12:43 PM
12/03/24
12/03/24
October 08, 2002
English FA clubs in crisis.: A multiple-report dossier from the Guardian outlines the impact of ITV Digital's bankruptcy, and the dissolution of the UKpound 300-million TV contract, on First Division clubs (and below). 30 clubs may be on the verge of bankruptcy, some of which may have to stop playing in the middle of this season. Also, there's talk of pay cuts for players and layoffs. Anyone have a local perspective? Solutions?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:10 PM - 1 comment
It's a deeply scary time for the football league now. It seems that clubs relegated a couple of years ago to the first division (e.g. Bradford, Derby) seem to be hit hardest. I wouldn't be suprised to see one of those two going to the wall. Derby County are a customer of ours - they were trying to offer us tickets because they couldn't afford to pay their bills. This is all going to come around in a couple of years time again, but with Premiership clubs - Sky won't offer anywhere near the sort of money they paid for the premiership last time, simply because there is no real competition for Sky. I would expect a situation like that in Italy, where all the Serie A clubs were facing possible bankruptcy. Inter Milan at one point were given a week to find some cash or face expulsion from the italian leagues.