After a week where United fans have been told to cough up more for the price of a ticket next season a survey shows, apart from servicing our enormous debt, just where some of our cash is spent by the clubs. From the Guardian:
The average Premiership footballer earns a basic salary of £676,000, according to a survey published today.
The survey, conducted by The Independent in conjunction with players' union PFA, puts the average top flight player on £13,000 a week - but that figure rises by anything between 60 and 100% when bonuses are factored in.
And the sum drops dramatically in the Championship, where the average basic wage is £195,750 a year. The League One average is £67,850, while in League Two average earnings hover around the £50,000 mark.
Players can also expect their wages to vary depending on the position they play - with strikers earning the highest wages at an average of £806,000 in the Premiership. Top flight midfielders can expect to earn an average of £754,000, with defenders on £653,000 and goalkeepers being paid £533,000.
Age also counts, with 27- and 28-year-olds outstripping their team-mates in the money stakes. While a Premiership player under the age of 18 might take home a basic salary of £24,500, those 10 years older can expect to receive close to £900,000.
Premiership wages are up by an average of 65% since 2000, with almost 30% now earning a basic salary of more than £1m. One of the most revealing sets of figures thrown up by the survey, however, is the list of added payments players can budget for each year - bonuses which can double a player's earnings and significantly increase the number of football millionaires.
Players also receive signing-on fees, cup bonuses, goal bonuses and an end of season performance bonus if the club finishes in a strong league position. All these bonuses could mean as much as an extra £9000 a week.