A Short History of Wages in English Football
Payment of wages in English football was the issue which defined professionalism from 1885 and led directly to the creation of the Football League three years later. The first regulations soon followed with the introduction of a maximum wage, which was to remain in place for the decades up to 1961. Jimmy Hill & George…
The Football League’s First Million-Pound Players
The first million-pound players seemed a distant prospect in the early years of professional football. Yet the history of the Football League’s transfer market was marked by fears of inflation, and clubs recklessly spending beyond their means. Trevor Francis – the Football League’s first million-pound player The first £1,000 transfer of Alf Common from Sunderland…
Freedom of Contract – Gary Collier and the Ashton Gate Eight
In 1978, between the momentous abolition of the maximum wage in 1961 and the present post-Bosman era of player power and unrestricted movement, came a decisive shift in football’s transfer market. Players were entitled to turn down new contract offers at the end of their term, and given the right to negotiate directly with a…
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