Well it’s all Doom & Gloom here in the TNS Wigan offices; it’s very sad indeed, lots of glum faces.
Listening to what Uwe has recently said on BBC Radio Manchester, it looks like there are also glum faces within the club too; with the fact Uwe can’t seem to buy the players at reasonable prices!
As you’re aware with the most recent new Premier League TV Bundle of Joy, means the 3 relegated teams have joined this season’s Championship with substantial cash in their back pockets.
So looking at their spending so far (not accounting of course for undisclosed fees), we have:
Fulham – £11m (McCormack & Eisfeld)
Cardiff – £7m (Le Fondre, Adeyemi, Morrison & Pilkington)
& Norwich – £3m (Grabban)
Other Championship teams have also been busy in that:
Nottingham Forest – £9m (Assombalonga, Antonio, Veldwijk & Mancienne)
Middleborough – £7.5m (Kike, Nsue & Husband)
Wigan themselves haven’t been too much of a slouch too, in new players and loans with Huws (Man City), Cowie (Cardiff), Riera (Osasuna), Tavernier (Rotherham), Taylor (Cardiff) & Taylor-Sinclair (Partick Thistle).
If you’re not already aware this season, the 3 relegated teams came down to the Championship with £59,000,000 over 4 years as part of their parachute payments. Whereas the current Championship Teams will only receive a £2.3m standard solidarity payment.
This of course means some teams have a lot more cash available, trying to purchase that return back to the Premier League? But looking at the summer 2014 transfers, both Forest & Boro have spent more than 2 of the relegated teams (undisclosed fees aside), neither of which are receiving parachute payments.
So is Uwe right in what he’s said?
With Parachute payments adding a little perspective background, in 2009 the Premier League was paying clubs yearly parachute payments of an average of £13.5m, with clubs receiving payments for only 2 years back then.
Since the 2009/10 season the parachute payments have increased to 4 years, so almost doubling to £48m. With last season relegated teams, having their payments increased with the new TV Deal, to a mind blowing £59m also over 4 years!
Then again all this money hasn’t meant much success for the 9 relegated teams*. Since the payments went to 4 years and £48m, which include our own Wigan Athletic, just 2 teams have returned to the ‘Promised Land’ in West Ham & QPR.
Oh just to add a little final perspective in May 1993 Manchester United won their first Premiership title and pocketed £815K & Nottingham Forest left the Premier League that season with £37K, which is today what some Premier League starts earn before lunch.
So is it the money that’s the problem, or we just not looking hard enough?
Andy
*For Reference relegated Teams:
2010/11 – Birmingham City, Blackpool & West Ham United.
2011/12 – Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers & Wolverhampton Wanderers
2012/13 – Wigan Athletic, Reading & Queens Park Rangers.
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