Opinion Kicking across the pond

But almost by clockwork,ownership groups from the US which attempt to cross the pond and pay for “real-football” fail the franchise,bottom out — and,in one case,fall into bankruptcy — leading to non-violent if virulent protests by fans against owners who have dissipated their beloved teams’ glory.

The similarities in the sporting pastimes between the people of England and New England halt firmly at the “E”. By early October,Bostonians are knee deep in the Sunday tradition of 300-pound men slamming their helmet-covered heads into each other,when the Patriots take to the gridiron for three hours of American football. And since 2002,when Henry bought the then championship-starved Red Sox,even the arm of the Patriots’ legendary quarterback Tom Brady takes a back seat to the Sox’s chase for baseball’s always-elusive World Series.

In England,October means one thing: that the Gooners,the Scummers and the Yid,Lardy and Cider armies are out to play. Fans all over Britain are in full form,hopeful that their owners won’t be this year’s dunces; that their managers won’t be canned before Christmas,and that the light at the end of the tunnel won’t be snuffed out by injuries,poor transfers — and in the case of this year’s Liverpool FC,a contentious battle over ownership.

So why do Americans think they can make it work? American leagues are littered with salary caps,luxury taxes,free agency,and overzealous players’ unions that have caused season-ending players’ strikes in football,baseball and ice hockey. In England,the formula is simple: a winning club equals money,and a championship club equals more money. But a George Steinbrenner-like attitude,aimed at overspending for big-name superstars and purchasing players in an effort to purchase championships rarely translates to glory — unless you’re Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. What it does result in is in debt and animosity amongst fans.

The game is called beautiful for a reason. The best teams are made on the training field through practice and chemistry. Having the best players to make runs,the strongest players to blast shots that soar for 50:50 balls,and the smartest players to mentally defeat the opposition never hurts — and it hasn’t hurt Chelsea — but it isn’t necessarily a formula for success,as it has been for the New York Yankees,now pushing for their 28th World Series championship while bragging of a salary bill of $240 million. When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004,they spent $140 million,while the Yankees they beat on the way spent $197 million.

If Henry succeeds,he will be an exception to the rule. In 2005,the Glazer family — owners of the American football’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers — bought Manchester United,the most profitable sports franchise in the world,for nearly $1.3 billion. Although the team’s value has doubled since,the franchise’s debt is now more than $1.11 billion. To buy the club,a prospective ownership group would require £2 billion or $3.2 billion. This week,the Glazer group revealed that the team posted record losses — nearly $133 million — despite a record turnover of nearly $455 million. And when fans are not outside Old Trafford protesting the United’s ownership,they’re still paying through their noses to sit inside the stadium to watch a third-place team.

In 2006,Randy Lerner,owner of the US National Football League’s Cleveland Browns bought Aston Villa for a mere $102 million. The team finished 11th in 2006,followed by consecutive sixth place finishes since the 2007-08 campaign. Lerner’s deal was followed one year later by the Hicks-Gillett group,which bought Liverpool for nearly $350 million. Although the team’s net revenue put Liverpool in the top-ten list of the most profitable football teams in the world,the club’s overall value has fallen 19 per cent in the last year,and from $1 billion in 2008 to $822 million in 2010,according to Forbes’ annual survey of soccer team valuations.

Even so it wouldn’t be correct to argue that a failure to manage big football money is solely an American problem. Sheikh Mansour,owner of Manchester City,racked up $186.8 million in debt during the 2009-10 season — followed by losses of $200 million over the current season,largely the result of deciding on heavy transfer spending.

Perhaps Liverpool’s worried fans should focus less on the fact that their new rich owners’ American — and more on what he’s going to do with his money.

kartikay.mehrotra@expressindia.com