Who are the real winners in Football nowadays???

Going off the Bolton forums i read, doesn't seem to be us fans.
Is it???

The Players... big wages, good life styles.
The Tv companies...Charging for watching the more attractive games.
The Agents... they seem to be on a good earner.
Anymore?

Football clubs have always, to varying degrees, taken advantage of their supporters especially as they are well aware of the strong emotional attachment that fans feel for their clubs. All businesses whatever their line of work will look to maximise the amount of revenue they can bring in and part of that is charging the highest price that their customers will pay.

When Sky came along and basically bailed out professional football there was an opportunity to make the game genuinely sustainable. Investment in stadiums, which has happened, in youth and in the game from grass roots through the lower leagues to the Premier League and the England team which by and large hasn't.

In effect what has happened is that the money has been concentrated at the top level and started a vicious and unsustainable splurge of wastefulness. Most of the money goes out of the game on ridiculous salaries for players, management, agents and executives, to such an extent that even Sky's contributions no longer meet the financial commitments of the clubs. Ticket prices and merchandising has risen disproportionately to inflation and clubs owe more money than ever.

Banksy, when it comes to watching games, the attending supporters aren't benefitting, because of rising cost for every thing to do with the game, and team, but the armchair, or tv, supporter is. I agree that the atmosphere, comments, and ability to watch off-the-ball play etc is good, and makes a game, but the replays, comments, match stats, and ability to watch top flight football, etc, while you have your feet up, is more attractive, and more affordable, to the vast majority.

Money-wise, everyone but the fan benefits. Its now so expensive, but I see no workable alternative, (other than reducing the entrance fees, and relying on the tv fees to cover costs). We all know that isn't going to happen.

In money terms, agreed. But the essence of being a football fan is in the hope, despair and occasional reflected glory of supporting a team. It's an emotional contract that occupies us long after a game and in the build up to the next one. That's what we pay for and nobody else gets the benefit.

There's no better feeling than seeing you're own team win.