There is a desire across the board from owners and chief executives to
bring down player wages - they recognise many clubs are substantially
overspending and living beyond their means. We need to do something and
we need to do something now.
We whole-heartedly support it. There is a need for a more rational
position on wages. Otherwise it would just lead to owners having to put
more and more money in and there are fewer and fewer people prepared to
do that.
While we compete on the field of play, to lose a football club would be a
financial disaster for all of us because the funding and what we can do
financially, which is limited now, would dry up. Everyone would run for
the hills. It's absolutely essential to do this.
So players are going to be affected as clubs trim their wage bills?
Where going out of contract used to be fantastic - and if you're a top
Premier League player it still is - outside of that I think people are
realising it is not a good thing because there are a huge number of
players in that scenario. Clubs are starting to be in a stronger
position.
Home attendances are going to be key in terms of the revenue clubs can
raise. As a well-supported club it should give Charlton an advantage?
That continued support and revenue will help us to invest more on the
pitch. That's how it should be. You should be investing on the pitch
depending on the level of income you can drive. If the fans don't want
to come and watch it's a self-fulfilling prophecy because you won't be
able to invest in the players because of the salary cap. But if they do
then you can drive the business on.
Michel Platini has described this move as restoring football's sanity. Would you go along with that?
It's been insane at a time when we've dropped our wage bill from the
Premier League heights down to where we are now. We've gone through that
pain.
You're competing for a player but it's not on a level playing field
because somebody else gets them but is eventually ramming their club
into administration.
This is a huge step in the right direction - but there are many more
steps to be taken by the league if they are serious about this.
What are those other steps?
Salary Cost Management is the right way to go at League One level but
you need to bring in sensible provisions around that for unusual
scenarios like relegation or costs around the business. If you're going
to bring this in then at a certain point you have to bring teeth with
it - if someone is already breaking the rules then they are going to
keep doing so until there are sanctions in place.
There is a wind of change but if you try and change things too quickly
you won't get there - it has to be a staged process which hopefully
means we are making progress in the right direction. While we compete
on the field, to lose a football club would be a disaster for all of us.
Comments
A 'break-even' financial model is an excellent idea ... problem is that the Premiership ... as far as I am aware ... does not subscribe to this yet.
Incidentally, strange that the AGM was held in Cyprus when the main topic was cost containment.