History Behind Footballers Excessive Salaries

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If we look around the world today the salaries being paid to certain footballers it is off the chart. They get paid weekly which actually makes it sound worse when you calculate it as a monthly salary. When you add in the extra things like royalties and endorsements then it puts certain players into a whole new league from the already wealthy football stars. A player pocketing 100 000 pounds a week is like a journeyman boxer today and you just haven't quite made it. Not a failure by any means ,but not a top player.

Lets first go back in time and have a quick look where it kind of went wrong and who messed up. I believe someone did as there is no sportsmen worth this type of money for kicking a ball around a football field. The type of money that they are earning they should be able to score a goal whenever they feel like it and possess some incredible super human powers. Magic in your feet like that comic strip player Roy of the Rovers.

Back in 1885 the League bought in restrictions of 4 Pounds per week as it was getting out of control. In 1905 people were horrified that a player transferred from Sunderland to Middlesborough for 1000 pounds, the player was a guy called Alf Common. In 1922 the league raised the bar to 8 Pounds a week in the winter and the off season was only 6 Pounds.It took another 20 years to get another hike in weekly wages and this went to a high of 12 Pounds a week and 10 Pounds for the off season. Slow progress I know, but it is still going up. This was around the Second World War so there were other things on everyones minds then.

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Jimmy Hill was known more for his big chin than anything else.

In 1961 Jimmy Hill the Professional Footballers Association Chairman scrapped the salary cap altogether and Johnny Haynes of Fulham football club was paid 100 Pounds per week. This was big for those days. jimmy hill may have sped it up but I don't think he was too blame. Maybe he couldn't see what he was signing as his chin was in the way.The following year Dennis Law was purchased by Manchester United for 100 000 Pounds from Torino. It is already starting to get a little hazy as these are big jumps for 1962 which is only 57 years ago.

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Trevor Francis outside the Nottingham Forest ground after they just purchased him for 1 million.

It took another 17 years and in 1979 Trevor Francis became the first 1 Million pound player. The same year Peter Shilton who was a goal keeper and not a striker received 1200 Pounds per week as his salary. Chris Sutton from Blackburn was the first player to hit 10 000 pounds per week in 1994. Arsenal the following year in 1995 paid out 25 000 pounds per week for Dennis Bergkamp and the flood gates are starting to open now. Over one or two years salaries are already doubling. A bit like Crypyto.

Dennis Bergkamp was too scared to fly and would have to leave days in advance to drive to European matches.

In 1995 the Bosman ruling came into effect allowing players out of contract to move and keep the transfer money negotiatiing their own deals. An agents wet dream as this was a bumper pay day. This was like a massive bonus and clubs were scared of losing out as it was seen as poor management. The players are a clubs most valuable asset and losing out on a payday would force them to negotiate more lucrative contracts to sign so as to not lose everything altogether. This too me is where it all goes downhill because of this fear factor with the Bosman ruling.

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In 1996 Alan Shearer moved to Newcastle from Blackburn for 15 Million. Shearer was really good and you are only as good as the players around you on what service they give you. He had Gillespie on the wing and the "hunchback" Peter Beardsley giving him excellent service down the middle. In 2000 Roy Keane was offered 50 000 pounds per week and the following season Sol Campbell moved on a free transfer from Tottenham to Arsenal. Tottenham to Arsenal is a sin for most Spurs fans as they are North London rivals that just don't like each other.They paid him 100 000 Pounds per week and this was due to the fact that they didn't have to fork out massive transfer fees on the Bosman ruling. In the space of 4 decades 100 pounds had now become 100 000 pounds per week.

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Since then we have seen Carlos Tevez paid a staggering 260 000 Pounds per week ,but that is still pocket change. When we look at the likes of Messi and Ronaldo and what they take home per week excluding all the extra endorsements and bonuses. Neymar went to Paris Saint Germain for a whopping $262 Million and I don't care who you are no one is worth that type of money. Maybe if you shit gold bricks twice a day I would consider it a good investment.

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Lionel Messi is on $645 000 per week or if you like $33 Million per year and last year with all his extras made over $120 Million. Poor Ronaldo is just behind him on $110 Million and the funny thing is they both have been up for tax evasion. Seriously you are earning so much that you can't spend it yet you are hiding it away for your old age.

Predictions are we will see a player at some point earning 1 Million per week and that is expected within the next 5 years. All this for kicking a ball around for 90 minutes a week and you only work for around 8 months of the year doing something you enjoy.

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I blame the Bosman ruling for over inflated salaries. Make no mistake they would have been high anyway, but maybe not as high just yet.

The Bosman ruling I think had a lot to do with the excessive transfer fees and clubs increasing salaries and extending contracts so as not to miss out. This led to clubs having to increase offers buying players out of contracts where they had excessive wages already. Why move if you aren't getting an increase in salary. Neymars move shocked Barcelona as they were not expecting that kind of offer for their player. It forced them to relook at their squad and increase the transfer fees to insane amounts for the likes of Messi safe guarding their prized possession. The fee if you are interested is reported to be over $850 million.