Cardiff City’s first season in the Premier League could generously be described as a train wreck, from the owner upsetting the fans by changing the team colours, to his public spat with Malky Mackay which ultimately led to the managers’ firing. Things have not gone well for the South Wales club. However there has been a silver lining to this season or should that be a gold plated lining. Cardiff City have been awarded £62.1 million in television money for their solitary season in the top flight, more than the £60.8 million Manchester United picked up for the 2012/13 season when they were champions.
This astronomical fee is due to the new global television deal that is worth over £3 billion for 3 seasons. This coupled with far greater parity between all the clubs, due to the collective bargaining of all 20 teams, than their European equivalents means the gap between top and bottom is not as large in England as it is in Spain or Italy, although the Champions League money gives those at the top a significant advantage over the other teams in terms of financial clout, especially in the age of financial fair play.
So while it can be argued that the gap between the top and bottom of the Premier League is closer than its rival leagues on the continent, the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is getting bigger. While the Premier League’s bottom team was awarded £62.1 million this year and will be awarded a further £60 million over the next 4 years in parachute payments, the 72 football league clubs share the £195 million three-year domestic deal from Sky Sports.
This will give the relegated clubs, Cardiff, Norwich and Fulham, significant spending power over their rivals entering next season with a greater chance to return to the promised land of the Premier league with more money available to spend on new players and wages. It also makes next week’s Championship Playoff final between QPR and Derby, live up to its billing of the richest game in football with a minimum of £120 million pounds on offer even if the clubs are relegated after one year. With the potential for even greater rewards if they can emulate Hull and Crystal Palace, who both had excellent seasons finishing 16th and 11th and earning £67 and £73 million respectively in their first season with it all to play for again next year.
Price of Failure
This situation could potentially lead to a scenario where three relegated teams are much stronger on the field than their competitors and all make a swift return to the Premier League and a yo-yo effect between those in the Premier League and those recently relegated, effectively making a 23 team Premier League. Now this scenario is extremely unlikely as football is a sport where on any given day a team with less talent can rise above their superior opponents and upset them, something that gives magic to the FA Cup with the thrill of an upset. However the fact that a team has money, does not necessarily mean that they will spend it wisely. There are plenty of examples of teams over spending on wages and transfer fees only to have bad results to show for it and QPR’s 2012/13 season is one of the more recent.
The fact that a team has earned over £60 million for finishing in last place is obscene and highlights one of the worst aspects of modern sport however it is refreshing to know that in the age of win at all costs that the integrity of a league working together for the benefit of all 20 member clubs still exists. With the collective bargaining of the EPL it has been one of the most competitive seasons with many twists and turns and upsets, and in comparison to Spain, where Barcelona and Real Madrid each rake in £140 million per season (almost £100 million more than the next most earning team Atletico Madrid, and almost £130 million more than Granada who earn the least). This does give Atletico great credit for their title charge and Champions League campaign but highlights why La Liga is a virtual duopoly.
This windfall for the relegated teams may allow them to bounce back by bringing in new players but in a World Cup year in which the future of the England team is being heavily debated you have to wonder how much of that money will be invested in young English (or Welsh in Cardiff’s case) talent.
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