Football: A Billion-dollar Industry

This article gives us insight on the astonishing takeover of English Premier League giants Liverpool Football Club by American tycoons George Gillet and Tom Hicks... In an unbelievably incredible deal worth S$1.32 billion.

Non-followers of football would probably be surprised to know that Liverpool is actually NOT the first club in the English Premier League to undergo a massive deal as such.

I quote the article, "West Ham, Portsmouth, Chelsea and Fulham are also foreign-owned."

The transactions are staggering, but they are no longer considered astonishing in the modern context, in this massive industry called football.

Football is a sport that has mesmerised football fans worldwide, and I sure am no exception. Pele, Maradona and many others have graced "The Beautiful Game" over the decades. But, it is pretty amazing to see how football has flourished so rapidly into a multi-billion dollar business over the years.

A transfer fee of a player can easily hit a couple of million pounds. On an extreme end, I believe many of us can recall the 23-million pounds Real Madrid paid for David Beckham just a few years back. Furthermore, the endorsement fees players like him receive each year are jaw-dropping, with industrial giants Adidas, Gillete, and Nike coveting Beckham’s services.

Unhappy voices are then raised- Why should the transfer fee of a single player easily cost up to twenty million pounds when it can sustain the lives of innumerable underprivileged children in Africa?

Fans are also disgruntled- Certain “world-class players” can earn a hundred thousand-odd pounds a week, promising at least twenty thousand a game! Even when they are out on long-term injuries, they continue earning the startling amount for recuperating under posh conditions.

Criticisms are commonplace. But in my opinion, the figures involved, albeit massive, are justified.

However, when what we see is the players at their fullest glory, we do not catch a glimpse of their much less smooth-sailing road to fame. To children of less-developed countries, football provides them with the avenue to escape the poverty cycle. It is a gamble for them, keeping in mind the fact that their careers might never take off if their talent remain unearthed. Moreover, their careers can even go up in smoke over a split second due to a devastating injury!

Just last year, the horrifying injury to Chelsea Football Club's goalkeeper Petr Cech nearly cost him even his life, on top of his career. Therefore, in this sense, the price tags placed on these footballers are justified.

However, footballers do have to watch their behaviours at times. They should know that there are youngsters all over the world who emulate them; with that, show absolute discernment in all situations.

Also, they have to remember that they could never have attained this hero-like status without support from the society. Especially for those from humble backgrounds, they should be able to step into the shoes of the disadvantaged.

In my opinion, their huge bank books should be utilised more on bringing happiness to the unfortunate, instead of letting money corrupt their lifestyles.