Debate Magazine
From Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance This year they spared us the wailing about "players' wages keep increasing as a % of club revenues" and even saved me the bother of pointing out that nearly all increases in club revenues go into higher wages: Europe's premier leagues • Within the Premier League total [revenues] of £2,360 million for 2011/12 [up by 4%], Premier League clubs' revenues ranged from £320m (Manchester United) to £53m (Wigan Athletic). Wages and transfers • The total wage bill, across all employees, of Premier League clubs in 2011/12 was £1,658m (up 4%), ranging from £202m (Manchester City) down to £35m (Swansea City). • There were six Premier League clubs with total wages above the average of £83m, all of which finished in the top eight positions in the table. 13 Premier League clubs had total wages in a relatively narrow range between £35m and £64m... • Premier League clubs' total wages are projected to have been c.£1,800m for the 2012/13 season. Given the upcoming step-change in 2013/14, the key question is how much of the extra £600m revenue will be spent on wages? • If historic trends are repeated, increasing wages will absorb about 80% (£480m) of the extra revenue.
