Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚽ writing on footballer's ages.
As George Best, the greatest player of his time and certainly the best player I’ve ever seen on the pitch (not just on TV), once said:
Why I am on £20,000 per year, I am an entertainer, I turn up week after week and I entertain. I add to the number of people who come through the turnstiles when we play away and I entertain. The Rolling Stones receive £400,000 for one concert and, like me, they are entertainers.
Best's £20,000 per annum works out at about £384 per week give or take a couple of quid which compared with today’s wages, even allowing for inflation, which the capitalist system of financial instability is the cause of, Bests wages were comparatively low. In the entertainment stakes at the time and compared with the ‘Stones’ George Best’s wages pale to insignificance. It would be true to say his wages compared to say a Bus Driver were very lucrative indeed but we are not comparing a top footballer’s wages with those of a Bus Driver (though back in the 1950s that would have been a fair comparison), it is other entertainers we must use as a barometer.
Back in the 1950s a footballer’s wage was capped at £20 per week and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), not players’ agents, fought to change all that and they did. The PFA is a Trades Union Congress (TUC) affiliated trade union with full negotiating rights for union members. In 1961 Fulham’s Johnny Haynes became the first £100 per week player and by the late sixties George Best had become the highest paid player in the football league. As can be seen wages had not yet gone through the roof and Best’s salary was not a great deal higher allowing for almost a decade than was that of Haynes. To me and thousands of my generation George Best was a ‘footballing wizard’ and in today’s world he would be unaffordable for most clubs. Best was one of Old Trafford’s ‘Trinity’ consisting of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. The Manchester United first team players wage bill in 1969 was £204,028 per year (about £3.5 million today), far lower than today’s wage bills even accounting for inflation.
Back in those days football clubs had a Chairman and Board of Directors. At Manchester United Louis Edwards, a big cigar smoking Manchester Butcher with a look of Al Capone, was the Chairman (1965-1980) and Les Olive was the Club Secretary. He was Secretary during the 1950s and it was his signature on the contract of the immortal Duncan Edwards. Louis Edwards drove a flash car, compared with the average motor vehicle on the road at the time, Morris Minor, Mini, and Volkswagen, and was wealthy but not in the league of today’s mega rich parasites. Men like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe, John Henry and Tom Werner, principle shareholders of Fenway Sports Group and owners of Liverpool FC, Todd Boehly head of ‘BlueCo’ a consortium which Boehly leads and are owners of Chelsea FC and many other multi billionaire owners.
Back in Edwards’ day fans also had some clout because entry to a ground was usually by payment at the turnstiles. If Louis Edwards decided to increase entrance prices by a what was considered an astronomical amount, the fans could, and, so United folklore tells us, did set up pickets at the turnstiles asking supporters not to enter the ground that day. This had the desired effect as gates were reduced particularly at the Stretford End. Edwards had a rethink and though the prices were increased a more modest hike was applied. The point I’m making here is, while greedy owners - who let’s face it, do fuck all for clubs, they don’t entertain, they don’t attend functions, they do nothing except take out money (like the Glazers taking £15 million out in ‘consultancy fees’), and while profits through the turnstiles alone, let alone merchandise - continue to rocket players, the blokes (at the moment I’m only talking of the men’s game) who turn up week in and week out and entertain will demand higher wages! Footballers have a short career and if they are prudent with their monies can retire very comfortably. Remember, there are no superannuated pension schemes at clubs for retired players. Could this be something the PFA should be looking at?
In today’s so-called ‘Premier League’ Manchester City’s Erling Haaland at around £525,000 per week is the highest paid player. He is followed by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on around £400,000 per week and in third place comes Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk at £350,000 per week. The average wage for a ‘Premier League’ player is around £76,000 per week and as we go down through the divisions it will be seen players, again using the entertainment barometer, are not that highly paid. In the English League Division One the ‘average salary for the top 100 earners is around £7,045 per week, while in the League of Ireland the average wage is estimated to be around £700 per week’. As we go down to the non-league players and semi-professional levels the wages drop considerably to maybe around £200 per week. Most footballers are not that greatly paid for the entertainment they provide, and risk of permanent injury which could, and often does, cut short their careers. Manchester United’s new signing, Bejamin Sesko, will start on £160,000 per week which is around £8,320,028 per annum.
We must use the entertainments industry as a barometer for footballer’s wages and not those in other industries as no other comparable work, outside the entertainments business, can compare. Recently two Mancunian singers known as Oasis, Liam and Noel Gallagher (fucking Blue Noses, City fans), performed in Dublin with reports suggesting; ‘both Gallagher brothers were expected to earn substantial individual sums of £50 million each’. Oasis will play at Heaton Park Manchester, Wembley Stadium, Croke Park Dublin, Principality Stadium Cardiff, and Murrayfield Edinburgh during their ‘reunion’ tour. They will also make twenty appearances in America and Asia which will be very lucrative indeed, reportedly ‘$340-$380 million’ or about £280 million sterling. Again, from their point of view, Oasis, and like footballers, they must compare their takings with other performers, this is not unreasonable. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ Tour grossed $776 million, making it the highest grossing of all time’ (according to Instagram). This is around £572,482,478 sterling which if we compare that with even the highest paid footballer is somewhat out of sight in the entertainments Richter scale. Beyonce’s ‘upcoming Renaissance World Tour could earn the singer $2 billion’ according to financial publication Forbes. In sterling this would amount to around £1.5 billion which is considerably higher than any footballer in any league in the world. In 1979 Brian Clough paid Birmingham City £1 million to bring Trevor Francis to Nottingham Forrest becoming Britain’s first £1 million player. This did not mean, at the time, every player cost £1 million anymore than every player is on Haaland’s salary today!
People tend to look at footballers’ wages not as the entire profession but at the top ten earners in the Premier League. These are the highest earners and as we move away from this pay bracket it can be seen players in lower divisions are not so well rewarded, despite facing the same risks of career shortening injuries. George Best’s arguments all those years ago are as relevant today as they were when he argued his case for being on £20,000 per annum. His wages were a far cry from today’s big earners, even allowing for inflation. In today’s environment footballers are not overpaid. At least they turn out, week in week out, and perform unlike the club owners who do fuck all for the game whatsoever. Throw the Glazers in the River Irwell or the Manchester Ship Canal they’ll be of more use there!
It would not be right to neglect the Ladies game in this piece, are they overpaid? No, they, like their male counterparts, are entertainers and turn up week after week to entertain and are certainly not overpaid. They face the same risks as the men with career shortening injuries a constant unwanted companion. The financial rewards women receive is far below those of men doing ‘comparable work.’ In any other industry in the modern world these discrepancies would be addressed. In the Women’s Super League (WSL) the average annual salary is around £47,000. This is far, far below the comparable salary of the men and should be redressed, and I believe and hope it will be. Reports from the BBC claim; ‘top tier female footballers have the opportunity to earn annual salaries exceeding £200,000 through avenues such as the “Lionesses” team, tournament prize money, endorsement deals and other sources’ (the Lionesses are the women’s England national team). These are the top earners in women’s football, not every player, and they still fall well short of their male counterparts.
Clubs are beginning to worry about the number of women footballers joining the PFA particularly in the top two tiers. Women’s pay in football is, like any other industry, a trade union issue and clubs are concerned at this surge in PFA membership. This could lead to a raft of employment tribunals claims as players become increasingly aware of their rights. Women’s pay for doing the same work in football must gain ground in parity with their male counterparts. The entertainment barometer should be used again citing Beyonce, a female singer, often pocketing more than her male co-performers at the same level! In this quest I wish the players and the PFA well.
In today’s so-called ‘Premier League’ Manchester City’s Erling Haaland at around £525,000 per week is the highest paid player. He is followed by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on around £400,000 per week and in third place comes Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk at £350,000 per week. The average wage for a ‘Premier League’ player is around £76,000 per week and as we go down through the divisions it will be seen players, again using the entertainment barometer, are not that highly paid. In the English League Division One the ‘average salary for the top 100 earners is around £7,045 per week, while in the League of Ireland the average wage is estimated to be around £700 per week’. As we go down to the non-league players and semi-professional levels the wages drop considerably to maybe around £200 per week. Most footballers are not that greatly paid for the entertainment they provide, and risk of permanent injury which could, and often does, cut short their careers. Manchester United’s new signing, Bejamin Sesko, will start on £160,000 per week which is around £8,320,028 per annum.
We must use the entertainments industry as a barometer for footballer’s wages and not those in other industries as no other comparable work, outside the entertainments business, can compare. Recently two Mancunian singers known as Oasis, Liam and Noel Gallagher (fucking Blue Noses, City fans), performed in Dublin with reports suggesting; ‘both Gallagher brothers were expected to earn substantial individual sums of £50 million each’. Oasis will play at Heaton Park Manchester, Wembley Stadium, Croke Park Dublin, Principality Stadium Cardiff, and Murrayfield Edinburgh during their ‘reunion’ tour. They will also make twenty appearances in America and Asia which will be very lucrative indeed, reportedly ‘$340-$380 million’ or about £280 million sterling. Again, from their point of view, Oasis, and like footballers, they must compare their takings with other performers, this is not unreasonable. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Divide’ Tour grossed $776 million, making it the highest grossing of all time’ (according to Instagram). This is around £572,482,478 sterling which if we compare that with even the highest paid footballer is somewhat out of sight in the entertainments Richter scale. Beyonce’s ‘upcoming Renaissance World Tour could earn the singer $2 billion’ according to financial publication Forbes. In sterling this would amount to around £1.5 billion which is considerably higher than any footballer in any league in the world. In 1979 Brian Clough paid Birmingham City £1 million to bring Trevor Francis to Nottingham Forrest becoming Britain’s first £1 million player. This did not mean, at the time, every player cost £1 million anymore than every player is on Haaland’s salary today!
People tend to look at footballers’ wages not as the entire profession but at the top ten earners in the Premier League. These are the highest earners and as we move away from this pay bracket it can be seen players in lower divisions are not so well rewarded, despite facing the same risks of career shortening injuries. George Best’s arguments all those years ago are as relevant today as they were when he argued his case for being on £20,000 per annum. His wages were a far cry from today’s big earners, even allowing for inflation. In today’s environment footballers are not overpaid. At least they turn out, week in week out, and perform unlike the club owners who do fuck all for the game whatsoever. Throw the Glazers in the River Irwell or the Manchester Ship Canal they’ll be of more use there!
It would not be right to neglect the Ladies game in this piece, are they overpaid? No, they, like their male counterparts, are entertainers and turn up week after week to entertain and are certainly not overpaid. They face the same risks as the men with career shortening injuries a constant unwanted companion. The financial rewards women receive is far below those of men doing ‘comparable work.’ In any other industry in the modern world these discrepancies would be addressed. In the Women’s Super League (WSL) the average annual salary is around £47,000. This is far, far below the comparable salary of the men and should be redressed, and I believe and hope it will be. Reports from the BBC claim; ‘top tier female footballers have the opportunity to earn annual salaries exceeding £200,000 through avenues such as the “Lionesses” team, tournament prize money, endorsement deals and other sources’ (the Lionesses are the women’s England national team). These are the top earners in women’s football, not every player, and they still fall well short of their male counterparts.
Clubs are beginning to worry about the number of women footballers joining the PFA particularly in the top two tiers. Women’s pay in football is, like any other industry, a trade union issue and clubs are concerned at this surge in PFA membership. This could lead to a raft of employment tribunals claims as players become increasingly aware of their rights. Women’s pay for doing the same work in football must gain ground in parity with their male counterparts. The entertainment barometer should be used again citing Beyonce, a female singer, often pocketing more than her male co-performers at the same level! In this quest I wish the players and the PFA well.
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
When the women's game is watched as much as the men's game and has the equivalent TV rights, sponsorship deals et al then they may have a case.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to complain about the wages of the very top athlete's because they are only doing what we all would do if given a chance, and the longevity of their careers is relatively short.
Football is changing and will be unrecognisable in the next 20 years. There will be European superleagues not just via the backdoor vis a vis Champions League, Europa, Conference but due to major television rights. North America will also feature more and more, especially with an expanded Club World Cup every 4 years making inroads in the US. This is why major US investment firms are buying up clubs like nobodies business. With cheap air travel it's only a matter of time that these super leagues come forth, given the revenues and markets for US capital exploitation. We are already seeing them test the water with wanting regular season fixtures played in the US, this is only the beginning.