by From Despair To Where? »
10 Aug 2020 12:05
Stranded Nameless From Despair To Where?
They're like a mini Bournemouth the "fairy tale" belies the fact they've got where they are by spending way beyond their means and spending significantly more than their peers.
I actually saw them a couple of time in the 90's because a Uni mate played for them and I lived in Broughton, about half a milefrom their ground. That was in the North West Counties League and they get crowds of about 50. My house in Broughton actually overlooked The Cliff. We actually trained there a couple of times as McGhee used to call I'm a favour from Fergie if we had away games in the North West.
Surely every one knows Salford are owned and funded by some very wealthy people, there have been documentaries about it, it’s hardly a secret.
Do they spend beyond their means ? They might spend more than they earn through gate receipts but that’s not the same thing at all.
And spending more than other clubs is hardly new or wrong. The Football League only existed because some clubs wanted to spend more than others 150 years ago !
I guess there is a point where it almost becomes financial doping - didn't they offer Adam Rooney something silly like 4k a a week in the National League (given the average wage for a pro at that level is around 50k max - that is a massive jump) - so he moved from the SPL to English non-league even though clubs higher up the pyramid wanted him but understandably couldn't match that kind of weekly wage.
History is full of clubs who spent more than others but did it badly so didn't see any benefit at all, in fact ended up in a worst position but some fees/wages are so out of kilter with the rest of a league that you can see why it puts noses out of joint.
The focus seems to be completely on the Class of 92 but to all intents and purposes, they are a front for the people with the real financial clout. If FFP was extended throughout the whole football league, they would have absolutely no chance of complying.
I guess that opens up a different issue about the effectiveness of FFP. It certainly rules out the prospect of another Wigan or Bournemouth as it seems to pull up the ladder between established Championship sides and clubs who aspire to get there. It's a far from perfect fix for a complex problem.
As a whole, I'm not against the bankrolling of clubs by wealthy individuals but obviously the issue lies with whether it's responsible and benevolent ownership but I'd love to meet the person who finds a fix for that.