OPINION
Fans might not like it, but money runs football these days, and as proven by the likes of Celtic and Rangers over the years financial power tends to result in success.
There are very few examples where monetary might has not come out on top – Leicester City’s shock Premier League title win perhaps the finest example of all – and with Celtic’s massively inflated income courtesy of their European exploits, it comes as no surprise they have dominated Scottish football for nearly a decade.
However, some might be asking just how far ahead of the competition the Hoops are – and the latest studies do not make good reading for those at Parkhead, not least managing director Peter Lawwell.
University of Liverpool lecturer Kieran Maguire, who goes under the Twitter handle Price of Football, has revealed on his account the sort of money that is being paid out by clubs every year on wages, and Celtic find themselves on par with Premier League and Championship clubs with a bill of £59.3million-a year.
50 biggest British clubs by wages paid. Only 2 clubs from Scotland make the cut, which may explain why clubs in the SPL cannot attract talent. Celtic between Norwich & Burnley, Rangers between Ipswich & Wigan, Aberdeen between Rotherham & Bristol Rovers. pic.twitter.com/GB31Y41PUU
— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) October 29, 2018
That sort of figure dwarfs the rest of Scotland, with fierce rivals Rangers coming in with a £17.6million-a-year wage bill and Aberdeen at a mere £7.8million-a-year – which therefore begs the question as to why Celtic are not walking the league with the money they are spending on their talents?
Anyone who currently finds themselves ahead, or even in the same ballpark, of the Hoops in the Scottish Premiership table can be hugely proud of their efforts, but those at Celtic Park need to be asking themselves how they have allowed such wages to be paid out on a team who are not blitzing every side – including Rangers – away.
The Light Blues looks as close to the Bhoys as they have been in recent years and to be doing so with a wage bill less than half of their rivals is an achievement in itself, and Lawwell must be embarrassed to see the gap closed when so much cash is being poured into the squad.