Inside U.K.

On and Off the Pitch, Brits Mad About Sports

By RICHARD PAYNE

In Britain, there are certain subjects we never tire of talking about the weather, politics and sports. But it is the last of these three topics which is the hottest of them all right now. The football season has just begun, and wherever you turn, there is no shortage of information and opinions on this topic.

Football is our national game, or should I say, our national multi-million pound business. Events on the field are not enough to satisfy our curiosity. We want to know about the fortunes clubs are spending on new players, how much money teams are making through their dealings on the stock exchange and how much money star players are receiving every week.

As the biggest club in England, the former European Champions and the current Premier League Champions, our greatest interest is Manchester United, who have started their defense of the Premier League, England's foremost league.

With millions of fans worldwide, United is even bigger than the Italian clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan, or the current European Champions Real Madrid and their Spanish rivals Barcelona.

United's profits are higher than any other club, turning over around ﾈ100 million (15.5 billion) a year. A lot of income is made from fans paying at the turnstiles to watch the games. This season, capacity at United's Old Trafford Stadium is more than 67,000 seats. But by far, the most money is made not from the sales of tickets but from club merchandise. You can look like your heroes by spending ﾈ40 (6,200) on a shirt, and buy scarves, hats, flags, books, videos or wallpaper in United colors.

With so much money going into football, it's not surprising to learn that those who entertain us enjoy their fair share of the rich pickings. In fact, many are so wealthy that they will not need to work a single day after they have finished playing in their mid-30s. Premier League players earn an average of ﾈ15,000 (2.3 million) a week!

Alen Boksic, who joined Middlesbrough from the Italian champions Lazio, receives more than ﾈ60,000 (9.3 million) a week, making him the highest paid footballer in Britain.

Top international stars like David Beckham and Michael Owen can match pop and film stars for wealth, and enjoy the luxury cars, houses and holidays that come with it. Sometimes, though, there is a high price to pay when you're on the front pages of the newspapers nearly as often as the sports pages on the back.

For most of the people, ﾈ104,000 (16.1 million) seems like a fortune, but to the captain of Manchester United, Roy Keane, it is merely his wages for two week's work! And it is also the amount of money he has just been fined for being sent off in a match that kicked-off the season: the Charity Shield, which is played at London's famous Wembley Stadium.

The criticism that followed Keane's red card was fierce and brought shame on both him and his club. People wondered, "How can a man who in one week earns more than twice as much as the average person takes home in a year deserve such a fortune?"

But, sadly, seeing a player dismissed from the field is not unusual. Keane was one of nine players to be sent off in only the first 16 games in this year's Premier League season.

The money in football contrasts sharply with the amounts that exist in other sports in this country. While cricket is seen as our summer game, the players earn a tiny amount of money in comparison. Those who play for the English squad can expect a large salary; especially when they go on tour to places like Australia, South Africa and India during winter. But most, who play for local teams, earn no more than someone who works in a bank or in construction.

There is a saying, however, that "every dog has its day," meaning everyone has their moment of fame if they wait long enough, and our cricketers have just had theirs.

All too often, they embarrass us for their failings on the field. That is, until now. They can no longer walk down the street without being congratulated on their victory over the once-mighty West Indies squad.

In the Test Series being played in this country, England completeda comprehensive victory over the West Indies, winning inside two of the scheduled five days, and with an inning to spare thanks to a remarkable performance from our fast bowlers.

With our national football team having performed so poorly in this year's European Championships, our tennis players failing to win at Wimbledon and the Americans showing us how to play golf in the major championships, England is for once celebrating a significant sporting success from a very unlikely source!

Shukan ST: September 22, 2000

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