Karma Bites Liverpool in the Butt

By: Laurie | January 6th, 2008

Let’s say you’re a little team. You’re so strapped for cash that you’re in “administration.” Your players have been paid for only 2 1/2 weeks out of the last nine. And you’re playing one of the biggest, richest teams in the country at home. What do you do?

If you’re Luton Town, the little team, you ask the large club to donate its share of gate proceeds to help your team.

And if you’re Liverpool, the large team? You just say no.

That was the situation this week in the FA Cup third round game, Luton (Coca Cola League) vs. Liverpool (Premier League.)

“They probably said, ‘We have to pay players £100,000 a week. You must be joking, otherwise we will be like you,’ ” Kevin Blackwell, the Luton manager, said. “You just have to accept it. There are people in life who have got a Rolls-Royce while some people have a Mini. We are Mini drivers.”

The match will be televised live, earning each club £150,000, and Kenilworth Road will be full to its 10,000 capacity. Of the gate money, 45 per cent goes to each club and 10 per cent to a Football Association pool, so Luton and Liverpool stand to receive about £100,000 each from ticket sales. The winning club earns £40,000 in prize-money.

In the English leagues, the rich get richer and a lot of the smaller teams struggle. Even the bottom team in the Premier League will get £30 million this year, just from TV revenue. And that’s not even counting things like merchandising — a huge amount for a worldwide brand like Liverpool.

A team like Luton? £375,000 a year from TV rights, and merchandise sales pretty much limited to the people who live near the stadium.

But Luton had the last laugh when they got a 1-1 draw in the game, which Luton “dominated for long periods.” And not just a draw, but a draw on a Riise own goal.

Hey, Liverpool! How about a healthy dose of karma to go with your selfishness?

Some Related Stories:

Category: England, Europe, World Football

« Photo of the Day: Blast From the Past | Home | Daily Dose 1.6.08 »

The Offside RSS Feeds

Laurie

I believe the karma came in when Luton Town made far more money on the return fixture that they would have if Liverpool had done the right thing to begin with.

And maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not sure how your understanding of "Buddhist concepts" fits with your personal attacks.

Also, the "football slave trade" you refer to is an international problem, not a French one. It's a complicated issue. Are you saying that no African-born players should be playing in French or other European leagues? Should all players forgo the opportunities and money because some are exploited?

Yes, exploitation absolutely takes place, and the answers to this are complicated and multifaceted. One possible solution comes from something like Diambars, a school founded by Patrick Vieira and others, which is not-for-profit and focuses on education as well as soccer. This is an issue I plan to write on in the future.

This issue is completely separate from my writing about the France NT, however, because by definition the players on the NT were either born in or grew up in France. Hence no "slave trade."
Gerald

Ain't karma a bitch? An easy 5-0 win at home in the return fixture, an easy draw in the next round, which was handily taken care of. Wow, you really know what you're talking about.

Why don't you stick to writing about David Beckham's underwear and abusing Orwellian speak by glorifying the French football slave trade and leave reality and Buddhist concepts to us who actually take the time to us who aren't delusional?
Laurie

Lawrence, I see your point. It's just that football is so much more than business. It's history and pride and emotion. And if a team goes under, that's all lost. Add in the disparity between the bigger and smaller clubs and it just seems that the right thing to do would be lend a helping hand.

But with luck the Liverpool fans will sell out the rematch, and the end result will be the same.
liverpoolvialawrence

I just can't agree with the idea that a failing business should be rescued by its competitors.
Don't businesses fail because of poor management and bad planning?
Am I missing something?
Did some horrible misfortune befall Luton Town that they had no control over?
As a Liverpool fan I'd be glad if they spend monies on various worthy charities, But the continuance of league football in Luton is not one of them.

Oh well, I'm still hoping Liverpool win it all like 2 years ago.
Matt

You miss my point. Liverpool (the players) played like crap and were not victims of karma. What karma befell Everton? Or Blackburn?

Certainly Liverpool (the business) made a shameful selfish decision. But the decision and he play are not cause and effect.
Shazback

Matt & liverpoolvialawrence : Luton town asked Liverpool to give them half of their share of the gate receipts. So that would be what, peanuts for Liverpool? So yes, instead of the 50-50 split it would have been a 75-25 split. Oh. How sad. It's not like Luton Town sold Paul Walsh to Liverpool, now, is it? And it's not like Paul Walsh is a legend who played in a european final for Liverpool, now, is it? It's not even like he's a player who won a double with Liverpool, in fact, is it? I mean, it's a cheap move by Liverpool to do that. Everyone knows very well that the gate receipts at Luton will be ridiculously low compared to what Liverpool deal with, and that Luton are not at all in direct competition with Liverpool (in fact, they might be, seen how poorly Liverpool played against them).

The way the FA Cup is organised means that big clubs like Liverpool get a lot more money than minnows like Luton Town. Not only do they avoid the first two rounds (Luton have already played 3 more FA Cup games this season), but they're sure to get TV revenues from the broadcasting of their games that small teams don't get. And that's without even starting on the simple fact that for Luton, the cost to host Liverpool fans (especially if there's any trouble) is probably higher than their share of gate reciepts...

Oh well, I'm still hoping for Liverpool to crash out in the 3rd round. Like last year.
Matt

What horseshit.

Karma? For what? This was a business decision yes? When did Stevie and the boys vote to keep or donate the dough?

Get over yourselves. Luton played well. Liverpool played poorly. Pretty simple.

Karma. That's a larf.
Ian

Yes, because Liverpool is in direct competition for money and supporters ... with Luton Town.
liverpoolvialawrence

wow!
A business not giving away money to a rival.
what is the world coming to?
Laurie

Ian, believe it or not, that "half the gate receipts" from the second game hadn't occurred to me. Karma indeed!
37

Suddenly I like Luton very much. All the best to their side in the return game.
Ian

At least Luton managed to force the match at Anfield. It won't be the same as a win, but it is another match, and half of the gate receipts again. Fill that stand, Reds supporters.
Lucas

I was also disappointed but not surprised by Liverpool's refusal, and smiled the smile of schadenfreude when Luton pulled off the draw.

Unfortunately Liverpool won't really feel the sting of Karma unless Luton win the replay (which would be a coup of cosmic dimensions). Good for Luton though, they get the extra payday of a match at Anfield (and who knows? They did beat another EPL team in cup play this season, it could happen again).