Average Championship, League One and League Two wages show it’s not just Premier League that has gone cash crazy

PREMIER LEAGUE clubs appeared to be the bad guys when refusing to give the EFL more of their TV cash.

In one of English football’s most divisive disputes, the two leagues have still yet to agree a deal after an initial proposal to hand the EFL an extra £900million over six years fell through.

It is difficult to have sympathy for any of the Premier League’s owners and their chief executives.

But they do have a point when stressing that however much money is handed down to the other 72 clubs, most of it will be spaffed on player wages (plus agents fees).

Some EFL teams are about to blow their brains out on chasing the dream of promotion.

Although the average Championship player’s wage has dropped slightly to £10,000 a week, it is still far too much.

That’s half-a-million quid a year for a player who could walk around any town or city in a tracksuit and no one would have a clue who he is.

Last season, average losses in the Championship were about £25m per club, which is insane and in League One, it was £5m per club.

And this is when the Championship crowds were the biggest in EFL history.

In Europe, only the Premier League had more fans through their turnstiles.

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But more bums on seats cannot stop clubs haemorrhaging money.

Now, you have to be a billionaire to own a club in the Championship.

Delia Smith and her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones, are about to hand over the reins at Norwich to US businessman Mark Attanasio who had covered spiralling costs with loans and will now become owner.

The days of reasonably well-off football fans leading their beloved clubs from the EFL to the Premier League are now over, which is a bit sad.

The EFL are working hard with clubs in tightening up rules over spending but some wages are still ridiculous.

Last season Conor Coady was on £80,000 a week at Leicester in the Championship,

Even now, Leeds have Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford and Ethan Ampadu on about £50,000 a week.

This season, the EFL clubs are benefiting from a bumper TV deal with Sky although most teams are spending the extra dosh on players.

Middlesbrough have signed Bristol City striker Tommy Conway on wages of about £30,000 per week.

West Brom’s attacking midfielder John Swift is on around £35,000 a week.

Burnley, helped by parachute payments, are still paying decent money.

Most of Stoke’s players earn between £15,000 and £20,000. But here is the surprising bit.

League One is currently the basket case of English football.

One bog-standard defender on £3,000 a week last season now banks £4,500. 

Alfie May, a forward now aged 31, was on about £2,000 a week at Cheltenham.

That jumped to £8,000 when he signed for Charlton last summer and he now gets £16,000 per week at Birmingham.

New boys Wrexham and Stockport want immediate promotions and they have signed players on anything up to £10,000.

Even Huddersfield, Charlton and Rotherham are signing players on £8,000 a week.

In League Two, the average weekly salary is around £2,000.

In the National League it is not unusual to have a star player on £2,500 a week.

After Covid, we thought football was heading for a reset. Clubs pleaded poverty and asked players for wage cuts.

We were told about the importance of fans and how they were the lifeblood of the game.

But no one blinks when they learn a Premier League player is on £150,000 a week, equivalent to almost £8m a year.

And now we have some clubs ending concessions for lifelong fans, which is the ultimate p*** take.

At least EFL outfits are looking after their supporters. For now.

But the priority should be that these clubs, who are all hugely important to their local communities, take care of themselves and do not cause damage which is irreparable.