And in an act of unexpected philantrophy, the Premier League has given Conference clubs a £1m bonus.
All very welcome of course, but I can’t help thinking the Prem have done this to sweeten up the Conference sides. After all, a day or so ago, both Rafa “Facts” Benitez and Arsene “I didn’t see it” Wenger were bitching concerned about the new “home grown” rule that is coming in. Perhaps it’s going to allow Conf clubs to develop players so that the Prem clubs can come in and buy them to bench warm?
Enough cynicism. Of far more importance than any show of goodwill, how much will we get? According to the SLP:
Clubs in the Conference’s top flight will benefit most, with the South London Press learning that the Dons and their Blue Square Premier rivals will be given cheques for between £25,000 and £30,000.
Chairman Erik Samuelson said: “We were not in any financial trouble so we didn’t need this money, but it is a very generous bonus.
“We will put it in our back pocket and save it for a rainy day. We’ll wait until November or December and see whether our current financial success is continuing. If it is, then we will consider whether to use some of it to add to the squad.â€
Hmm, not to be sniffed at. Good to hear that we’re not in financial trouble – in fact, we budgeted without the TV money (and it’s probably good that we didn’t go into the BSP when the dough was supposedly getting handed out) and we’ve benefited anyway. Though it has to be said, it’s not as though we’ve had to pay goal bonuses to Jon Main…
One thing that will concern me – how many clubs will now forget the need to be prudent and just splash this windfall on expensive-if-disinterested players come January?
And more to the point, how many of them will “suddenly” find themselves in financial shit again come April?