Chief in salary cap warning

Triesman admits fears over spiralling debt

Last updated: 8th October 2008

lord triesman

Triesman: Salary cap warning

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Football Association chairman Lord Triesman has warned a salary cap may need to be enforced in English football.

Speaking at the Leaders in Football conference at Stamford Bridge, Triesman revealed English clubs face an uncertain financial future as they currently owe an estimated £3billion.

Triesman fears the current economic climate could cause major damage to English football, with it having been suggested some clubs could even go bust.

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside raised the idea of a salary cap to safeguard clubs' finances and now Triesman admits those measures may need to be carried out as he looks to resolve the game's financial problems.

Triesman believes wage levels have a damaging effect at all levels of the game in England and may no longer be sustainable in the global credit crisis.

"The reason I made the point about the 12 per cent per annum growth in wages is because some of the money is flowing through the clubs inevitably, including some of the money that is in their debt package is in wages," Triesman told Sky Sports News.

"I will be told in no doubt, if you want to compete at the highest levels you have got to be competitive in the wages market as well.

Volume of debt

"I just make the point there is a volume of debt which becomes very significant in those circumstances and people need to think about it.

"I am told by people right through the football pyramid, down in the leagues in the Blue Square Premier for example, below the Football League that the issues of working with agents, trying to deal with wages right through the system is now impacted.

"This is like a waterfall, the water is reaching right down to the ground-level.

Asked if a salary cap needs to be introduced, Triesman said: "People in the clubs are the only ones who will be able to judge that.

"I start with the general proposition that we have in this business, as in so many other businesses, we have a level of debt which should cause us to stop, think and review where we are."

What do you think about the idea of a salary cap in English football? Let us know using the form below.

Comments

Arthur Blundell says...

Football fans are quite resentful of the obscene money footballers are paid and those clubs like Villa, Everton etc who try to keep a sensible wage structure are sometimes disadvantaged in transfer dealings. It does in turn though mean a constant drain too on club resources with some of the top clubs having annual wage bills over £100 million. I Would like this opportunity to point out what all football fans really know and that is Scudamore is a complete twit.

Posted 06:37 10th October 2008

Mary Carter says...

Look what a salary cap has done for the NFL. Boring boring games almost every team has the same record. The rich still get richer and the poorer get poorer. Sports is the survival of the fittest. The strong survive the weak perish. If the likes of Stoke Hull and Reading can't compete why should that be Man United or Chelsea's problem. I would be in favor of a draft where the big clubs could protect a certain amount of players and the bottom 5 teams be allowed to draft two players from the other 15 teams. With no team losing more than two players. I say rubbish to a salary cap. There are better ways to make the clubs more competitive in the EPL!!!!!

Posted 04:50 10th October 2008

Rob Carter (Leeds United fan) says...

I think the football capping system is a great idea. As a Leeds fan, I don't want to see any other club go through what Ridsdale has done to us, any way to keep club's heads above water is a good idea. I think we should try and take on other ideas aswell, like some sort of draft system like they have in american football and indeed basketball and the MLS. This would be beneficial to bring through more youngsters with a bit of promise in the game as football in this country needs help.

Posted 21:50 9th October 2008

Kunal Patel says...

At first the whole salary cap thing seems like it just wouldn't work, but if you had a worldwide football salary cap, then it is feasable. I'm not saying for one moment that its easy to do because its far from it, but if a salary cap is what's going to happen, I believe that this is the only way to make it a success. If it was only brought into certain leagues or countries, the top, greedy players from the capped clubs would have no second thought about moving to an uncapped country and club, after all, it is their living. It has to be brought in such a way that no country is inferior to another and the cap has to be realistic!

Posted 21:50 9th October 2008

Jay Van kooperen says...

lets face it, the FA don't have a clue and now everyone's in a meltdown because of the naive americans, the FA decide a salary cap would be needed? funny that the FA come up with this plan now, bit late really?

Posted 21:46 9th October 2008

Zeus Dormer (Manchester United fan) says...

With the latest comment saying Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool could be banned from taking part in the Champions league because of excessive debt is rediculous. Along with this wage cap idea I think its time for the larger clubs of Europe to now breakaway from their respective leagues, membership in UEFA and FIFA and go it their own way. That would give a guaranteed top European League, instead of the silly knock out phase after the group stages of the champions league - so the new champions league becomes a league. The national team with all the players already admitting to the desire of club over country would be a second tier national team playing their silly World Cup competition.As the Olympics isnt under the juristiction of FIFA maybe the new European League could have internationals during the Olympics instead. Let Wigan and Watford thrash it out for the Premier League (bet Newcastle wont get higher than 10th anyway) and United can play week in week out, Liverpool, Arsenal, Madrid, the Milans....... I CANT WAIT

Posted 19:25 9th October 2008

Matthew Lloyd says...

Salary capping wouldn't bring the ticket prices down necessarily, that's nonsense. Like it or not, football clubs are all businesses and are looking to make profit, and so ticket prices are going to be matched to demand. I accept that that's not the way everyone would like it to be, but clubs like Arsenal, United and Chelsea to some extent almost always sell out and have a waiting list for season tickets so can charge high prices. It's the same across all entertainment industries now. Also, regarding severely weakening the league so we have more home-grown talent is ridiculous. I would much rather have a really good club team and an ok national team to support than a rubbish club team and a national team that might be better but probably still wouldn't win anything.

Posted 16:47 9th October 2008

Keith Waddington (Manchester City fan) says...

Unfortunately a wages cap would make English clubs rather more profitable and only increase their attractiveness to buyers out to make a (quick) profit. Capping salaries based on the previous season's performance may well appeal to Arsenal fans like Lee Tadd because Arsenal are struggling to keep up with an increasing number of other premier league clubs in terms of finance, and a cap on a differential basis such as he suggests would be yet another means of ensuring that the present "Big Four" remain at the top of the football tree.

Posted 16:29 9th October 2008

Garry Hayes (Notts County fan) says...

People keep saying that if this happen then the Premier League would be ruined!! Good!!! then the Premier teams might start looking for some local talent and we may just one day get a national team that plays with pride and guts, and not just because getting an international cap makes you more marketable. We are not the best league in the World until the majority of the players are home grown, all we are is a collection pot for money grabbing parasites. They go to one club until they are offered more money by another. If they want the stupid wages then they should have to earn them,I.E. a basic salary and bonus(if they get a win bonus's then surely if they lose they should lose money.) Play and be paid when get your 6 figure salary for sitting on the bench or in the reserves that might make a few transfers not happen if they though I wont get paid. This is not being said because of my team this is being said because I am a FOOTBALL fan first and foremost and would love to cheer on a WINNING national side!!!!!!!!

Posted 16:17 9th October 2008

Chris Miles (Manchester United fan) says...

I feel Triesman is going about this in the completley wrong direction, what he should be doing is capping the amount of money a player can be bought for, not what they can be paid. Clubs should be allowed to pay players whatever they think there worth. You should not be able to tell someone what the maximum amount they are allowed to earn is in any job, even if the salaries are obscene. Footballers provide entertainment and make money for the clubs so they should be allowed to pay them what they think they deserve. Can you imagine Hollywood film industry capping actors salaries??

Posted 16:16 9th October 2008

Bill Stevenson (Hearts fan) says...

Lee Tadd Great idea but why not try it in reverse? The major teams get to spend less but the lower teams can spend more. Could create a more level playing field and bring through more home grown talent.

Posted 15:19 9th October 2008

Colin Jacobs says...

I don't see this ever happening. Like it or not, we have to accept this is the professional era and football leads the way within the entertainment arena. The players are quite rightly entitled to a relative proportion of their clubs generated profits. Next people will be suggesting Music artists salaries are wage capped... Plus, even if this was implemented, clubs would just find ways around it, much the same as rugby union has. Wives and girlfriends would become "Admin Staff" for the football clubs with their hours of work being a few hours per week with the option of working from home. In short they would be used as a way of boosting players incomes...

Posted 14:39 9th October 2008

Bhavesh Patel says...

Introducing a salary cap??No thank you. Its aggrevating reading the comments by people on this page. The Premier League with a salary cap would mean the Premier League would no longer be able to attract the best players from around the world with the Italian and Spanish leagues predominantly benefiting. The only way it would work is if there was a FIFA regulation sanctioning a salary cap on all club football. An unrealistic venture. Introducing a salary cap is also again European Union rules. Why do people seem naive listening to Platini and Blatter's nonsense when all they are trying to do is bring English football. I'm sure Real Madrid's wages are high too, but you don't see them complaining about that..it's directly targeted at English football!

Posted 14:05 9th October 2008

C D (Reading fan) says...

Some form of control over salaries is definitely needed, as players get paid sickening amounts of money. And who is paying these salaries? The Fans, in part, when buying expensive match tickets and merchandise.

Posted 13:19 9th October 2008

Joe Broomfield says...

Salary capping I think is a good idea, but am a bit surprised to read someone suggesting the higher placed teams getting a higher limit. Surely this defeats the point of salary capping altogether by ensuring the higher placed rich clubs (excluding man city of course) stay at the top as they are the only ones able to offer high wages?

Posted 11:41 9th October 2008

Peter Ralph (Chelsea fan) says...

Roll on a salary cap, perhaps all the overpaid, overseas mercenaries would go back to their own countries, also U.K. players would not be so greedy arguing about a pay rise of £20,000 a week before signing a new contract. Then we could develop an "English" league and bring through players and eventually a decent "England" team. I remember when Chelsea had three "foreign" players in the 70's in the first team - Charlie Cooke, Eddie McCreadie & John Dempsey !!! Peter, Chelsea supporter (pre Abramovich)

Posted 09:11 9th October 2008

Paul Mcmahon (Arsenal fan) says...

Salary capping, a novel idea but on a realistic basis would it really provide a level playing field or just create a lottery for winning the prem? In all forms of employment, those who are the best at what they do get paid the best for what they do, so should football be any different? I understand mid to lower table teams calling for equality but this is not just a problem synonymous to football is it. It's just the way things are! We run a real risk of losing the essence of what the premier league is all about, which at present is the best league in the world. Creating a league where at any one time any team can win will be dissinteresting at best. There will be No big upsets, No clash of the titans, No major rivalries, and so on. All the major talking points of the game we love so much will be lost creating a joyless but so called fair game. It has been better said that no matter how much money you spend, "Only One Team Can Win" So those who reffer to Chelsea, Man U and so on as dominating the league for financial reasons are very much mistaken. Would it satisfy supporters for example to go from one season to the next, challanging for the league and then battling relagation? I think not. I believe the only solution to the extreme amount of foreign money and debt being invested into the premier league is to regulate how a club spends it and how much debt they carry. Football teams are essentialy bussinesses and that is a fact which we cannot escape but in so should be run accordingly. Those who are spending ridiculous amounts with the promise of bringing trophies and success to a club but only saddling a them with inexcusable debt as we only need to look at Leeds Utd as an example of this in a time without the current financial crisis. Only once the real problems are adressed which is those who opperate outside of their means as a business will the league be fair place.

Posted 08:50 9th October 2008

Lee Tadd (Arsenal fan) says...

How about capping wages based on the club's performance from the previous season? Give Champions League clubs the highest limit and then work your way down grouping clubs who qualify for other European/domestic trophies, those who finish in the bottom half of the table and then those in lower divisions. If players knew their wages could fluctuate then maybe this would give them an extra incentive to work harder and earn their millions..?

Posted 08:07 9th October 2008

Geoff Quinn (Manchester City fan) says...

i have said for years now that the wage structure for football clubs had been downfall for many genuine supporters. people who cannot afford to go a football match and take their kids have been isolated from their favourite sport and only wealthier people who are not particularly over interested in the sport have taken their seats. i believe that in the early eighties what they should have done before buying million pound "stars" and paying them thousands a week is, by all means let them have their thousands a week but "only" if their team wins that weekend, should their team lose that weekend then all players of the squad should be payed a static say £5oo a week therefor it should make the game more and more interesting because each opposing side would fight to win that match which would make the game much more exciting to watch and that players just dont turn up on saturday just to get paid. this would then enable lesser quality clubs that do not win many games that slide down to the wrong end of the table to generate a pot with this excess to either bring down ticket prices to allow the genuine fans back or have funds available for future transfers......

Posted 07:30 9th October 2008

Martin Stacey (Manchester United fan) says...

Salary caps have been implemented in Australian Rugby and the fall out has been unreal. With players breaking contracts and all the best players leaving for overseas, to leave there national sport in a dire situation and a laughing stock, which is exactly what would happen to English football unless it was implemented right accross the board. English Football is currently the best in the world and I really do not get why people are so insistent on destroying this. As for what players earn in comparison to other 'So Called' entertainers who pocess far less genuine talent and levels of commitments, why is everyone so keen to take footballers money away from them. Who do you want to give it to?? Some fat Cat director or a board member who has probably had a family fortune past down. When you buy a CD you would much rather the person who has done all the work get your money and not some executive. Quit buying into the media propaganda and think for yourselves!!!!

Posted 04:24 9th October 2008

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