MacAnthony issues backup salary cap proposals
Peterborough United president Darragh MacAnthony has revealed the alternative salary cap proposal which he submitted to the EFL – with League One clubs braced for sweeping financial changes.
UndercurrentEFLproposals, all third tier clubs will be forcedtoensuretheirexpenditureonplayerwagesfallsbelow a £2.5million cap next season – although there will be allowances made for existing player contracts.
Sunderlandarestronglyopposedtothechangesgiventhey will negate the natural advantage possessed by the club due to their large fanbase. Portsmouth have also been vocal in their displeasure at the plans.
But MacAnthony has pitched an alternative solution to clubs. His plans, which were submitted to the EFL three months ago, would see clubs ‘bracketed’ with others who have a similar turnover and with an income-based cap then applied.
This, MacAnthony argues, wouldencourageclubstogrow their turnover. “It was like markers - if you earned under £5million then you could spend £2.5million [on wages],” he explained.
“If you earned £7million, you could spend £4million. If you hit £10million you could spend £6million and if you earned £15million then could you spend £8million.
“It incentivised clubs to actually increase their revenues -commercially,bysellingplayers, having better academies and the more you created you then moved up into a different camp. Posh last year probably turned over £6million, so our turnover spend would fall into that £2.5million wage spend bracket. But if we then sold a playerfor£10million,wewould be allowed to spend in a higher bracket.”