British Football Owner and Player Rich Lists 2008

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the middle of nowhere for a very long time (and without internet access) then the names at the top of Four Four Two’s annual rich lists won’t surprise you too much.

There are two lists, one for owners of British clubs and one for British footballers. The obvious winners are the Man City owners (so rich they’ll pay 12m for Wayne Bridge and not even worry about it) and Mr David “half a mil per interview please” Beckham. But did you know Cheryl Cole is one of Britain’s richest footballers?

Lists after the jump.

These top 20s are borrowed from The Guardian, but for the full top 100s you’ll have to go buy the magazine.

First the owners:

And now the players:

Here’s what I take from these lists.

First, it’s proof that money is just money and doesn’t guarantee any on field success. Man City spent big in the summer and are currently looking over their shoulder at relegation. And look how many of those owners are mega-wealthty, but smart enough not to dump their cash into football teams. Did you know Cheltenham Town had a nearly billionaire owner? I didn’t.

Second, it underlines the gap in wealth between owners and players. The clearest example: owners wealth is measured in billiions, players in mere (!) millions. Rich beyond his wildest dreams as Beckham may be, his fortune is probably laughable to the likes of Sheikh Mansour. Not that I’m sympathizing with Beckham and co. too much – I’m still out of my tiny mind with envy – but it’s worth remembering that on the grand scale of the megarich footballers are small fry.

Third, why is it “Ashley and Cheryl Cole” when no one else has their wife listed? Is she a footballer? Or she does she just have the world’s most awesome pre-nup?

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Category: World Football