Let’s face it, there are not many things in sport that England can claim to be the best at. It is apparent though, that when it comes to negotiating a soccer pay deal, that nobody does it better than the Brits. Our national side may not be able to win a game in Brazil, and our top club teams never quite deliver in Europe, but Sky and BT are prepared to pay £5.136 billion for the rights to show what is considered the most exciting league in the world.
We know all of the arguments about foreign players coming in and spoiling it for English players who cannot break into any of the Premiers League sides. But do we really care that Chelsea can only wheel out John Terry or Cahill as their token English contingent in the team, or that most of our top managers are from overseas? The astonishing package that the league has negotiated can only be good for the game. But what does it mean for the fans and the players? It looks as though the players and their agents will be the winners from this new deal, but the viewer on television could potentially be worse off.
With legal soccer betting in the UK, there is nothing better than sitting down to watch a big match on a Saturday afternoon, and having a little flutter. The new package and the vast sums per match have to be recovered from somewhere, and it could mean a price increase for the armchair punter. It could spell good news for the pubs that show the games live, as if the price does go up, then people may be forced to watch it with their mates in the bar. The money that is generated by the television audience is staggering. It is estimated that about 1.6 million fans watched the Tottenham and Arsenal north London derby recently, and around two million people switched on for Liverpool versus Everton. The money generated cannot be underestimated. Another area that significant money changes hands is in the soccer betting lines found at reputable sportsbooks such as the ones you see recommended at http://www.legalsoccerbetting.com/.
So how far down the totem pole will the money generated by the deal go? It is debatable whether the money will flow down to the grassroots level and really have an impact or not. At the moment, the average earning of a Premiere League player is £2 million a year. The issue of what the clubs will do with the money is a very emotive one, and the Premiere League is quick to defend itself as to how they will choose to spend the cash. Already there is talk of investing £168 million in what it calls “facilities and good causes,” and it is claimed that 152 all-weather pitches will be built.
There is another view of what will actually happen, and that is probably more of a reality based perception. Gone are the days of developing squads from youth, and I fear that we will never again hear phrases like the ‘Busby Babes.’ In this environment of foreign owners, and their hire and fire mentality, what do they care about grassroots? The attitude of the Premiere League is based on success. This doesn’t necessarily mean being champions anymore, but it does mean getting into the Champions League. To this, they need players, and the best place to buy them is abroad. It means that the club that finishes number 20 in this league will still pocket £99 million. It means also that Burnley are richer than the more successful Ajax.
So, we may not have world champions on the soccer field, and even our top clubs, with an almost 100 percent foreign contingent, still can’t win the major European competitions. But when it comes to negotiating a commercial deal, we are second only to the mighty NFL in the US. But as nobody understands those rules, it is true to say we are the world leader in at least one thing.
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