That innocent question is incapable of a straight answer. The only people with the detailed knowledge will be the Football Compliance Unit from whom we have had (or will soon have had) a visit.
If a club has contract players then they will be paid in accordance with their contract play or not.
Non-contract players could be paid in any way acceptable between the player and the club. Clubs who pay expenses are limited in the amounts they can pay out without incurring tax and NIC liabilities. This is set down by an agreement between the Revenue and the FA in a booklet called "PAYE and Semi-professional Football".
Having said all the above, in Division 1 Leek Town and Eastwood Town are reputed to have a £400 per week playing budget, which is around £30 (for a 14 man playing squad), and Alfreton have one player on £600 per week (in his dreams probably!)
I think its safe to say there won't be too many dropping £26K at the bookies this Saturday.
Dave
With regards to an Alfreton player allegedly being on £600 per week, I think you have been dreaming!
The Reds probably do have the highest wage bill in the division but I can assure you, no-one is on that sort of money - nowhere near.
However, everything is relative. Alfreton's league position, top with points and games in hand, FA Trophy run, and average home gates of 335 would seemingly be the justifiable ends to the means for the whole committee, not just the chairman.
There is a very strong commercial and fund-raising set-up at North Street which means everything doesn't come down to one man.
Hopefully see you in the Premier next season when we will both need bigger crowds and a much bigger wage bill to compete.
By the way, despite appearing to be challenging for promotion, Belper Town's weekly wage bill has been cut to just over £500 per week and Eastwood Town are now currently having to try and survive on £360 per week. Both these stagements are fact as I am sports editor for two local newspapers covering these teams.
Hi Kev - I did say "in his dreams" meaning exactly that! It was just a piece of scuttlebutt that was floating round one of the boards. I did hear a rumour that your weekly overall figure was around £3,000 but, again, pure hearsay. I would have thought even the Belper, Leek and Eastwood figures are basically speculation - mostly the true figures are kept in the board/committee room.
It is all a matter of living within budgets.
You are fortunate that your success is bringing increased gates although not as high, yet, as your Chairman wanted, and presumably you also find it easier to attract sponsorship as a result.
Won't it be a b*****r if after all that you end up swilling around with the rest of us in the rump of the UniBond if the Conference proposals go through!
Dave
The Belper and Eastwood figures ARE true - as sports editor, I have very reliable sources - and more than one in each club.
I interviewed Belper's manager Gary Marrow on Monday and he confirmed how much he had to play with and that he was very frustrated at not even being able to attract NCEL players to join him.
He currently has a number of players requesting written guarantees from the Nailers board that the cut monies will be deferred and paid at the end of the season.
There seems little chance of that and he is expecting at least six players (all the furthrest travelling) to jump ship before this Saturday's game at Alfreton.
Whether Mr Marrow goes as well is open to speculation but he isn't a happy chappy.
Thanks for that - I bow to your inside information and apologise!
It is depressing to see clubs getting into difficulties.
Some people might criticise the attitude of the players to the problem, particularly those not under contract, and expect all to pull together for the sake of the club, after all they have all got full time jobs and can hardly be relying on the football money to keep the wolf from the door.
Others might blame the clubs for not realistically budgetting their season. That of course does not account for the Eastwood situation where the main backer suddenly walks out.
At Ferriby our late Chairman used to relate the tale of one season when the money ran out in February and the players, to a man, buckled down for nothing for the rest of the season. Those were the days!
Belper Town's problem is exacerbated by the fact that two of their players are students and they are definitely in need of the original amount of money they were getting to boost their grants.