Puzzling headlines

[Devil]

Looking at the BBC's newspaper headline column, I see that they are mostly devoted to a foreign footballer whom they claim was a cheat and who has died.

At the same time, the chancellor of the exchequer has announced that the British economy will be in dire straits over the next years. This will affect every person in the UK and many people outside of it.

It would seem that our priorities are in a total topsy-turvy state.

[WHL]

Cant see a problem, unless you go looking for one

[cyprusmax47]

Argentina is in a three days national period of mourning and yesterday's champions league matches were holding a moment of silence after football legend Diego Maradona died yesterday...

Max

[Diocletian]

Didn't know the BBC had a newspaper!

As regards football. I would rather paint a wall and watch it dry.

[Devil]

Didn't know the BBC had a newspaper!

2020-11-26_134210.jpg (67.63 KiB) Viewed 3671 times

Argentina is in a three days national period of mourning

The UK will mourn its economy for more than three days and almost surely more than three years.

[Diocletian]

As will most economies I would think.

[Kili01]

I have no interest in football and find it hard to understand why so many people seem to hero worship various 'celebrities'!

For me the current state that the UK finds itself in is much more important, even though I'm not living there.

Dee

[Firefly]

Dee

Have to say I agree, getting paid lots of money and treated like a super star because you can kick a football in the right direction, what a mad world.

[galexinda]

Not just related to footballers - know quite a few people who went into meltdown because they couldn't watch Strictly Come Dancing one evening due to issues with the buffering. My suggestion that they could watch it later on catch up was met with derision - it just wasn't the same as watching it live!

[WHL]

I have a season ticket which costs me way north of a grand, every season Im not complaining what footballers earn, so why do you , who have never spend a penny at the turnstile, yet still moan? Its not your money that they are receiving,
I think its terrible that untalented tv celebs, film stars, golfers, racing drivers, get obscene amounts of dosh,
for all the people who are moaning about footballers, ask your self one question, could you do what they do ?, the answer is no, there you have the reason they get paid what they do.

[Chaddy]

I used to be a soccer fan but so many football clubs today are owned by companies overseas with financial interests.Team Managers are so often imported from abroad,and some clubs majority of players are foreign..So are you really supporting your own town

Is it any wonder Englands national side dont do so well when young up and coming local lads dont get a chance to prove themselves in the top flight because clubs want instant success for their fans,so buy and import the best players.

[WHL]

Using your analogy: I can't paint a picture to save my life, nor perform brain surgery, nor play a violin. Does that mean artists, brain surgeons and violinists should earn a million quid a week simply because they have skills which I lack?

Not denying that talented footballers should be rewarded, but hundreds of thousands a week, plus multi-million bonuses when they change clubs...come on!

What Im trying to say is, the people moaning about the high wages that players earn, are the very same ones, who admit that they don't have any interest in football, they are the ones who have never bought a match ticket in their life's, I pay alot of money to watch them, I'm not moaning so I cant see how it affects their pocket, I don't understand your analogy about not being able to do brain surgery etc , if we all could do brain surgery, play a violin to the best standard etc. then brain surgeons, musicians wouldn't get paid so much, supply and demand, to give you another take on this, I know you like us, love going to Holland to see Andre Rieu, tickets etc. cost a lot of dosh, we are happy to pay it because it gives us a lot of good memories, I dont care if Andre makes millions, to me he is worth it, as is watching top footballers in my case, someone might pay a hundred million for a piece of canvas with a bit of paint on it, not for me, but if that floats their boat, then good luck to them, in a free economy we all have a choice on what to spend our dosh on, there is a lot of jealousy on what footballers earn, If you are paying towards their wages, then you have a right to complain, if you cant tell the difference between Maradona or Madonna, then you dont in my opinion.

[boycott]

Why does it matter to the general public what a footballer is paid?

The general public do not pay anything towards a privately owned football club so no cost there.
The areas around the club make money from servicing match days so the public so they win there.
The footballers so called obscene wages are taxed at 40/50% so the Government/public win there.
The same footballers all buy luxury houses and kit them out in luxury items so the Government/public again win there (VAT and services).
Again the said footballers run around in state of the art vehicles paying high amounts of insurance and tax to run the said vehicles so yet again the Government/public win there.

The only cost is the people that pay for Sky Sports etc. and the fans who go to match's and buy expensive branded club shirts but yet again the Government/public gain from this with VAT etc.

[WHL]

Why does it matter to the general public what a footballer is paid?

The general public do not pay anything towards a privately owned football club so no cost there.
The areas around the club make money from servicing match days so the public so they win there.
The footballers so called obscene wages are taxed at 40/50% so the Government/public win there.
The same footballers all buy luxury houses and kit them out in luxury items so the Government/public again win there (VAT and services).
Again the said footballers run around in state of the art vehicles paying high amounts of insurance and tax to run the said vehicles so yet again the Government/public win there.

The only cost is the people that pay for Sky Sports etc. and the fans who go to match's and buy expensive branded club shirts but yet again the Government/public gain from this with VAT etc.

Exactly, spot on.

[Dominic]

Footballers get paid so much because supporters want to see their teams win.

It is as simple as that.

If you want to put a cap on it, you will have to endorse a Socialiast society, because that is what you are asking for.

Alterntaively, support a shit non-league team.

[WHL]

HIC, for what its worth, I think footballers, celebs, pop singers etc wages are obscene, and in a fair world, doctors, nurses, care workers etc, should be at the top of the wage scale and men kicking a ball should be on the bottom of the pile, that's in a fair world, unfortunately in the real world, if I give up my season ticket there are thousands waiting in line for it, the same in the TV world a bunch of brain dead Kardashians, can become billionaires, by pouting and dropping their knickers quicker then a Tom, its Mad Mad World.

[Diocletian]

Strange to think that when an England team actually won the World Cup they probably earned a pittance.

[WHL]

Strange to think that when an England team actually won the World Cup they probably earned a pittance.

After the First World War professional footballers received a maximum weekly wage of £10. In 1920 the Football League Management Committee proposed a reduction to £9 per week maximum. Buchan was one of those who called for the AFU to resort to strike action. However, large numbers of players resigned from the union and the Football League was able to impose the £9 maximum wage. The following year it was reduced to £8 for a 37 weeks playing season and £6 for the 15 weeks close season.

Despite the efforts of the Players' Union, there was no other change until 1945 when the maximum close season wage was increased to £7 per week. Two years later a National Arbitration Tribunal was established. It decided that the maximum wage should be raised to £12 in the playing season and £10 in the close season. The minimum wage for players over 20 was set at £7.

The maximum wage was increased to £14 (1951), £15 (1953), £17 (1957) and £20 (1958). The union argued that in 1939 the footballers' £8 was approximately double the average industrial wage, by 1960 the gap had narrowed to £5 with these figures standing at £20 and £15 respectively.

The players made further wage demands in 1960 and when these were backed by a threat to strike on 14th January, 1961. The Football League responded by abolishing the maximum wage. Johnny Haynes, the England captain, became the first £100 per-week player. However, some clubs such as Liverpool attempted to enforce unofficial wage ceilings. For example, Manchester United paid a maximum wage of £50 a week.

[Diocletian]

Thanks for that info. Very informative.