It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

Balotelli on the bench again, what an utter waste if money he has been so far - another playboy with too much money and a huge ego.

Yep U Mean Liverpoool s-it, ..........true

To be fair Liverpool didn't play that badly, never looked liked scoring though.

Real always looked in cruise control. Modric is a very under-rated player in that team I think, he puts in a lot of work.

3-0?

Can't see the Gunners going far in the champions league now......last nights result could mean they bump into the likes of Real in the next round and that'll be that !..

I've just been listening to Paul Merson going absolutely ballistic on Sky news about the Arsenal performance. Didn't watch that match, but it sounds as if they completely blew a 3 goal lead.

The Telegraph
5 November 2014

It's easy to take a snobbish approach to the reason so many footballers are declared bankrupt. Professional footballers are not often feted for their intelligence. But there's far more to it.


David James was the latest player to face the ignominy of bankruptcy in May this year, and this week is seeing some of his possessions - memorabilia from his playing days - being sold off by the firesale company www.hilcoind.com [bid on the items by clicking here].


The former England goalkeeper's loss of wealth is remarkable. Not only did he command a colossal salary as a club player at Liverpool and Aston Villa, among others, but he earned more than many other players by being able to secure secondary income as a model. He had a lucrative with Armani, for example.


The bankruptcy, in the end, was due to money owed to the taxman, although news reports have previously cited a costly divorce in 2005.


The route to bankruptcy for many is often complicated but with footballers clear patterns have emerged. It is rarely due to a failed business, but is frequently down to breath-taking over-spending, poor investment choices and a failure to keep the taxman happy.

Keith Gillespie, dubbed the new George Best when he broke into Man United’s first team at age 17, lost his entire career earnings of £7 million after developing a gambling habit at an early stage. He also invested in property and in a film scheme investment, which was set up to avoid tax. Mr Gillespie declared himself bankrupt in 2010, and told his story in our Fame & Fortune column earlier this year.

Another footballer who has lost it all is Lee Hendrie, the former Aston Villa midfielder, who won one cap for England. Mr Hendrie declared bankrupt in 2012, unable to repay debts of £200,000 after the value of his property investments plummeted.



Other footballers who have been declared bankrupt include former Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro and Eric Djemba-Djemba, who played for Manchester United. Then there was Jason Euell, who earned £6m over his career but suffered from the collapse of a property investment, or Carl Cort who played for Newcastle.

Bankruptcy can too often be the end result of poor advice and guidance. The combination of young and rich has an allure for those wishing to sell investments that pay a fat margin - be it investments that dubiously promise to reduce tax bills or simply property that is wildly over-priced.

Mick Saunders of MHA MacIntyre Hudson, who is handling David James's bankruptcy, said he didn't think there were clear patterns in his long experience but said he had noticed the recurring theme of poor advice. "Quite often they are too rely too much on the advice they are given and really don't know what's going on," he said.

I've previously spoken to other insolvency experts with long experience who report patterns. Two years ago, insolvency specialist Mark Sands of RSM Tenon was dealing with five ex-Premiership player bankruptcies, told me: "Quite often it's players who have failed to readjust their spending and lifestyles when their earnings fall towards the end of their career. But just as frequently it's because their investments have gone wrong."

For nearly a decade, our Fame & Fortune column has interviewed many affluent Britons about their financial failings. The problems footballers run into is all-too-present in others who found fame and fortune at a young age.

Shane Filan of Westlife, declared bankrupt owing £18m after the collapse of Irish property prices, appears to be a classic example of rushing into unwise investments - and borrowing to invest - without having the experience to understand what he was taking on.

And of course, Kerry Katona was a high profile example of simple profligate spending. She told us she was happy to be declared bankrupt - and in fact, she went back into bankruptcy after our interview.

And maybe that's the key to why we see more high-profile bankruptcies. The shame attached to bankruptcy has diminished to a point where it's all too easy to do. The rules were changed in 2004, reducing the bankruptcy length from three years to one year, and new watered-down versions have been introduced - Debt Relief Orders (DRO) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs).

It's not true to say bankrupts walk away entirely from their debts after a year but the process is less punitive than before and the bulk of the problems largely washed away.

David James will be released from bankruptcy next May, minus some football shirts and presumably able to walk away from some of the money he owes the taxman.

It becomes easier to see why so many footballers enter bankruptcy.

@efchamishdufton
05 November 2014 16:26




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Roberto Martinez hopes the advantage of playing at home will help his side overcome Lille and take a significant step towards qualifying for the Europa League knockout rounds.

Everton face the French outfit in match four of Group H but, with the Blues on five points and third-placed Lille on three, a win for the hosts would all but secure their passage to the round of 32.

And, after defeating Wolfsburg in their last European night at Goodison Park, Martinez is confident his charges can pick up all three points on Thursday.

He said: “We really enjoyed our last game at Goodison against Wolfsburg. The two away games have been phenomenal experiences but the idea of playing at Goodison under the floodlights and facing French opposition for the first time in our history is really exciting.

“In the last two home games in the Premier League we had sell-out crowds, so you can imagine there is a real buzz around Goodison when we play our football.

“We really look forward to our home games, especially now we know the group inside out. We are looking to make our home an advantage.”

A place in the Champions League awaits the winner of the Europa League this season but Martinez knows that will mean nothing if progression from Group H is not achieved.

He added: “In our case, we don’t look that far. What we are looking at is making sure we play as well as we can in every game that we go into. The start of the season brought little blocks of games and I think we adapted towards that really well.

“I have been very impressed with the manner in which we, as a squad, have faced every game full of energy and desire, and the performances have been really good.

“What we want to do is grow into the competition and be as good as we can. The first objective is to try to get through. If we could manage to do that it would be a phenomenal achievement when you look at the teams we had in this group.

“Step by step, we are enjoying the demands of this season but, more importantly, the Europa League has brought a different challenge for the squad and we are starting to get the rewards from that.”

Lille manager Rene Girard says his side will be ready to face an intense atmosphere in their Europa League clash against Everton on Thursday evening.

The Blues drew 0-0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy a fortnight ago and will now welcome French opposition for the first time in their history when Les Dogues visit Goodison Park.

The Ligue One outfit currently sit third in Group H after drawing all three of their opening games - but remain just two points off top spot, and the Lille boss believes the group could go down to the wire.

"I prefer not to talk about the future or the past," explained Girard. "I prefer to talk about the present because now is all part of the preparation for the game and I think we are all fine.

"The players’ minds are focused and everything is going well within the group.

"I think the predictions before the games started were that maybe Everton and Wolfsburg might be considered the favourites to qualify out of the group.

"However, as things stand, the group is very, very tight and currently there is everything to play for. I think it’s all about getting some good results in the remaining fixtures and it’s within any of the teams’ powers to qualify.

"We’re prepared to fight right until the end – you can consider the competition as a mini-league Championship and, although we’ve done OK up until now, we need to do better and win more games in order to qualify."

And, on a night that marks Lille's 100th game in European competition, Girard insists his side is well prepared for an intimidating atmosphere under the floodlights.

He added: "We know the fans will get behind their team and that will really, really help Everton. Things can really catch fire if they score and they could get into the ascendancy.

"We know we probably won’t get too many chances in front of goal tomorrow night, so we really have to be clinical and efficient in front of goal if we are to come away with a good result."

Don't you just love this tribute to Roberto Martinez from the Everton fans :-

Robbbie Had A Dream To Build Our Football Team!

We Had No Money, So We Signed The Players On Loan!

We Play From The Back!

With Ross In Attack!

The School Of Science Is On The Way Back!


DA DA DA, DA DA DA,

Robbie Had a Dream..............:0)

Tomorrow I will be attending the best alehouse in Aberdeen, God knows how they get away with it is called The Adams Lounge, Sunderland v Everton is not featured on Sky Sports or BT, so it must be in the ether somewhere. Anyway, whatever 1.30pm kick off, listen out for the above chant from the Everton fans priceless! :0) Then watch on Match of the day 2.

Onwards and forwards http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29973616

Great programme about Gordon Strachan on Sky right now.

Burnley FC in Europa League contention.. Yes you heard it here first.

For all you lucky people in the North West tonight.. I give you http://www.thefa.com/news/england/under-21/2014/nov/training-video-111114

.. erm, make that tomorrow night.

England U21 3-1 Portugal U21: Ings looking up for Gareth Southgate as local hero Danny scores twice at Turf Moor.

Local hero Danny Ings opened the scoring at his home ground with a clinical finish, Ings soon bagged his second with a close-range finish.

Gareth Southgate's side will face Portugal in Group B at European U21 Championship in Czech Republic.

Looks a good future prospect Stan. I hope Burnley stay up and they manage to keep hold of him. I remember Everton signing Martin Dobson from Burnley, he was a great player, legend at Burnley and Everton :0)

It was pretty obvious to all that FIFA were going to whitewash giving the 2018 and 2022 world cups to those big oil and gas countries like Russia and Qatar for the sum of : £.....oooooppppps......sorry....my mistake.....I nearly gaffed.....apparently.....it's all the FA's fault....well of course...who else's fault could it be..... ?.....some people are treading a very...very..fine line...