Good article. Martin Samuel does have his moments.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1352649/Martin-Samuel-Fair-play-Roman-75m-reaches-needy.html?

Trickle down economics football style. Reagan would be proud. It's not a point I agree with in economics generally, but most of his points echo the ones we've made on here about ffp only enshrining the elite clubs and leaving everyone else for dead. If only the article had have been written in France or Catalonia then someone influential might care.

BTW well done on the transfer window abramovich, you really brought home the bacon.

Trickle down economics football style. Reagan would be proud. It's not a point I agree with in economics generally, but most of his points echo the ones we've made on here about ffp only enshrining the elite clubs and leaving everyone else for dead. If only the article had have been written in France or Catalonia then someone influential might care.

BTW well done on the transfer window abramovich, you really brought home the bacon.

Agreed, though I do think we need some form of financial fair play rules as it just isn't sustainable for clubs too be in debt as much as many are right now. But it's a good point that by not allowing outside funds it does pretty much cement the top clubs as they are now. It's hard enough to break into the top four already, without the chance of outside investment it will be nearly impossible. Maybe financial fair play rules but allowing outside investment would make sense.

Also, one thing, player xfer fees and wages are astronomical right now but that is mostly IMO irrelevent, what matters is not how much they cost/are paid but how much they cost/are paid relative to the clubs income.

People buy shirts, subscribe too sports channels, buy tickets, which all provides dosh. Then there is advertisement incomes as well. So long as a clubs income is high enough it's all good.

I thought he'd lost interest in the Club, was going to buy a Russian team, and fund the Russian Worldcup

Ive always liked Martin, but everything he has said has been mentioned on this site many many times.

Roman pours money into the sport and it does go to "selling" clubs, which are usually smaller ones who develope talent as opposed to buying it. Its clubs like Man U who hemmorage money out of the sport and into bankers hands.

Finiancial fair play is not fair, and will eliminate the biggest/best clubs/players in Europe/World. It will ruin the CL, EUFAs biggest cash cow.....and that will never be allowed to happen under any circumstances.

They just need to keep with administration. If a club has an owner who wants to pour money into the game, it sucks for the rivals, but otherwise good on em! Its when a club start to pour money out of the sport that needs addressing.

Great article. I love how Samuel seems to relish in destroying just about sh*te argument put forward by his fellow sport writers, over and over. Especially about "how the money could be used elsewhere". Well, sadly, it wasnt going to be, so shut it.

Trickle down economics football style. Reagan would be proud. It's not a point I agree with in economics generally, but most of his points echo the ones we've made on here about ffp only enshrining the elite clubs and leaving everyone else for dead. If only the article had have been written in France or Catalonia then someone influential might care.

BTW well done on the transfer window abramovich, you really brought home the bacon.

I agree with that. Its not my personal view on the world or economics at all, but football is not the world in general.

He is absolutely on the money. Big spending owners are going to do more for the good of the game than UEFA's rules.

UEFA's rules will only create a country club of elite clubs, barring all but the most industrious success story, like if Blackpool were to somehow make it to the CL (which would be worthy of course it would just be extraordinary). Im sure after this week, UEFA will do whatever it takes to keep us out of that club, too.

Real financial measures that could control spending? A cap on wages, or a graduated pay scale. A cap on agents fees, or the limiting of their involvement. A limit on how much can be spent each window. All of these things would hurt the ability of top teams to continue to get top players. Certainly not what the braintrust in Nyon want.

Its as simple as this. When Roman came to these shores, he uplifted the general level of English football by injecting his own money. United were shot into action when their status was diminished by the big spending and injected some of their cash to raise their level.