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Anorak News | Crazy Horse, Crazy Money

Crazy Horse, Crazy Money

by | 10th, November 2004

‘FOR most of us, two and a half million quid is quite a lot of money – but most of us are not Premiership footballers and most of our bosses are not Russian oil billionaires.

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So, when John Terry reads in the Sun this morning that his new five-year contract is worth £22.5m compared with the £25m it’s worth in the Mail, he’ll probably not be too upset.

Either way, both papers agree it is a “staggering” amount of money, especially at a time when football is on something of a slide.

The Sun says the £90,000-a-week deal makes Terry the highest paid player at Stamford Bridge and puts him second in the Premiership behind Sol Campbell, who earns £100,000 a week.

The Mail says only that it puts him in the same pay bracket as Frank Lampard and makes him one of the country’s highest-paid players.

It’s a far cry from the days when Emlyn Hughes, who died yesterday, was lifting the European Cup for Liverpool.

It’s a far cry even from the days when another former England captain Bryan Robson was lifting the Premier League trophy for Manchester United.

But Robson is back in football this morning, the Express reporting that he has been installed as the new boss of West Bromwich Albion.

And he is blaming rumours of a drinking culture at Middlesbrough for the three years he has spent out of the game.

“The last year at Boro has been held against me,” he said. “That is the only way I can explain why I have not had an opportunity.”

That and the fact that no-one much rated you as a manager…

On the pitch, there were victories for Arsenal’s second string, who beat Everton 3-1 in the Carling Cup, and for Spurs who won 3-1 at Burnley – a result marred only by the fact that the Mail inflicts Robbie Keane’s oh-so-annoying goal celebrating on its readers.

Inside the Mail, the news is that British Grand Prix has been saved after the Formula One teams agreed to a 19-race calendar next season.

Bernie Ecclestone described the meeting as “the most productive meeting I’ve attended in 25 years of Formula One” – although admittedly that’s not saying too much.

“Although we do not yet have a deal with Silverstone,” he said, “myself and the teams will be shattered if there’s no British race next year.”

As no doubt will members of the British race…’



Posted: 10th, November 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink