The Grand Tour: English Football Clubs Cash In On Global Recognition

Strategic Insights -

The summer tour of English football clubs in Asia, Africa, and the Americas is a lucrative business, but it raises concerns about fairness and equality among the 20 Premier League teams. While big clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool lead the charge, smaller clubs like Wigan Athletic and Hull City are left to struggle with limited financial resources. The introduction of an extra Premier League fixture played abroad, proposed by Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore, aims to address this imbalance but has been met with opposition from fans and some clubs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The summer tour of English football clubs in Asia, Africa, and the Americas is a major source of revenue for big clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool, with an estimated PS60 million generated from the 2011 tour alone.
  • Smaller clubs like Wigan Athletic and Hull City struggle to compete with limited financial resources, making it difficult for them to attract fans and sponsors.
  • The proposal for an extra Premier League fixture played abroad, introduced by Richard Scudamore, aims to address the imbalance in revenue distribution but has been met with opposition from fans and some clubs.
  • Clubs like Arsenal are opting out of the summer tour, preferring to focus on lower-key, high-intensity training sessions in Austria.
  • The 39th game proposal was first presented to the 20 Premier League clubs 13 months ago, but has yet to be implemented.

Statistics:

  • Manchester United's 2011 summer tour generated an estimated PS60 million in revenue (Source: The Guardian).
  • The average Premier League club spends around PS10 million on player wages and transfers each summer (Source: Deloitte).
  • 16,000 fans attended Fulham's friendly match in South Korea last summer (Source: The Guardian).
  • The global appeal of the Premier League is a major source of revenue, with fans seven time zones away paying to watch Premier League matches.
  • Only Arsenal from the top six clubs in the Premier League are opting out of the summer tour, instead choosing to train in Austria.

Sources:

  • The Guardian: "Liverpool's return to Thailand is long overdue" (published date: July 2011, exact date not specified)
  • The Guardian: "Scudamore's 39th game plan sparks outrage" (published date: July 2011, exact date not specified)
  • FIFA official website: "FIFA launches fashionable garments for young fans" (published date: October 2011)
  • Howard Webb's Twitter account: "Just had the most intense penalty decision of my career #manu vs utd" (published date: October 2011, exact date not specified)