[Archived] £115,000 A Week 'not Enough'

[Eddie]

Hell, I would happily go at 75 if I could earn a few million a year in my twenties just to play a sport for 10 months of the year.

[daren]

There's an interesting answer to this on the (sadly departed) Google Answers. From the article:

Finally, consider this article in life extension magazine. It says

there are not enough scientific studies to state a correlation between

exercise and an extended lifespan. However, the author also notes,

"I believe many athletes may actually shorten their lifespans due to

the high intensity with which they train. Intense training is a

necessity in competitive sports but the frequency of training

sessions, and the lack of recuperation time between sessions, is not

adequate enough to repair damage from overly heavy training."

I recall hearing a statistic that American Football players tend to die much younger - apparently on average in their 50's

[Shaddy]

Yep. It basically comes down to the heart having only so many beats in a lifetime. And intense exercise expends those quicker.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

PLEASE SIR ,CAN I HAVE SOME MORE!

£121,000 a week now not enough.

[American]

The Guardian says that Lampard has been shopped around to all of the big clubs and no one wants him

Frank Lampard 'knows he has no chance of moving' to any of the big European clubs and so will almost definitely stay at Chelsea, according to an executive at Barcelona. 'There is no other option. He has been offered to us, Milan, Inter and Real Madrid. Basically all of the big clubs. But none are interested. We are the same as those clubs are, we're looking for a player who is more creative and has a greater technique than Lampard. So it looks like he will go nowhere.'

[tcj_jones]

LOL That is really great to hear. Let' hope he ends up leaving on a free in two years time and ends up joining Spurs or Newcastle, or whatever team is massively underachieving at the time.

I can't imagine Lampard succeeding in a team like Barcelona, who have such a wealth of talent in midfield. At Chelsea he is the only midfielder on their books that regularly appears in the opposition box. With Ballack underperforming last season, his spot in the team has been untouchable. He has something of a free role, that he wouldn't at any other top club. The only reason he scores so many goals is because he shoots from 70 yards out every time he gets the ball. I reckon Barca, who play such great football, would soon be narked off with that.

[Fife Rover]

That makes what Lucash did pale into insignificance. I have no sympathy for Chelski at all; they have created this situation themselves. Stand by for more of the same from other players who think of themselves as "massive stars" and bigger than their clubs. This is only the beginning. It is like 1961 all over again (only on a much bigger scale).

If Chelski have any sense at all they will withdraw any offers already made and drop him into the reserves and keep him there for the duration of his contract.

[Roar of the Rover]

Barca 07/08??

Valdez

Abidal Puyol Marquez Zambrotta

Messi Lampard Deco Ronaldinho

Henry Eto'o

[thenodrog]

This is only the beginning. It is like 1961 all over again (only on a much bigger scale).

1963 I think Fife.

[Fife Rover]

1963 I think Fife.

I think you are getting mixed up with the George Eastham case Theno. In 1963 Eastham took his club to court as a test case with the backing of the PFA to challenge the right of a club to retain a player and stop him signing for any other club at the end of his contract. Eastham won, with the verdict being that in such a case the player could sign and play for another club and a decision would be made by a tribunal on the amount of compensation his last club should recieve.

In 1961 Johnny Haynes became the first player to get paid £100 per week by his club. Another test case brought about by the PFA.

[USABlue]

Refusing 120K a week, it's obscene, it's ego driven this madness must stop and stop now. Absolutely disgusting.

[neekoy]

Barca 07/08??

Valdez

Abidal Puyol Marquez Zambrotta

Messi Lampard Deco Ronaldinho

Henry Eto'o

Somehow I don't think Lampard is going to displace Xavi

[Billy Castell]

Francesca is not doing himself any favours here. He's too big headed now, and needs to realise he is a poor man's Stevie G. Loan him out to Barnet to prove a point, and give Cech a pay rise instead.

[daren]

Frankie's agent today said that he was rather puzzled by the furore, as no-one has approached them about a contract at all, let alone Frankie rejecting one. He insists that there was no "snub". Don't like Lampard, myself, but if this is true then I feel sorry for the chap.

Edit: I really can't spell, sometimes!

[neekoy]

Rubbish, he is just not expecting the public backlash that he is getting. Lampard has been living off others good work for a couple of years, no defensive duties, no passing ability, completely free to wander where he wants and take pot shots at goal.

[Rovermatt]

Barca 07/08??

Valdez

Abidal Puyol Marquez Zambrotta

Messi Lampard Deco Ronaldinho

Henry Eto'o

There's not a chance of Lampard (should he be signed) replacing the likes of Iniesta or the mercurial Xavi (a player superior to Lampard in every way except for goal-scoring).

And Abidal is a left-back so Zambrotta (a naturally right-sided player) would switch no doubt.

[broadsword]

Yep. It basically comes down to the heart having only so many beats in a lifetime. And intense exercise expends those quicker.

Nothing wrong with intense exercise as long as you have adequate rest.

It improves your cardiac output and so your resting heart-rate will ultimately be lower.

[Manc Rover]

Barca 07/08??

Valdez

Abidal Puyol Marquez Zambrotta

Messi Lampard Deco Ronaldinho

Henry Eto'o

I think it will be more like this

Valdez

Abidal Puyol Merques Zambrotta

Messi Deco Xavi Iniesta Ronaldinho

Henry

Sub: Lampard

[Paul]

An Independent view

[RevidgeBlue]

I think most of the stick Lampard is getting on this thread is completely unjustified. He's been outstanding for Chelski over the last few seasons (wasn't it only a while ago he'd played something like 260 consecutive games?) and along with Terry has been instrumental to all their recent success.

Regardless of the actual figures It's the old Tim Sherwood/Martin Dahlin scenario all over again. Hard working, influential English player resents over rated, over hyped and under performing foreign imports being brought in, earning more than them, and more to the point doing naff all.

I don't believe press reports claiming he has turned down more than Shevchenko and Ballack frankly. I suspect it's a point of principle and he and Terry simply want parity with the top earners at the club.

I can fully understand those who say "What does it matter - he'd still be on 100k p.w. etc." At the same time I can also understand Lampard's point of view.

[Manc Rover]

I think most of the stick Lampard is getting on this thread is completely unjustified. He's been outstanding for Chelski over the last few seasons (wasn't it only a while ago he'd played something like 260 consecutive games?) and along with Terry has been instrumental to all their recent success.

Regardless of the actual figures It's the old Tim Sherwood/Martin Dahlin scenario all over again. Hard working, influential English player resents over rated, over hyped and under performing foreign imports being brought in, earning more than them, and more to the point doing naff all.

I don't believe press reports claiming he has turned down more than Shevchenko and Ballack frankly. I suspect it's a point of principle and he and Terry simply want parity with the top earners at the club.

I can fully understand those who say "What does it matter - he'd still be on 100k p.w. etc." At the same time I can also understand Lampard's point of view.

Lets see how good Frank Lampshade is when the team doesnt just revolve around him. He only stands out when he is given space to bomb forward and shoot at every opportunity. Makalele etc allow him to do this, Gerrard for England certainly does not, and neither will the likeso Xavi and Iniesta. The jury is out on this one!

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Government Minister slams John Terry's "obscene" salary.

It's not often I agree with Government ministers - but I think Gerry Sutcliffe is right when he says that the combination of high ticket prices and obscene salaries for players are alienating ordinary fans.

"People in the street cannot understand salaries like John Terry's," says Sutcliffe. The trouble is though that it was New Labour who encouraged foreign billionaires like Abramovich to come to Britain in the first place.

It is New Labour which has allowed as many as 100,000 "non-domiciled" residents into the UK - people like Abramovich, Al-Fayed, and Britain's wealthiest man Lakshmi Mittal, who all currently avoid normal tax rates by declaring their real "domicile" is outside Britain. If it wasn't for the policies of Gerry Sutcliffe's New Labour Government, Abramovich would not have settled into Britain and he wouldn't have become the owner of Chelsea - paying sky-high salaries to the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry.

New Labour have rolled out the red carpet to the new super-rich breed of foreign Premiership owners. A sobering statistic for those of us who have to pay income tax and mortgage payments each month is that out of the 400 UK-based individuals who earn more than £10m a year, only 65 actually pay income tax. Roman Abramovich came to Britain not because he grew up in Russia wearing a Chelsea scarf as a kid - he came to Britain because New Labour offers a fantastic tax break for him which means his investments can grow offshore tax-free for years.

Until New Labour closes these tax loopholes for the super-rich, then Gerry Sutcliffe's criticisms of John Terry's salary sounds a bit hollow.

Obviously Chelsea aren't the only club to blame for the sky-high salaries. All of the 'big four' pay huge wages to their players. Indeed it's not just the 'big four'. I think it's disgusting the way that West Ham inflated the wage market even further last summer by paying massive salaries to the likes of Kieron Dyer and Freddie Ljungberg. And we all know the reason why Lucas Neill chose to join West Ham last season - and it wasn't because his idols are Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking....

[ihateburnley]

I like Steve Gibson's views on Taylor's 'Tired Claim':

Clicky

It's refreshing to see that there are people still in the game who themselves are very rich, yet do not seem to take things for granted.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Another indication that Premiership salaries have gone completely crazy is the news today that Darren Bent is apparently the 19th highest-paid footballer in the world.

Bent is a decent striker, but he's not world class. His control and first touch isn't that great and I wouldn't put him among the top 100 players in the world. Yet according to 'France Football magazine' Bent earns £4.55m a year (approx £88,000 a week) at Spurs.

Chelsea have five of the top twelve highest-paid players in the world - Lampard, Terry Shevchenko, Ballack and Drogba are all comfortably earning over £100,000 a week at Stamford Bridge.

The Premiership now has fourteen of the top 20 highest paid players in the world. Twenty years ago who would have thought that Portsmouth would one day have the 15th highest paid player in the world on their books - but Sol Campbell on £97,000 a week is better paid than even Van Nistelrooy and Raul at Real Madrid.

Christiano Ronaldo - the 8th highest-paid player in the world - could be set to earn a lot more in the future, with Real Madrid reportedly prepared to offer him a staggering £160,000 a week if he were to leave United for Madrid. The days of footballers earning £200,000 a week are unfortunately probably not that far away.

When Jimmy Hill embarked on his campaign to abolish the £20 maximum wage in 1961, did he really envisage the madness that would happen years later?

And yet some of these greedy barstewards earning millions a year still complain that they are not earning enough - £55,000 a week or £2.9m a year for Ashley Cole was an insult to him.

For the new list of the world's top 20 highest-paid players, see the link HERE

[tcj_jones]

You can see why it was every players "boyhood dream" to play in the Premiership...

I cannot believe that Darren Bent is on that kind of money. That he's on more money than the likes of Berbatov and Keane I find quite staggering.