Chris Weatherspoon
@cweatherspoon.bsky.social
2K followers 240 following 580 posts
Football Finance Writer at The Athletic UK | Will write about money for football | Views are not someone else's
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Some news I should probably share with you...

Delighted and not a little humbled to tell you I've joined @theathleticfc.bsky.social as their first designated Football Finance Writer

I'll be covering all things money in football, I think it's gonna be busy and I'm very excited to get going
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Confirmation in DAZN's 2024 accounts that Saudi Arabia's PIF, via SURJ, invested $1billion in DAZN in March of this year

DAZN lost $962million in 2024, a reduction(!) on 2023 of $498m(!)

DAZN has lost $10billion over the last decade
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Manchester United's accounts are 580 pages long and, as hard we may try, impossible to summarise quickly.

So here's a 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 dive into a club where finances are changing rapidly, and where football performance is increasingly important

@theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
The BookKeeper on Man United finances: Brutal cuts helped, but on-pitch results matter more than ever
Brutal cutbacks and improved sales have helped but United's lack of European football remains an issue, so on-pitch results will be key
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
barryglendenning.bsky.social
Simon Jordan on TalkSport, unchallenged yet again.

As a Talksport employee, I am embarrassed by this rebuttal of what Neville said. This moron pontificates without question. It is bonkers.

And yeah, i'll probably be sacked. Fuck it.

youtube.com/watch?v=FrXr...
"APPALLING STANCE!" Simon Jordan rages at "COWARD" Gary Neville after Union Jack REMOVAL admission!
YouTube video by talkSPORT
youtube.com
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Yes but not the above figure - they split it all out
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Using a club which discloses player wages

Barcelona's 2023-24 football wage bill:
• Per Capology: €201m
• Per club accounts: €326m

Difference: €125m

Cost of employing players is much higher than their basic wage too (and Capology even say their figs don't include bonuses)
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Mostly too low. Tends to ignore bonuses and doesn't include full cost to clubs like employer taxes etc. Compare the figures to published club wage bills and they're miles apart
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Football finance PSA: Capology wage figures are based on little reliable, bear no clear resemblance to published club wage bills and should not be looked upon for accuracy (or anything else really)

Prominently cited in a national outlet today and, well, come on
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
gelliottmorris.com
at this point you have to acknowledge that there is no way that these guys don't try to mess with the 2026 midterms. there is absolutely no respect for the legitimacy of the opposition
bluegeorgia.bsky.social
Stephen Miller: "Eventually elections don’t carry the day because violence beats votes… When we see a muscular response from the federal government, it’s because we’re not going to let violence beat votes."

Is he implying federal intervention determines political legitimacy, not ballots or courts?
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
stuarthoddinott.bsky.social
So after promising to cut "wasteful spending" and council tax Reform has:
- Found no waste and instead plans to cut invest-to-save schemes
- Will now raise council tax by the full 5%
- Realised they don't control asylum spending

A staggering amount of failure in 5 months
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Everton's owners carried out a further £45m share issue on 29 September, on top of £56m issued in August

It takes #EFC owner funding since their December 2024 takeover to £334.4m - £233.4m issued then was used to clear off some existing external debt
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Goals tonight from Antoine Semenyo (two), George Dobson and Patrick Roberts. The arc of history bends towards Sunderland AFC's League One tenure
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Everton's owners carried out a further £45m share issue on 29 September, on top of £56m issued in August

It takes #EFC owner funding since their December 2024 takeover to £334.4m - £233.4m issued then was used to clear off some existing external debt
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Broadcast rights deals are key to the financial health of sports leagues

LIV Golf's non-US arm generated just £2.8million in broadcast income in 2024, seven times less than the prize pot of a single LIV event

Full story on LIV Golf finances @theathletic.com

www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
LIV Golf Ltd lost £461.8m in 2024 to bring total losses to £1.1bn
LIV Golf Ltd is the UK-based entity which manages the upstart golf league’s activities outside of the United States.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
theathletic.com
LIV Golf Ltd, the United Kingdom-based entity which manages the upstart golf league’s activities outside of the United States, lost £461.8million in 2024 ($590.1million).

🔗 theathletic.com/6686158/?sou...
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
I read, or rather, finished reading, Time's Arrow by Martin Amis earlier this week. It was slow going for a while before I ended up rattling through it. Have struggled to get it out of my head since

More updates as we get them etc etc
Reposted by Chris Weatherspoon
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Losses in LIV Golf's non-US arm keep coming: a further £462m in 2024, total loss in 3.5 years is £1.1bn.

Add in cost of 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 US arm and, today, Saudi Arabian PIF's LIV investment is nearly £4billion

Piece for @theathletic.com

www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
LIV Golf Ltd lost £461.8million in 2024 to bring total losses to £1.1billion
LIV Golf Ltd is the UK-based entity which manages the upstart golf league’s activities outside of the United States.
www.nytimes.com
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Definitely. Makes me think: how much would they have poured into #NUFC with no limits?

Less, I'd imagine, but it really highlights how damaging the idea some vouch for - let rich owners spend as they please - would be for competition
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Football-related point to this too, albeit a speculative one: if European football had no restraints on spending, how much might PIF have poured in?

My bet would be less than this - it's an attempted takeover of an entire sport - but it's also clear why some limits needed
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
True and agree 𝗯𝘂𝘁 also worth saying how much this is relative to the industry they've barged into - ludicrous sums for golf and would be even higher if Woods/McIlroy had taken their offers up
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Losses in LIV Golf's non-US arm keep coming: a further £462m in 2024, total loss in 3.5 years is £1.1bn.

Add in cost of 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 US arm and, today, Saudi Arabian PIF's LIV investment is nearly £4billion

Piece for @theathletic.com

www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...
LIV Golf Ltd lost £461.8million in 2024 to bring total losses to £1.1billion
LIV Golf Ltd is the UK-based entity which manages the upstart golf league’s activities outside of the United States.
www.nytimes.com
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
#MUFC v #SAFC. Relegation fodder v European candidates, right? And do you remember Arnau?

Great fun joining the Talk of the Devils podcast to discuss United finances and Regis, Nordi and Granit ahead of Saturday

𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NcM...
Man Utd’s stadium plans, Saudi friendlies & Sunderland at Old Trafford
YouTube video by Talk Of The Devils
www.youtube.com
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Sacking managers is easier and cheaper than sacking players, but still costs money.

It might happen again at #MUFC. Or it might not

Either way, here's a look at how much they've spent on managerial changes since Sir Alex Ferguson retired

@theathleticfc.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...
The BookKeeper – How much Manchester United have spent on sacking managers
As pressure mounts on United's head coach, the BookKeeper explores the true costs of sacking their post-Alex Ferguson managers
www.nytimes.com
cweatherspoon.bsky.social
Ajax had good player sales in summer, securing €76.1m fees, €47.1m profit via:

• Hato (to Chelsea)
• Brobbey (Sunderland)
• Forbs (Brugge)
• Traore (Sunderland)
• Sosa (Palace)
• Hlynsson (Twente)
• Rasmussen (Dusseldorf)
• Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
• Keukelaar (R Madrid)