Diana probably did more for 3rd World Children than most others celebs will ever achieve.

[John Smith]

I'm torn. My beliefs are that clubs should be run as clubs. Talent should be nurtured from within and outside players should be tempted to play for a different team for 1 of 2 reasons:

 

1. Because they are good and they want to win things

2. Because the style of play suits them better (ie, as a player gets older, they mature into different players. Greatness can still be achieved later, if you are in the right environment)

 

Football is old school, whereby 'winning' is everything, second is nothing. It is one of those last mantra's of the pre-pc world.

 

On the other hand, as a business (which football has become) the market should dictate the outcomes. As much as I dislike this 'concept' coming into football, the truth is, once it came into the game, and you can argue as to when that was, the rules changed.

 

£100m for a player, so what, how much did Real pay for Zidane? And that was quite some time ago. Football imploding? Nah, just the rich playing their games in the public eye. Do we moan, en mass, when large corporates swallow up small business and make people redundant? Unless it happens to you, nobody says anything. And that isn't in this climate, that's when things are going well!

 

As for SKY, ruining the game, starting the ball rolling, I would disagree to some extent. Sure, they paid the money, good money, for a good product. At the time OUR GAME needed an injection of cash. Events such as Hillsborough, Heisel and Bradford, meant that grounds had to change and safety improved. Trouble is, when these improvements happened, the money was shifted. IMO, this money should, in part, have been reserved for the fans and the Youth teams. Even as a teenager, I said it back then, 50% of the SKY money should go on things 'other than' the 1st team. It should be this way today, and we would have the most amazing grounds, the cheapest seats and the best entertainment the world has ever seen.

 

As for the pro's, they deserve all the money they get, they 'are' the product, and they are bought and sold as a product. I have said also, I'm glad I didn't make pro, I have no regrets, because I played football for other reasons, I played because I was good at it, I found it easy, and I ENJOYED IT! Trouble is, my enjoyment was at the expense of someone else's inferiority. And so, I have gone full circle.

 

Lastly, I promise, just a little insight. When I was 16, I played for Hampshire youth team. There were two of us in the whole squad, whose father didn't drive a top of the range Merc or Jag. And honestly, we were the best two players in that team. The guys in charge picked from their own. The managers son was in the team, the coach, his friend etc etc. Why? Because they saw that football was going to be the next big thing and if their sons got good exposure and good facilities, they would eventually earn big money, and they were right. Maybe some would say I was jealous, but I'm not, seriously, there's a lot more to me than meets the eye. I actually feel sorry for the kids that were better than me! The ones that came from 'really' difficult backgrounds, sure, some were poor, but single families were a real big problem when I was growing up, the support wasn't there then asa it is now. And a lot of those kids went to the wall, drugs, alcohol, crime. IMO, football was te working class game because it saved kids like this from having lives like this. It was aa distraction, a comittment, an enjoyment.

 

As the game continues and the money grows bigger still, ordinary folk like me or you, won;t be allowed to play pro football, our parents aren't upwardly mobile enough. And if you are or were, a priviledged child, I bear no grudge. I just think this whole system, country, ethos, will continue to drive the money toward certain groups and deprive the rest. Money is power, power can only be shared sparingly and there is only one ruler.

 

Good luck city fans, all I hope is that the poor families in that city, get to take their kids to watch one of the greatest footballers on the planet and are not priced out of this working class game forever.

[simonsays]

the amount footballers have got could have put a dent into poverty 10 years ago....

 

personally, I think in such uncertain times..we should be greatful that city are going to be bringing on alot of NEW money into the english game

 

 

How the hell do you justify the comment "money into the English game"? I'm sure Luton, Bournmouth ect are excited as hell about all this money coming in.

[Thedelldays]

How the hell do you justify the comment "money into the English game"? I'm sure Luton, Bournmouth ect are excited as hell about all this money coming in.

clubs have come and gone over the years before sky and "money"...why make an issue now

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

The amount paid plus the signing-on fee is just shy of the money the Government is putting aside to help families save their homes from repossession by buying them and renting them back.

 

Does this maybe put this obscene deal into perspective?

[Thedelldays]

The amount paid plus the signing-on fee is just shy of the money the Government is putting aside to help families save their homes from repossession by buying them and renting them back.

 

Does this maybe put this obscene deal into perspective?

 

 

this is what I dont get....not as if it is coming out of our pockets..?

 

do people flutter an eye lid when they see tiger woods top of the sporting rich list...or david beckham playing league 1 or CCC standard and being paid £250k a week in a league where it DOES effect the other players due to centra contracting etc...

 

or when will smith gets another £25m for another crap comedy???

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

this is what I dont get....not as if it is coming out of our pockets..?

 

do people flutter an eye lid when they see tiger woods top of the sporting rich list...or david beckham playing league 1 or CCC standard and being paid £250k a week in a league where it DOES effect the other players due to centra contracting etc...

 

or when will smith gets another £25m for another crap comedy???

 

We're in a recession. Man City can't really afford it as the payments will be spread over god knows how long and the £75 million will be invested in a tax-free trust somewhere overseas so the government won't benefit.

 

It's the principle of it all. People everywhere are losing their jobs and homes and cannot afford to heat their homes and this bunch of fat cats are sticking two fingers up at them.

[Micky]

I'm torn. My beliefs are that clubs should be run as clubs. Talent should be nurtured from within and outside players should be tempted to play for a different team for 1 of 2 reasons:

 

1. Because they are good and they want to win things

2. Because the style of play suits them better (ie, as a player gets older, they mature into different players. Greatness can still be achieved later, if you are in the right environment)

 

Football is old school, whereby 'winning' is everything, second is nothing. It is one of those last mantra's of the pre-pc world.

 

On the other hand, as a business (which football has become) the market should dictate the outcomes. As much as I dislike this 'concept' coming into football, the truth is, once it came into the game, and you can argue as to when that was, the rules changed.

 

£100m for a player, so what, how much did Real pay for Zidane? And that was quite some time ago. Football imploding? Nah, just the rich playing their games in the public eye. Do we moan, en mass, when large corporates swallow up small business and make people redundant? Unless it happens to you, nobody says anything. And that isn't in this climate, that's when things are going well!

 

As for SKY, ruining the game, starting the ball rolling, I would disagree to some extent. Sure, they paid the money, good money, for a good product. At the time OUR GAME needed an injection of cash. Events such as Hillsborough, Heisel and Bradford, meant that grounds had to change and safety improved. Trouble is, when these improvements happened, the money was shifted. IMO, this money should, in part, have been reserved for the fans and the Youth teams. Even as a teenager, I said it back then, 50% of the SKY money should go on things 'other than' the 1st team. It should be this way today, and we would have the most amazing grounds, the cheapest seats and the best entertainment the world has ever seen.

 

As for the pro's, they deserve all the money they get, they 'are' the product, and they are bought and sold as a product. I have said also, I'm glad I didn't make pro, I have no regrets, because I played football for other reasons, I played because I was good at it, I found it easy, and I ENJOYED IT! Trouble is, my enjoyment was at the expense of someone else's inferiority. And so, I have gone full circle.

 

Lastly, I promise, just a little insight. When I was 16, I played for Hampshire youth team. There were two of us in the whole squad, whose father didn't drive a top of the range Merc or Jag. And honestly, we were the best two players in that team. The guys in charge picked from their own. The managers son was in the team, the coach, his friend etc etc. Why? Because they saw that football was going to be the next big thing and if their sons got good exposure and good facilities, they would eventually earn big money, and they were right. Maybe some would say I was jealous, but I'm not, seriously, there's a lot more to me than meets the eye. I actually feel sorry for the kids that were better than me! The ones that came from 'really' difficult backgrounds, sure, some were poor, but single families were a real big problem when I was growing up, the support wasn't there then asa it is now. And a lot of those kids went to the wall, drugs, alcohol, crime. IMO, football was te working class game because it saved kids like this from having lives like this. It was aa distraction, a comittment, an enjoyment.

 

As the game continues and the money grows bigger still, ordinary folk like me or you, won;t be allowed to play pro football, our parents aren't upwardly mobile enough. And if you are or were, a priviledged child, I bear no grudge. I just think this whole system, country, ethos, will continue to drive the money toward certain groups and deprive the rest. Money is power, power can only be shared sparingly and there is only one ruler.

 

Good luck city fans, all I hope is that the poor families in that city, get to take their kids to watch one of the greatest footballers on the planet and are not priced out of this working class game forever.

 

I would tend to agree with a lot of the points you make - but the facts remain - that we fail to nurture lots of our home grown talent because of the amount of foreign imports that we invite to the party. This has a detrimental effect at grass roots level, and in the long term does absolutely nothing to promote either the National Team or English players abroad.

 

Name me 10 foreign players currently playing in England - easy? Name me 10 English players currently playing abroad - eerrrr not so..!

 

I have little problem with Sky relying on the commodity that is English football and pumping lots of money into it. The problem is, the spread of that money - it does not allow the small man to compete - and as a result the Premier League is dominated by 3 - 4 teams. Even in business circles free trade is generally encouraged whilst monopolies are widely frowned upon - yet we have our very own Tesco's of the Premier League. So yes Sky - keep pumping it it - but spread it around a little eh. Just think of how the likes of Bournemouth, Luton Town and many other smaller enterprises might benefit by just a little bit of the action.

 

And, if as you say, the smaller man will soon not be able to play the beautiful game then we are indeed f u c k e d - and perhaps it is at this point that we should call time. I hope it never happens but as you have pointed out - the man in the street is in danger of being priced out of the very industry that he supported and spent many many years building, in order to finally be turned away as the next generation of toffs showed up. When (if) it does all go 'Pete Tong' - wait and see who the clubs turn to in order to try and flog their wares again.

[Thedelldays]

We're in a recession. Man City can't really afford it as the payments will be spread over god knows how long and the £75 million will be invested in a tax-free trust somewhere overseas so the government won't benefit.

 

It's the principle of it all. People everywhere are losing their jobs and homes and cannot afford to heat their homes and this bunch of fat cats are sticking two fingers up at them.

so..because people are losing their jobs..what should we all do...stop spending money...???

 

no one is sticking their fingers up...man city are trying to buy one of the best footballers on the planet...should they no do this as we are in tougher times..?

 

i think we as a country (being the 4th-5th biggest ecnomey) and ****ing rich country too should not need to worry about the transfer fee of a footballer really

 

if man utd were doing this I bet there would be no where near the cuffufle

[del boy]

Gutted we were beaten to his signature.

[1976_Child]

if man utd were doing this I bet there would be no where near the cuffufle

 

how do you figure this? doesn't matter which club it is, it is the amount of cash being spent to buy one solitary man who will be employed to kick a leather ball around a pitch. And the massive disconnect between his wage and the wage of the average man city fan.

 

it is amoral and just goes to show how warped our world is. These rich Arabs don't care about football in the same way that fans do. They are in it to use man city as a play-thing and ego massager. Certainly they are not in football to make a profit. That much I hope we can all agree on. Kaka will be nothing more than a loss financially.

[Micky]

how do you figure this? doesn't matter which club it is, it is the amount of cash being spent to buy one solitary man who will be employed to kick a leather ball around a pitch. And the massive disconnect between his wage and the wage of the average man city fan.

 

it is amoral and just goes to show how warped our world is. These rich Arabs don't care about football in the same way that fans do. They are in it to use man city as a play-thing and ego massager. Certainly they are not in football to make a profit. That much I hope we can all agree on. Kaka will be nothing more than a loss financially.

 

Agreed - in financial terms he will be. But one of the main factors of him going there will be to entice other 'world stars' to join City as well. So in those terms he might justify just a little of his over-inflated fee and obscene wage bill.

[saintoli]

Kaka is going to Manclechester City for a reported £100,000,000 transfer and £200,000 per week plus a £75,000,000 signing on fee.

 

I don't understand. I just don't understand. How can a footballer be "worth" the same amount as two brand new, fully equiped state of the art hospitals? Sorry folks, but this is perpostrous. The game is rotten. No wonder the United fans god fed up and formed FC United of Manchester.

 

It is a f\/cked up world. Jobs being lost left, right and centre and a footballer is sold for £100 million pounds. Barking mad.

 

So what your saying is the City owner should not invest any money into his buisness and should invest it all in to bailing out our country?! Its a buisness get over it.

[1976_Child]

Agreed - in financial terms he will be. But one of the main factors of him going there will be to entice other 'world stars' to join City as well. So in those terms he might justify just a little of his over-inflated fee and obscene wage bill.

 

... a sort of human loss-leader?!

[1976_Child]

So what your saying is the City owner should not invest any money into his buisness and should invest it all in to bailing out our country?! Its a buisness get over it.

 

Where do you get the idea that I want the Man City owner to bail out Britain? And no, it is NOT a business to them. To them it is a play-thing, a giant big bit of bling. There is a good reason why real business men - like Branson - do not get involved in football. It is because it is NOT profitable. When a company pays £100m to buy another company it will only do so if the deal makes sense financially. This Kaka deal neither makes sense financially nor morally.

[Micky]

So what your saying is the City owner should not invest any money into his buisness and should invest it all in to bailing out our country?! Its a buisness get over it.

 

I think you might have missed the boat mate. This has absolutley nothing to do with business - it is not investment, because investors expect a return - there will be no monetary return on this buy.

 

Show me how much profit Roman Abramovich has made at Chelsea since he has been there - errr absolutely naff all.

 

The club is a 'plaything' for a very rich man (or men), who probably have no idea of economics anyway. They have so much wealth - economics mean nothing.

 

Nobody is suggesting that anybody bails this country out - but in the current economical climate, where many members of this country are losing their houses to unscrupulous banks and lending companies - it is evident why such lavishness might irk with more than just a few - no?

[Thedelldays]

most of you go to sms week in week out...can afford it...why as it is fun..

 

now, translate that to having billions of spare cash to burn and what would you do......hmmmmmmmmmmm

[StuRomseySaint]

Matt Patterson is on £500 a week, I knows that FACTO, so that is a good idea as to what the rest are on.

 

So...... We could have a squad of 1000 Matt Pattersons for the price of Kaka!

 

F*cking rubbish is the English game now, ruined by the foreign invasion.

 

It does make me seriously think about whether to keep on turning up at Saints, although I still will.

 

Having said that, if there was a Southampton version of FC United or AFC Wimbledon, then as much of a super-fan I am ( (8 ) I would be very tempted to spend my Saturday afternoons watching a team jump up through the leagues and wouldn't want them to get any higher than League 2, possibly League 1.

[S4INT]

Firstly, just make a new top rate of tax to 70% or something.

Secondly, if this happens and Manchester City mess this up somehow and get relegated I will laugh forever... They're so foolish to buy one £135m player when they could buy an entire immense defence and do well in the league!

 

Anyway I agree with a lot of what's been said, sure I can understand that there is demand and so players will be expensive, and some VERY expensive. But the price being suggested for Kaka is ridiculous. I'd never want Southampton to be bought by someone who would spend money like that. What do the real Manchester City fans thing, if there are still any left!?

Football needs to be careful with it's debt embroiled(sp?) future...

[Micky]

... a sort of human loss-leader?!

 

Very much so. Of course the problem will be should they fail to win trophies. The likes of Kaka are sorted for life financially, young and hungry for trophies. If City fail to deliver on the silverware - then I don't think it will take too long for 'stars' to look elsewhere for winning teams.

 

For this revolution to work at City they have to win trophies (big ones) and that effectley means overhauling United - no mean feat if they manage to achieve it - but I have my doubts. I can't see them managing that in just a couple of years - and how long is Kaka and the like going to hang around waiting?

[saintoli]

I think you might have missed the boat mate. This has absolutley nothing to do with business - it is not investment, because investors expect a return - there will be no monetary return on this buy.

 

Show me how much profit Roman Abramovich has made at Chelsea since he has been there - errr absolutely naff all.

 

The club is a 'plaything' for a very rich man (or men), who probably have no idea of economics anyway. They have so much wealth - economics mean nothing.

 

Nobody is suggesting that anybody bails this country out - but in the current economical climate, where many members of this country are losing their houses to unscrupulous banks and lending companies - it is evident why such lavishness might irk with more than just a few - no?

 

Buisness wise i totally agree with what your saying. With regards to bailing out, the first post likend the amount of money to 2 new hospitals and the current climate (people losing their jobs). I cant understand why people get so upset about what someone else is spending!

[TheCholulaKid]

most of you go to sms week in week out...can afford it...why as it is fun..

 

now, translate that to having billions of spare cash to burn and what would you do......hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

As with most of your opinions on here TDD you start off with a point of view and then when challenged on it start being obtuse instead of admitting your argument is flawed.

 

What you've written above makes no sense.

 

I can't work out if you're really thick or on an eternal wind up.

[1976_Child]

Buisness wise i totally agree with what your saying. With regards to bailing out, the first post likend the amount of money to 2 new hospitals and the current climate (people losing their jobs). I cant understand why people get so upset about what someone else is spending!

 

Because:

 

a) it is immoral

b) it effects the whole of the game, and as a football fan I don't like the effect.

c) the wages debase the worth of mere-mortals like doctors, nurses, soldiers and countless others who turn up to support their club paying through the nose for the privilege to buy someone a new ferrari every week.

d) it is immoral. or did I mention that already?

[Micky]

Buisness wise i totally agree with what your saying. With regards to bailing out, the first post likend the amount of money to 2 new hospitals and the current climate (people losing their jobs). I cant understand why people get so upset about what someone else is spending!

 

Well try to understand this - the amount of money that is being paid to make this deal happen is making headlines and raising eyebrows even in the lavish world of football.

 

Just think what somebody, who has absolutely no interest in football, is thinking with regard to the current credit crunch. Here I am staving off the bayliffs, but 10 miles down the road a guy runs around a football field and gets paid 'alf a mil a week - mind boggling.

 

For me, the issue is not about what 1 man is getting in regards to money. It is the chasm between the 'haves' and 'have nots' that is turning our league into a 4 team affair, with a few hangers on, and at the same time prostituting itself to all the top players in the world, while sticking two fingers up to the potential home countries talent.

 

Yes it's a good league - but there is more to life than money.

[1976_Child]

Well try to understand this - the amount of money that is being paid to make this deal happen is making headlines and raising eyebrows even in the lavish world of football.

 

Just think what somebody, who has absolutely no interest in football, is thinking with regard to the current credit crunch. Here I am staving off the bayliffs, but 10 miles down the road a guy runs around a football field and gets paid 'alf a mil a week - mind boggling.

 

For me, the issue is not about what 1 man is getting in regards to money. It is the chasm between the 'haves' and 'have nots' that is turning our league into a 4 team affair, with a few hangers on, and at the same time prostituting itself to all the top players in the world, while sticking two fingers up to the potential home countries talent.

 

Yes it's a good league - but there is more to life than money.

 

Exactly. Sums it neatly up. And on that note I think I will turn in for the night as I need a good night's kip what with all the excitement of watching us lose tomorrow and all that

[Thedelldays]

why is it immoral?

 

there are far more things in sport that are far more immoral than kaka going to man iity

[L1Minus10]

I wonder if he'll get a game. Plays same position as Robinho

[Legod Third Coming]

Guys, this is genuinely GOOD for Manchester and Britain.

 

Kaka will have 200k per week in his pocket.

 

He will buy a HOUSE.

 

He will DECORATE it.

 

He will FURNISH it.

 

He will have it CLEANED.

 

He will buy a CAR.

 

It will be MAINTAINED.

 

It will be CLEANED.

 

He will EAT out.

 

He will buy CLOTHES.

 

He will go CLUBBING.

 

He will SPEND money in Manchester.

 

Which last time I checked was part of OUR economy.

 

He will create and sustain jobs.

 

THAT is LIFE.

[alpine_saint]

Kaka is going to Manclechester City for a reported £100,000,000 transfer and £200,000 per week plus a £75,000,000 signing on fee.

 

I don't understand. I just don't understand. How can a footballer be "worth" the same amount as two brand new, fully equiped state of the art hospitals? Sorry folks, but this is perpostrous. The game is rotten. No wonder the United fans god fed up and formed FC United of Manchester.

 

It is a f\/cked up world. Jobs being lost left, right and centre and a footballer is sold for £100 million pounds. Barking mad.

 

No argument from me, dude. That deal is obscene.

 

I hope the fans of all the other teams boo him non-stop.

[InvictaSaint]

Guys, this is genuinely GOOD for Manchester and Britain.

 

Kaka will have 200k per week in his pocket.

 

He will buy a HOUSE.

 

He will DECORATE it.

 

He will FURNISH it.

 

He will have it CLEANED.

 

He will buy a CAR.

 

It will be MAINTAINED.

 

It will be CLEANED.

 

He will EAT out.

 

He will buy CLOTHES.

 

He will go CLUBBING.

 

He will SPEND money in Manchester.

 

Which last time I checked was part of OUR economy.

 

He will create and sustain jobs.

 

THAT is LIFE.

 

I bought a house

I have decorated it and furnished it

I tend to clean it myself

I bought a car

I have it maintained

I eat out sometimes

I but clothes

I spend money (though not in Manchester)

 

Why is nobody giving me a fanfare for being good for the economy?

And why, despite a perfect credit score and regular monthly salary, will my bank of 26 years (LloydsTSB) not give me a £100 overdraft for one week?

 

As you say, that is life. But I am sure Kaka's £200K a week or whatever it is makes his life a lot easier for him. Kicking a ball around for 90 minutes a week is, after all, hard work compared to the rest of us.

[Legod Third Coming]

I bought a house

I have decorated it and furnished it

I tend to clean it myself

I bought a car

I have it maintained

I eat out sometimes

I but clothes

I spend money (though not in Manchester)

 

Why is nobody giving me a fanfare for being good for the economy?

And why, despite a perfect credit score and regular monthly salary, will my bank of 26 years (LloydsTSB) not give me a £100 overdraft for one week?

 

As you say, that is life. But I am sure Kaka's £200K a week or whatever it is makes his life a lot easier for him. Kicking a ball around for 90 minutes a week is, after all, hard work compared to the rest of us.

 

There have always been rich and poor and people in between.

 

If he spends half of his weekly wage, that's £5million a year injected into the British Economy.

 

I'd rather a footballer earned it than a bloke who sat in Lombard Street betting companies would fail and making ZERO contribution to my entertainment.

 

The argument about value is irrelevant. Who is worth anything??

 

Answer - no-one. Or whatever you are prepared to pay.

 

These sums are meaningless. If he's not worth 200k is he worth 100k a week? 50? 20? 10?

 

Who's arbitrary judgement is it?

 

I watch football. I watch Formula One. I watch Golf.

 

At least with Golf every man has to EARN his salary. That's what football should do. 100% performance related pay - like Golf. Don't hear many golfers complaining do you??

 

As for your bank - see my earlier thoughts on bankers. It's not ****ney slang simply because it rhymed...

[InvictaSaint]

There have always been rich and poor and people in between.

 

If he spends half of his weekly wage, that's £5million a year injected into the British Economy.

 

I'd rather a footballer earned it than a bloke who sat in Lombard Street betting companies would fail and making ZERO contribution to my entertainment.

 

The argument about value is irrelevant. Who is worth anything??

 

Answer - no-one. Or whatever you are prepared to pay.

 

These sums are meaningless. If he's not worth 200k is he worth 100k a week? 50? 20? 10?

 

Who's arbitrary judgement is it?

 

I watch football. I watch Formula One. I watch Golf.

 

At least with Golf every man has to EARN his salary. That's what football should do. 100% performance related pay - like Golf. Don't hear many golfers complaining do you??

 

As for your bank - see my earlier thoughts on bankers. It's not ****ney slang simply because it rhymed...

 

Don't get me wrong - I agree with a lot of what you say. Philosophically, however, and perhaps even morally, is it 'right' for one person - irrespective of their job - to be earning more money than they can physically spend? This is what capitalism allows, of course and as you say there have always been the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Marx would have a lot to say on this I would imagine! Perhaps if one moves away from the moral argument, the question of regulation is a more practicable one; our increasingly spineless European and national FAs are fiddling whilst Rome burns in that respect. This continuing lack of concern for what is happening to our national game is what will ultimately lead to its decline.

[Legod Third Coming]

Don't get me wrong - I agree with a lot of what you say. Philosophically, however, and perhaps even morally, is it 'right' for one person - irrespective of their job - to be earning more money than they can physically spend? This is what capitalism allows, of course and as you say there have always been the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Marx would have a lot to say on this I would imagine! Perhaps if one moves away from the moral argument, the question of regulation is a more practicable one; our increasingly spineless European and national FAs are fiddling whilst Rome burns in that respect. This continuing lack of concern for what is happening to our national game is what will ultimately lead to its decline.

 

 

I agree but I am also a total free market economist - there aren't many real ones around and those there are eventually give up.

 

If you let markets unfold then at the end you reach a happy state of equilibrium where people pay what things are really worth to them.

 

Sadly, we have this half-hearted effort where regulators do what they think is 'just enough' to introduce 'egaility and fairness'. It never works.

 

Let's say we took away government and then asked people for a contribution towards the things they want - schools, roads, armies, navies, welfare state, and so on. We'd soon learn what's really important to people. Especially when the choice is eat or arm, drive or have a bypass operation, for example.

 

At the moment, football is important to enough people around the world for a player to earn the same as Kimi Raikenen, less than Tiger Woods, much less than Shaq (or whomever now plays basketball) and several quarterbacks no doubt. And much, much less than the CEOs of several banks who simply placed massive bets on black and watched as the world came up red...

 

So, let Kaka have whatever he wants and the next man after him and so on, and at the end of all of this we'll learn that money can't be eaten.

[derry]

And if some ruthless bastard does him in the first 10 mins and ruins his career, will most people just not care.

[sidthesquid]

This moment will go down as the moment when the English love affair with football ended. When Abramovich first came to Chelski he at least allowed a manager to assemble a team with a vague semblance of business about it and I enjoyed seeing the Man Us and Arsenals get stirred up. But they were happier, more prosperous times, now it just seems obscene, removing Prem football that little bit more from Joe Public. I've never had Sky, but of the six blokes I knew at work who had it, four have cancelled subscriptions, one has dropped the Sky Sports part and the other is about to. There is going to be a lot less dosh in football in two years time and the gulf between the foreign-owned teams full of foreigners and the real world will become too big to heal.

True fans keep on going to matches, no matter how bad it gets, plastic fans watch it on Sky and if they can't afford it or they get bored or their mates start mocking them for following a plastic team they can walk away (unlike me!) Kaka is the straw that will break the camel's back

[saints-cris]

I think Shearer put it best.

"I wasn't worth £15m back then and he's certainly not worth £100m now"

[buctootim]

If you let markets unfold then at the end you reach a happy state of equilibrium where people pay what things are really worth to them.

 

Sadly, we have this half-hearted effort where regulators do what they think is 'just enough' to introduce 'egaility and fairness'. It never works.

 

Let's say we took away government and then asked people for a contribution towards the things they want - schools, roads, armies, navies, welfare state, and so on. We'd soon learn what's really important to people. Especially when the choice is eat or arm, drive or have a bypass operation, for example.

 

At the moment, football is important to enough people around the world for a player to earn the same as Kimi Raikenen, less than Tiger Woods, much less than Shaq (or whomever now plays basketball) and several quarterbacks no doubt. And much, much less than the CEOs of several banks who simply placed massive bets on black and watched as the world came up red...

 

So, let Kaka have whatever he wants and the next man after him and so on, and at the end of all of this we'll learn that money can't be eaten.

 

 

It doesnt work. When people are healthy they don want to pay for hospitals, but as soon as they are ill they scream for others to pay more. People without children dont want to pay for education - even though they received one themselves.

 

Kaka is being bought with money generated by oil which should have belonged to the people of Abu Dhabi but is instead appropriated by their absolute monarch to spunk on a Brazilian player for an English club - no benefit to Abu Dhabi at all. The whole thing does stink

Edited 17 January, 2009 by buctootim