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PM raises football finances concerns
in brieF
Gordon Brown urges club owners to consider their responsibilities towards fans
Premier League clubs
slash January spending
By Pete Hayman Premier League football clubs
have dramatically reduced the
Prime Minister Gordon Brown amount spent on transfers
has criticised the number of UK during this year's January
football clubs that have failed transfer window to around £30m,
to cut back on high levels of compared with £170m in 2009.
debt and has urged owners to According to Deloitte, transfer
consider their responsibilities expenditure among the 20 clubs
towards supporters. matched expectations for the
Speaking at his monthly period as clubs continue to
Downing Street press confer- tighten their belts. The
ence for January, Brown estimated total spent during the
stopped short of calling for the 2010 January window is the
government to intervene, but Manchester United is one club reported to be saddled with debt lowest since 2003. More than
raised concerns that clubs with two-thirds of player transfers
high debt levels could not levels of debt than the income levels have been at a leverage this year were loan arrangements.
generate income needed to that they're able to generate level that has been too high."
"deal with the leverage". from their footballing activities Manchester United Football
Mayor to head London's
Brown said: "There is an and their television activities. Club, Liverpool Football Club
2018 bid team
issue here for football support- "Football clubs have to look and Portsmouth Football Club London mayor Boris Johnson
ers that over the last few years, very seriously at their responsi- are among a number of clubs has been named as chair of
a number of football clubs have bilities to their supporters. They that have raised concerns London United, the group
become highly leveraged and have high levels of income regarding financial stability in co-ordinating the city's support
therefore they have far higher from their supporters but debt recent weeks. for England's bid to stage the
World Cup in 2018. Formed as
Oswestry plans
part of efforts to drive the
dealt blow
Clubs 'missing out' on tax breaks
capital's bid to be named as a
candidate host city, the refined
Shropshire Council has organisation will now work with
insisted that a new £7.6m England 2018's senior team. The
leisure centre in Oswestry new-look London United group
will be completed as will include Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal
planned, despite concerns Football Club's chief executive
the company appointed to officer; Daniel Levy, chair of
build the facility had gone Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
into administration. and Wembley Stadium managing
Shrewsbury-based director Roger Maslin.
Frank Galliers started
work on the Oswald Park Sutcliffe called on more clubs to take advantage of major savings
AFC Telford United
Active Lifestyle Centre in
extends stadium lease
March 2009, which will By Pete Hayman provide more money to drive a AFC Telford United, which
replace existing facilities sporting legacy post-2012. currently competes in the Blue
at College Road. Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe The CASC scheme enables Square North competition, has
However, the council has called on thousands of amateur clubs that meet certain confirmed it has safeguarded the
has confirmed that it has amateur sports clubs to join the eligibility criteria to receive long-term future of football at
been told by management Community Amateur Sports mandatory business rate relief the town's Bucks Head Stadium
staff at the Oswald Park Club (CASC) scheme in a bid to for 80 per cent of total rates after agreeing a 150-year lease
site that the contractor benefit from major tax savings. bills and the potential to with the local authority. The
has encountered financial More than 5,500 sports clubs reclaim Gift Aid on donations. deal, which will see the club pay
difficulties, despite are currently registered with Sutcliffe said: "It is great that a peppercorn rate to site owner
having not received any the CASC initiative, which has we have signed up more than Telford and Wrekin Council, has
official word from the saved organisations more than 5,500 clubs to the scheme. But also ensured local football-based
company itself. £60m in tax relief over the past there are thousands of clubs community initiatives will
seven years and is designed to out there that are missing out." continue to operate.
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