Bigger clubs object to latest salary cap plan
FORMER Premier League clubs Sunderland and Portsmouth are the only third-tier clubs to oppose new salary cap rules proposed by the English Football League, a new report has revealed.
A flat salary cap across all three EFL divisions has been mooted by chairman Rick Parry, and the Sun on Sunday reported at the weekend that the vast majority of clubs are in favour of the new parameters.
Bristol Rovers, it is understood, are in favour of wage control after the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated the existing financially instability of the EFL clubs.
But both the Black Cats and Pompey are reportedly against the idea of a flat salary cap, which they feel is an unfair “levelling of the playing field”.
Sunderland’s wage bill is among the largest in League One, and they comply with current rules which see clubs spending on player contracts capped to a percentage of their expected turnover.
However, the new proposals from the EFL would see a universal salary cap, which would force the bigger clubs to be tied to the same wage bill limits as much smaller clubs despite attracting thousands more supporters to games.
The EFL hopes a salary cap would reduce the risk of more clubs going to the wall after Bury were expelled from the FA last season.
But Sunderland CEO Jim Rodwell made his opposition to the proposals clear in a recent interview.
“We don’t think the proposed flat cap on salaries makes sense,” he said. “We are all for running sustainable football clubs, but that is not the same as levelling the playing field.
“Next thing you know there will be conversations about sharing gate receipts like they did in the early 1980s. I think the EFL are oversimplifying the sustainability issue.
“For a lot of clubs in League One, a £2.5m cap on wages is highly attractive, but our argument is that as a big football club we can generate more revenue and therefore we should be able to spend that revenue on players while remaining sustainable.
“This issue is not supposed to be about level playing fields, it is supposed to be about sustainability and trying to avoid what has happened to Wigan now, and to Bury last summer. We agree with sustainability, but this is not the way forward.”
Stoke boss Michael O’Neill says playmaker Nick Powell could be fit for tomorrow’s trip to play at Bristol City. Powell hurt his calf against setting up a goal in the 2-0 victory over Birmingham on Sunday.