THE 20 Premier League clubs made a combined pre-tax loss of £ 833 million in 2022-23, with only Brighton, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Brentford in profit. The league’s revenues were up by 11% to £ 6. 1 billion, with £ 4 billion being spent on wages, representing 66% of income. Thirty years earlier, the wage-to-income ratio was 47%. In 2022-23, Premier clubs paid out a record £ 2.9 billion in the transfer market, with around 25% of that total spent by Chelsea. Around 53% of income was attributable to broadcasting, while 33% came from commercial activity. Matchday contributed 14%.
There was a blow to League One side Stevenage when it was announced manager Steve Evans is leaving the club to join his old employer Rotherham United. Evans, 61, who has been at Stevenage for just over two years led the club to promotion from League Two in 2022-23 and for much of this season, his team was placed in the top six. They are currently in ninth place. chairman Phil Wallace, commented: “It’s not what we wanted, but compensation clauses are in place for a reason and these things happen in football. The approach was unexpected but handled in the right manner by both clubs.” Evans managed Stevenage for 120 games with a win rate of 47.5%.
This season’s FA Vase final will be between two teams from the Essex Senior League. Romford and Great Wakering Rovers will meet at Wembley on May 11. Both semi-finals were settled by penalties, Romford overcoming Lincoln United after the two legs had both ended in draws. Meanwhile, Great Wakering surprisingly came out on top against Worcester City. Romford, who actually play in Corringham, Essex, are currently in second place in the league, while Great Wakering are sixth. Romford beat their Vase opponents twice in the league this season.
Spartan South Midlands side Real Bedford have captured the headlines after receiving a US$ 4.5 million cryptocurrency investment from the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler. The twins, who are well known due to their disagreement with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, are now co-owners of Real Bedford along with the club’s chairman, Peter McCormack. They have the bold ambition of taking a club from step five of the non-league pyramid to the Premier League. Bedford, a town of around 175,000 people, has a chequered football history. The original Bedford Town floundered in the early 1980s and reformed in the mid-1990s. They are chasing promotion from the Southern League Central first division and have an average gate of more than 400. Real Bedford have just won the Spartan South Midlands League title, beating London Lions 2-0 in front of just 217 people.
GAME OF THE PEOPLE 