Money- Good or Bad for the game????

Well, guys it’s a new month and one of the few joys about a new month is getting paid. For some reason no matter how much am paid I still never have enough money towards the end of the month.

I have heard rap lines like ‘too much money ain’t enough money’ and ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ while I partially believe the first one I disagree with the second one totally. I am always happy having money than when I don’t have any. Besides its better and more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle, take Manchester City as a case study fews years back they were not a very serious threat as per the big four status but fast forward a few years and some arab money and they have won a few cups and are second in the league. I can comfortably say that money has brought some amount of happiness to the City fans. But at what cost to the game?????

In my take on the issue, I have decided to focus on two effects of the amount of money in the Premier League as a result of its success: the growing trend for foreign ownership of clubs and the changing nature of the relationship between clubs and fans.

Most of these problems have come with the growing number of foreign club owners. The Premier League is now a global brand, and as a result there has been a rush to invest in it. Some companies see it as a way of improving their brand visibility, others as a way to have a bit of fun.

Either way, the trend started by Roman Abramovich in 2003 has rolled onwards.

After Abramovich’s takeover, Chelsea proceeded to go on a spending spree that had never been seen before in English football, splashing out over £100 million on players in the space of one summer.


The result? Five years and six trophies later, Chelsea have moved on to the next level in English football, their fan base is growing, and the squad is ever improving.

Chelsea’s case appears to show that foreign ownership is good thing. There have been bumps along the way, but Chelsea fans are glad for the investment Abramovich has poured into the club. 

An examination of the fortunes of some other clubs under foreign ownership proves that the experience of Chelsea fans is part of the exception, rather than the rule.

Although Chelsea is struggling a bit right now but in the long run I would say that the extra money has paid off.



Abramovich taking over Chelsea in 2003 was the beginning of a bright new dawn in the history of the club, but it hasn’t always been that way with other teams.

The shock transfers of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United on transfer deadline day 2006 and subsequent take over by Eggert Magnusson had many people predicting a top four finish for the Hammers. The season that followed was spent fighting relegation, safety only being secured on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over champions Manchester United.

Mascherano hardly featured for West Ham, and Tevez was off the following summer to Manchester United.

Some owners want to impose themselves on their new club and interfere with the way things are run. This can only lead to disaster. Andriy Shevchenko was widely rumoured to have been forced upon ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, and that turned out badly for all parties. It’s still the issue today with Torres and Benitez.

By all means, owners should take an interest in the way things are being done, but it should be left to the people who have that experience and expertise. When this doesn’t happen, it just leads to problems. But, with no supreme power to check them, owners can do as they wish within the structures of their club if they want to. 

With success comes pitfalls, and with the Premier League it is no different. Success has lead to top players and money in abundance. As the competition grew, it’s viability as an investment opportunity increased, and the current trend of investment from all corners of the globe doesn’t look like ending.

It looks like it is here to stay, and we just have to get used to it.

In spite of this, the loyal supporter must not be forgotten in modern football. A link must always be kept with the past as it shapes every club’s future. If this link isn’t preserved, clubs will walk into a global future blind. If they do keep it alive, it will make the seismic changes the fans experience in supporting their team a little easier to digest.

I guess money like anything in life has its pros and cons. In more articles to come I will still return to this issue.

But till then Always remain true to Soccer…