Money makes the world go round? - The Root of all Evil

Leeds United, Portsmouth, Southampton and Crystal Palace.  All of them football teams.  All share something that they should not be proud of.  They, amongst many more have been subject to going into administration, the final act before being liquidated and the club ceasing to assist.  

In the last ten years, there have been no less than thirty seven instances of teams in the top six Leagues of England going into administration with some like Portsmouth and Bournemouth going in more than once.

What has caused this influx of clubs being in a financial mess?  For some, it is just poor management and expectations in the lower leagues, but for most it is the chase for the Promised Land of the Premier League, or beyond.  And on the very rare occasion, a team being asset stripped as a means of recovering debts from non-football related ventures.

When Leeds United went into administration in 2007, the root cause of it stems back to being in the Premier League, where they were relegated from in 2004.  They were a successful team doing very well, even making the Champions League semi Final.  But, they were spending money on expectation of similar success, and when they failed to qualify for the Champions League, they started a downward spiral.

Last season, saw a team that no one could have predicted going under.  Glasgow Rangers, Scotland most successful club, were plunged into administration and have found themselves in the Scottish Third Division.  No longer are they getting the Auld Firm Derby vs. Celtic, but are instead lining up against the likes of East Stirling and Elgin City.

What’s to say the same could not happen to one of Englands’ mighty clubs?  Not so long ago Liverpool, once Englands’ most successful club, was in a dire position, coming close to going into administration.  Manchester City is being heavily bankrolled by Middle Eastern moneymen. But what if they get bored and pull out.  How long would they survive without that money?

It is not just Football that gets affected though.  In the last couple of years three teams in the Rugby Super League have gone into administration.  Although it doesn’t quite have the same level of support Football does, it shows that the chase for glory can ruin a team.

How can this trend be stopped though?  UEFA have already introduced something to punish teams that spend beyond their income.  Should this be introduced in Britain?

In theory it would be a perfect solution, but how can clubs like Plymouth Argyle with average attendances of 8,000 compete with the likes of Manchester United or Arsenal who have attract over 60,000 crowds per week?

At this moment, it could be said that football is staring down the barrel of a gun cocked and ready to fire.  Can it be saved before the gun goes off and plunges the worlds’ favourite sport into a free-fall it may struggle to recover from?