READING CAPTAIN JOBI McANUFF believes a wage cap should be introduced in English football, as players are fast losing tough with reality.
The 30-year-old midfielder feels that the massive salaries going to Premier League footballers is driving a wedge between teams and supporters, something that will result in lower attendances and more clubs going into the financial difficulty that has blighted the likes of Portsmouth, Leeds and Luton in recent years.
“I can see why a Wayne Rooney should get a big bonus because of the amount of shirts he sells but if you’re talking about £200,000 a week, that’s ridiculous. Who needs that amount of money?” asked the midfielder.
“Surely someone will say ‘that’s enough.’ We’re on the verge of getting out of control and we’re starting to lose a bit of reality.
“The most popular question I get from kids is ‘what car do you drive?’ What happened to them wanting to know what it was like to make your debut?
“Football is getting too expensive for fans, and fans make football. Tickets for our game at Chelsea were £50 each. I know lots of people who couldn’t afford that.”
PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle backed up McAnuff’s stance, saying that the possibility of a salary is something that needs to be taken seriously.
“I think it’s a very interesting suggestion and one that the authorities should take very seriously,” Carlisle told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme.
“The more I venture into the other side of football, the more I see that a lot of clubs are in very precarious positions.
“I do believe it’s about time that football started running itself, and clubs started running themselves, as viable business entities. If there was a business in any other walk of life that was treading the financial line that a lot of our clubs are now, they wouldn’t be in existence tomorrow.
“We are seeing that in the leagues below the Premier League, clubs are trimming down their squad sizes and offering much, much lower wages than they were even last year.
“We are seeing clubs start to pull the purse strings, look after themselves and hopefully ensure that no other clubs go the way Portsmouth, Leeds and Luton have in the last few years.
“I think it’s an idea that should be looked at very seriously.”
