by john68 » Thu Jun 23, 2022 8:42 am
Some years ago, whilst helping someone to write a 'History Of City', The then City curator Bernard Miles allowed us access to a number of City documents, amongst which was a dissertation on the financial strategies of football clubs compared to other non sport businesses.
We were able to see the figures regarding the actual transfer fees of Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee. I was gobsmacked that the actual transfer fees bore no resemblance whatsoever to the figures reported publicly and generally accepted by everyone.
When I questioned Mr Miles about this, he told me that it was general policy throughout football not to reveal transfer fees nor their details to the media. He told us that the media usually considered the probable value of the player, the circumstances of the sale and settled on a figure they believed would be as near as they could guess.
Neither Bell, Summerbee nor Lee were bought for the figures that are commonly reported and accepted, in fac,theyare all quite a long way off.
I don't suppose that much has changed and I usually totally ignore figures reported around transfers as made up fairy stories to satisfy the media agenda and fill their reportage space.
I KNOW THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU THINK I WROTE, BUT I AM NOT SURE YOU REALISE THAT WHAT YOU READ IS NOT WHAT I MEANT