FT op ed on the problem of money in the Premiership

[Crusoe]

http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2010/09/21...itish-football/

 

A speech by Paul Marshall, the co-founder of Marshall Wace (and Manchester United fan) to the Liberal Democrat autumn party conference on Monday night.

 

Example:

 

Does it matter if a lot of money is wasted by irrational owners and that money winds up in the pockets of players? Well, in many respects it does not.

 

These are consenting adults. If a self made tycoon wants to blow his life’s fortune on a football club he should be free to do so. Communities and towns like Blackburn, Reading and Wigan have often benefited from the investments that have gone into their clubs and stadiums. And I am sure that Fulham fans are happy to keep cheering Al Fayed’s laps of honour provided he serves up the cash.

 

The problem arises when the owners have no shared identity with the supporters, when they are not part of the community and instead of supporting the community, they actually take money out of the club – as in the case of the Glazers (or Liverpool’s current owners). Then we have the reverse of community. We have something antithetical to the spirit of a football club. We have the rape of a community.

[downender2]

seeing as no one else has...I found that quite interesting

[24hoursfromtulsehill]

I do wish people would stop casually abusing the word "rape".

 

A businessman taking money out of his company is not rape.

 

I also doth declare that the word doth is easy to misuse.

 

Interesting thoughts though - but would the fan ownership model work at our level? He seemed to concentrate only on the premier greed.

Edited September 23, 2010 by 24hoursfromtulsehill

[beag_teeets]

I think there's been a rape up there.

 

[Ackey]

I think there's been a rape up there.