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In a league of their own.

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorWells, David H.
PositionFootball clubs, Premiership, Nationwide League

It is predictable that, of the four football clubs in the recent Nationwide League division one play-offs, Sunderland and West Ham United were relegated from the Barclaycard Premiership in the previous season and Ipswich Town were relegated the season before. The other side to come down the previous season, West Bromwich Albion, had already secured automatic promotion. These clubs seem destined to switch endlessly between the Premiership and the Nationwide League as the financial gulf between success and failure widens. There are three main reasons for this:

* One season in the Premiership can mean a windfall of up to 18 million [pounds sterling] through broadcasting rights from Sky TV. Add on the 5.5 million [pounds sterling] parachute payments for two seasons in the event of relegation and you get some idea why relegated teams have an unfair advantage. By comparison, Sheffield United's turnover last year was only 6.2 million [pounds sterling]. Their wage bill was 2.8 million [pounds sterling] compared with slimmed-down Sunderland's 17 million [pounds sterling]. When a Premiership match is broadcast on Sky, each club receives 600,000 [pounds sterling]. When Sheffield United played Ipswich Town recently, they received 60,000...

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