FOOTBALL

Lisa Nandy also seems to be determined to get a grip on football finances which has to be a good thing. As amusing as the anecdotes of Peter Crouch and Mario Balotelli are, there is a disproportionate difference in the salaries paid to the superstars (not for me to judge their worthiness!). But the difference between the wealth of clubs has become detrimental to the game. The top 5/6 cannot in reality be caught other than the odd freak result. Yes there will be the discrepancy between clubs based on their support and popularity. But when this is skewed by sovereign wealth funds it becomes unsustainable. Football is basically a meritocracy at its base. The best players and teams win regardless of finance – true, but when finance distorts this balance it becomes unsustainable.