Inside U.K.
On and Off the Pitch, Brits Mad About Sports
By RICHARD PAYNE
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英国人はスポーツ大好き
イギリスで今もっともホットな話題はスポーツです。中でもサッカーが全国的に人気で、プレミアリーグの昨年覇者、マンチェスター・ユナテッドにいたっては、試合内容はもちろん、選手の年棒やチームのゴシップまでもファンの間でとりざたされます。
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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">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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