The NFL numbers are huge indeed. $29b for the last TV deal. In these days of on-line TV deals the networks see NFL as the major way to retain audiences hence the massive deal.

I’ve met a few ex-footballers who seem fine but there will always be ones that screw themselves financially no matter the immense amounts they are paid. John Terry is a good example for one.

why is more important that a fan who can only afford a £5 ticket gets it than one that can afford £50 or £500? they’ve got 50,000 tickets to sell, to 50,000 fans, you’d be mad as a business to sell them for less than the most you could.

@thisisnotaspoon, that’s why you take the decision away from the clubs. The NFL stipulates what you can charge for a ticket, the TV deals provide more than enough revenue and that’s before sponsorship etc.

@gobuchul – there is a huge amount of money in the EPL, they could have arranged the finances differently to benefit the fans and the game in general and still had huge amounts left for the owners, the players etc

Another interesting NFL policy is that you cannot show the game on local TV unless it’s sold out, so when the games don’t sell out the local TV companies and other businesses buy up the tickets and I believe give them away to schools, youth groups etc.

their rules are designed to keep it, broadly, fair and competitive and to stop money,alone, letting you win the league.
Its very different from ours in that,sporting, respect.
they are both bloated cash cows

Why do you watch football? Personally it’s for entertainment and the EPL is by far the most entertaining league in the World. This is also why it’s the richest and gets the most TV revenue.

Most entertaining by far? Bullshit. See, if you say something like ‘I think the EPL is the most entertaining league’ then that’s reasonable. But the ‘by far’ bit is just pish.

Ex Oldham player Andy Barlow now works as a JCB.

Ex Oldham player Andy Barlow now works as a JCB.

As a JCB?

Wow that’s impressive! 😀

Gary Imlach’s “My Father And Other Working Class Football Heroes” is an excellent book that will interest many of you.

Talks about the “good old days” of maximum wage, which meant that just about any club could achieve success, the players had to have a summer job (pay was halved during the summer break), and their career could be finished with one tackle.

John Philiben the former European Youth cup winner, Motherwell defender and Stirling Albion boss is now a driving instructor (fund yourself and fit it around training as your career fades away).

The fact that even such “stars” need another career goes against the actions of the local high school – a sporting academy – which pulls kids out of classes for coaching sessions (they’re meant to make it up in the lunch hour but even so the disruption must be considerable). But then I’m only a SFA Level-1 coach so what do I know 😉

Oh – and Terry Butcher (former England defender) used to own a local hotel.

Junkyard – lazarus

their rules are designed to keep it, broadly, fair and competitive and to stop money,alone, letting you win the league.
Its very different from ours in that,sporting, respect.
they are both bloated cash cows Getting bloatier by the looks of it – talk of 5 NFL games in London next season. Long term they must be thinking of a permanent London team.

The one that got me was Clive Mendonca, who now works on the Nissan plant in Sunderland, now it might be in a sports/health type roll, or he might be on the production line, but I cant imagine anyone else who’s currently playing onnthe premier league ending up like that

He’s on the production line which believe me is a bloody hard job, very nice chap he is too and isn’t scared of a bit hard graft – lots of young new starters can’t hack it and walk out.

This Chap, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Moir_(footballer) was a Fireman at an old BNFL works, and a friend of mine.A true gent and a lovely guy. When he was sold by Man Utd his replacement was a real character……George Best!