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Is there too much money in football? Is there too much money in football?
Yes, there's too much money in football Yes, there's too much money in football
No, the amount of money in football is fine No, the amount of money in football is fine
Footballers earn millions of dollars while billions live in poverty Footballers earn millions of dollars while billions live in poverty
The poorest football teams are unable to compete with the richest ones The poorest football teams are unable to compete with the richest ones
Commercialisation and advertising has taken over the game of football Commercialisation and advertising has taken over the game of football
Local, working-class football fans are being priced out of enjoying the sport Local, working-class football fans are being priced out of enjoying the sport
The amount of money in football is proportional to the demand for the sport The amount of money in football is proportional to the demand for the sport
Football has long been a path to riches, fame, and success for the poor Football has long been a path to riches, fame, and success for the poor
The money that goes into football comes from rich owners who can afford it The money that goes into football comes from rich owners who can afford it
The money from football trickles down from the league and clubs into communities The money from football trickles down from the league and clubs into communities
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Is there too much money in football?
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No, the amount of money in football is fine

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The money from football trickles down from the league and clubs into communities

The largest football clubs have to spend a portion of their revenue on grassroots funding, while transfer fees also trickle down from larger clubs to smaller ones. This means that the money at the top level of the game eventually reaches local communities where it provides a much-needed resource.
Rory Smith
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The Argument

With great power comes great responsibility. Football clubs and players have been given great rewards for their competition and success. But clubs are not distant champions, removed from the world. They are born, raised, and supported by the communities surrounding them. As such, they are expected to give back; and they do. Almost every elite European club also has a branch dedicated to charity and community work. It provides economic and social resources for members of its surrounding community. It even picks up where other social programs fail or simply can't reach. One example is Liverpool Football Club's LFC Foundation. When a nearby social program froze due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the LFC foundation offered its support to economically deprived communities.[1] COVID-19 has brought the best out of many other clubs and players as well. Clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United put aside their rivalry to help donate to a food bank. Stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have made generous donations to hospitals.[2] Players and clubs throughout the world use the money they've been given to give back and make a positive difference.

Counter arguments

As good as these gestures are, COVID-19 is a special case. Besides these initiatives, there isn't very much news about what clubs do for the communities. How was LFC Foundation helping the community before COVID, for example? The article cited doesn't really say. The sad reality is that trickle-down economics just doesn't work.[3] It's just an excuse to put money into big business and corporations, and leave the common people waiting for benefits that never come. Why does money have to take this roundabout path from TV deals to owners to clubs to players to people? Why can't it just... go to the people? Especially the ones who need it most - much more than football players do?

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.sportbusiness.com/2020/04/virtual-cuppas-and-food-bank-donations-how-football-clubs-are-supporting-communities-during-lockdown/
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/sports/soccer/soccer-coronavirus-rory-smith.html
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/12/why-are-we-still-pretending-trickle-down-economics-work
This page was last edited on Saturday, 25 Jul 2020 at 17:44 UTC

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