European football; financial crisis; regulation; competition
|
|
- Cuthbert Woods
- 7 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 Lago / et al. / FINANCIAL CRISIS JOURNAL IN EUROPEAN OF SPORTS FOOTBALL ECONOMICS / February 2006 The Financial Crisis in European Football An Introduction UMBERTO LAGO University of Bologna ROB SIMMONS Lancaster University STEFAN SZYMANSKI Imperial College London Is there currently a crisis in European professional football? Surely there exists a common set of problems afflicting clubs, with negative financial implications for all. Moreover, a crisis in one large club or group of clubs threatens to damage the financial stability of other clubs. This introduction reviews the financial crises in football in several European countries, searches for common explanations of these crises, and proposes a few solutions, ranging from tighter financial regulation to the restructuring of competition, with the aim of easing the financial burden for smaller clubs in particular. Keywords: European football; financial crisis; regulation; competition On March 12, 2004, a group of economists representing 11 of the national associations of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) met under the auspices of the University of Bologna at Rimini, Italy, to discuss the present financial state of football clubs in Europe. This introduction summarizes the conclusions of the group and sets the scene for the articles on specific European football leagues that follow. Our conclusions can be grouped under three distinct headings: (a) Is there currently a crisis? (b) What are the causes of the current financial problems of football clubs? and (c) What are the solutions? JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS, Vol. 7 No. 1, February DOI: / Sage Publications 3
2 4 JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS / February 2006 IS THERE CURRENTLY A CRISIS? There is currently much talk about a crisis in European football, but there is a need for caution before the word crisis is used. Individual football clubs across Europe have experienced financial crises on many occasions in the past. Such cases, however, cannot be considered examples of a general crisis in football. A general crisis implies that some deep-seated problems have produced a state of affairs in which a fundamental restructuring of the game itself is the only long-term solution. When individual clubs have fallen into difficulty in the past, such problems may have arisen as a result of particular local conditions, particular forms of conduct, and simply bad luck. In some cases, a football club may have been restructured, whereas in others, it may have disappeared altogether, but in either case, the crises have been narrowly located, and their implications for the competitive structure of football as a whole have been limited. Today, there is talk of a systemic crisis. The notion of a systemic crisis has two features: 1. There exists a common set of problems afflicting all clubs, with negative financial implications for all; and 2. the crisis in one club or group of clubs threatens to damage the financial stability of other clubs (this idea of contagion is similar to the notion of a banking crisis). The possibility of contagion is a special problem for a system of sporting competition not shared by many other types of commercial activity. In most industries, the financial failure of one company is likely to benefit its rivals, because the disappearance of one competitor will increase the demand for the products of the others and will tend to increase their profitability and hence their financial stability. Banking is an exception to this rule, because banks tend to be depend indirectly on one another through the credit system: The liabilities of one bank are often the assets of another, and hence the failure of a bank because of an inability to meet its liabilities also implies a reduction in the assets of other banks. In sports, the interdependence arises through the process of sporting competition: One team cannot play without the cooperation of another. If clubs fail, they may be unable to complete their fixture lists, undermining the value of the competition as a whole. If clubs with limited followings fail and are replaced by clubs with stronger followings, it can still be the case that the remaining clubs gain, but if popular clubs fail, the quality of the competition and the finances of all clubs may deteriorate. Talk of a financial crisis is set against a period in which the income of football as a whole has risen dramatically. Figure 1 shows how income has risen dramatically in the top divisions in large European leagues. Although growth has not always been as spectacular, smaller leagues have also enjoyed rapid income growth. Thus, if there is a crisis, it is not a crisis of income. Even if we allow that there has been a downturn in income in the past 2 or 3 years, income still remains significantly higher than it was a decade ago. Moreover, there is no reason to believe that income will ever fall back to earlier levels. In general, economists think of football
3 Lago et al. / FINANCIAL CRISIS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL 5 Figure 1: The Growth of Income in European Football SOURCE: Annual Review of Football Finance as a normal good, meaning the kind of product for which demand increases as income rises. It is not usual to think of a period of rising income coinciding with financial crisis, although in the next section, we discuss how this could happen. Two kinds of evidence can be presented to demonstrate the possibility of crisis. First, there is the imbalance between income and expenditures, and second, there is evidence of rising debt. The reliability of operating losses as an indicator of the financial health of sporting businesses has long been challenged in the United States. Many studies have shown that club owners frequently disguise the profitability of their franchises to manage their tax liabilities and to put pressure on municipal authorities to subsidize new facilities such as stadiums (see, e.g., Fort, 2006; Noll & Zimbalist, 1997; Quirk & Fort, 1992; Siegfried & Zimbalist, 2000). American commentators, however, also broadly agree that the owners of sporting franchises are driven primarily by commercial objectives (e.g., Zimbalist, 2003). In Europe, by contrast, there is a broad consensus that profit motives have been more restrained, although cases vary according to country. Thus, in France, Spain, and Germany, for example, the ability of clubs to operate as profit-maximizing businesses has been limited either by regulation or voluntarily, whereas in Italy and England, the scope for adopting commercial objectives has been greater. Yet even when profits may have been pursued by owners, the opportunities to disguise profits or to exploit accounting loopholes have been more limited in Europe than in the United States. This reflects in part the fact that in Europe, sporting clubs have generally not fallen under the control of
4 6 JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS / February 2006 TABLE 1: Football Clubs Financial Crises in European Countries Country Large Clubs in Crisis? Small Clubs in Crisis? Italy Yes Yes England No Yes Scotland No Yes Belgium No Yes Portugal No Yes France No No Germany No No Spain No No The Netherlands No No Greece No No Switzerland No No larger business empires (although Italy is a significant exception) and in part a different culture and tradition. Operating losses in themselves do not imply a crisis, as long as they can be funded. There is a great deal of evidence from the past that football was able to sustain such losses over a long period of time without financial failure, except in one or two exceptional cases. Funding historically might originate from a number of different sources: wealthy patrons, banks, municipal authorities, and tax and social security systems. The fact that many clubs have found it increasingly difficult to meet funding gaps reflects the increasing difficulty clubs have faced in locating these traditional sources of finance. By and large, however, our discussions illustrated that the crisis in most of Europe, where it exists at all, is primarily to be found among the small clubs. Table 1 illustrates the situation in each country. Only in Italy was it clear that both large and small clubs are facing a financial crisis. The extent of this crisis is revealed by Baroncelli and Lago in their article in this issue. Total operating losses in Serie A increased from 144 million in ( 8 million per club) to 982 million in ( 54 million per club). The current losses appear unsustainable when set against the total revenues of only billion (excluding extraordinary items such as player trading). As a result, total indebtedness in Serie A increased to billion in Although AC Milan and Juventus can be reasonably confident that these losses will be absorbed by the conglomerate enterprises that support them (the Silvio Berlusconi empire and Fiat, respectively), few other clubs have reason to be optimistic that their debts can serviced in the longer term. Moreover, there must be a genuine risk that more than one Serie A club will fail at the same time, and hence a general financial crisis seems quite likely. In England, Scotland, Belgium, and Portugal, there is evidence of a financial crisis among the smaller clubs but not among the larger clubs. That is to say, even
5 Lago et al. / FINANCIAL CRISIS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL 7 if some larger clubs have run into financial difficulties (e.g., Leeds United in England) or have registered large losses in recent years (e.g., Benfica and FC Porto in Portugal), these losses are either exceptional (Leeds United) or likely to be financed (by public subsidies in the Portuguese cases). Buraimo, Simmons, and Szymanski s article shows how the financial crisis is apparent among the smaller English clubs. Twenty-two of the 72 professional clubs in the Football League (i.e., outside the Football Association Premier League) have entered administration in the past 6 years, a process that requires complete financial restructuring to avoid bankruptcy. Morrow s article on Scotland reveals that the two major clubs, Celtic and particularly Rangers, are facing difficult financial circumstances. However, to an extent, their financial positions are eased by very large and loyal supporter bases that provide substantial recurring income and, in the case of Rangers, through the financial support provided by its majority shareholder. Elsewhere in the Scottish Premier League, the situation is much worse: Three of the 12 Scottish Premier League clubs are currently in administration, another has only narrowly avoided this fate thanks to cuts in player wages, and the directors of a further club are attempting to sell the club s stadium to meet its debts. For Belgium, Dejohnge and Vanderweghe report in their article that 5 professional clubs have disappeared from the top division in the past 5 years because of financial difficulties. Some play at lower levels, one has merged, and the others have disappeared altogether. In Portugal, Barros found that smaller teams, such as Santa Clara and Setubal, have incurred significant losses, without much evidence that they have the means to cover them. In a majority of countries represented in our analysis, there is no evidence of a generalized crisis at the level of either small or large clubs. In some countries, there may be some clubs that have fallen into financial difficulties, but as explained above, this has been part of the pattern of football since its earliest days. But there is little evidence of any general crisis, for small or large clubs, either in the larger footballing nations (Germany, France, and Spain) or in the smaller nations (The Netherlands, 1 Greece, and Switzerland). WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF FOOTBALL CLUBS? Paradoxically, the root cause of the financial crises in some European countries has been the increasing amount of income entering the game, from TV and other sources. This massive increase triggered an even greater increase in spending on players. Thus, whereas clubs entered the 1990s more or less in financial balance, by the new millennium, clubs in countries experiencing crises had seen spending outstrip income and hence significant accumulations in debt, which in many cases can no longer be financed. Why should increasing incomes cause such overspending? One reason is simply speculative: If incomes are expected to rise on average, then average expenditures
6 8 JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS / February 2006 will tend to rise in line. But if the increases on average incorporate a good deal of variation, teams that underachieve may face significant financial deficits. A related reason may be the expectation of growing inequality. If the income of every club increases in percentage terms by the same amount, the gap in absolute terms between the biggest and the smallest grows (e.g., suppose that one team has an income of 1 million and another an income of 2 million and that each enjoys an increase of 100% in its income, in which case the gap between the big club and the small club has also grown from 1 million to 2 million). If small clubs have ambitions to rival the large clubs, they will also anticipate that the absolute cost of bridging that gap will grow over time and may rationally calculate that now is the last opportunity to attempt to bridge that gap. But in doing so, they may also place themselves under increased financial risk. But if increasing income alone can cause a financial crisis, why has it affected some countries but not others? To answer this question, it is easiest to consider why there is apparently no general crisis in the six countries discussed at the end of the previous section. There are three broad reasons. First, in countries such as France, there is relatively tight regulation of football clubs by the national authorities. This regulation is analyzed in the article by Goughet and Primault. They show that French clubs finances can be closely monitored by the national association. As a result, it is relatively difficult for clubs to spend beyond their present means without facing external sanctions. It is notable that France experienced a financial crisis in football at the beginning of the 1990s and as a result imposed draconian rules to regulate club finances. For example, if a player purchase is deemed to be beyond the financial capacity of a club, the league can legally invalidate that transfer. Such regulation seems to have been highly effective in ensuring that clubs have not fallen into financial crisis. Second, the ownership structure may have helped avoid crisis. For example, in Germany, as shown in the article by Frick and Prinz, most clubs have a limited capacity to borrow money, and in general, loans must be personally guaranteed by the club officials. An ownership structure of this kind provides a significant disincentive to engage in financial speculation, and therefore, there has been limited opportunity for the clubs to jeopardize their futures. Third, in some countries, local government stands ready to bail out failing clubs. The contribution by Ascari and Gagnepain in this issue makes clear that there is no chance that Real Madrid or Barcelona would ever be allowed to go bankrupt, whatever the financial problems of these big-spending clubs. Thus, although there may exist a crisis for lenders, the clubs themselves are immune to all threat. Such cases are common in Spain but also in other countries, such as Greece. These explanations can help us understand why crises have occurred in other countries. The third explanation can also account for the problems in Belgium and Portugal, where traditionally, local governments have been willing to support failing football clubs but much more reluctant to do so in recent years. Other sources of finance, such as wealthy local businessmen, may also have been in relatively short
7 Lago et al. / FINANCIAL CRISIS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL 9 supply (the absolute cost of bailing out a typical club has increased dramatically, and therefore, there is now a smaller pool of people with enough wealth to perform this task, making it more likely that no one will be found in the end). The second explanation may also help explain some of the problems. In Italy, England, and Scotland, the directors of small clubs have been willing to gamble everything on success by borrowing large sums from banks while facing only limited personal risk. If shareholders exercised proper restraint on the activities of directors, there would be some disincentive to engage in such behavior, but, in common with many other businesses in the Anglo-Saxon culture, shareholder influence has been relatively limited. In most industries, shareholders leave directors to make choices, comfortable that a broad spread of investments will produce winners as well as losers. In football, however, the threat of systemic risk raises the question as to whether this investment strategy will be effective in the long term. The first explanation also plays a significant role. Regulation has been much lighter Italy, England, and Scotland than it has been in France, and as a result, clubs have had more opportunities to make mistakes (but equally to have successes). This is perhaps the ultimate paradox relating to the regulation and management of sports leagues. By and large, those leagues with lighter regulations have sustained higher levels of spending on players and hence have enjoyed higher levels of success in competition. Examples include English, Italian, and Spanish clubs in the Champions League. On the other hand, leagues with heavier regulation (e.g., in France) have, by and large, spent less on players and have as a result had less success (e.g., in the Champions League). WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS? We have suggested that the greatest problems lie with the financial situations of small clubs in a subset of European countries. These problems have been triggered by the substantial growth of football clubs incomes during the 1990s, primarily from TV rights. Competition for the greatest share of this expanding income has driven owners and managers of clubs, where they are able to do so, to in effect gamble the assets of the businesses on future success. Although this has led to spectacular collapses, such behavior is not necessarily irrational, any more than any other kind of gambling is irrational. However, it is often the case that actions that seem privately rational are collectively disastrous. 2 To the extent that selfish actions bring on one s own ruin, it can be argued that such disciplines are necessary in a responsible society. Football clubs are not run by children, and if we treat them as children, absolving them of responsibility for their decisions, the risk must be that they will become even more irresponsible. However, irresponsibility has consequences for other clubs in a league, and hence there is a case for implementing measures that ensure that club directors cannot take actions that destabilize the league as a whole (or the European system as a whole).
8 10 JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS / February 2006 UEFA has already taken steps in this direction through the introduction of the club-licensing plan. UEFA has stipulated that all clubs expecting to participate in their competitions (Champions League, UEFA Cup) must meet the specified criteria. Beginning in , these are annual audited financial statements, proof that a club has no overdue payments for transfer activities, and proof that a club has no payments owed to employees (including taxes and national insurance contributions). Additional criteria to be imposed beginning in are a liquidity plan demonstrating a club s ability to met liquidity needs for the license period; a declaration of liquidity shortfalls as they appear and regular monitoring by UEFA, together with action plans; and notification of negative deviations from the preannounced budgeted profit-and-loss account. Eventually, at a date to be decided, UEFA will move to a general requirement of proof of positive equity. These steps are a move in the direction of tighter regulation of the kind already imposed in France. The sanction of exclusion from the Champions League and UEFA Cup will clearly impose significant discipline on many of the larger clubs, but as we have already seen, it is not in general the larger clubs that are in crisis. Moreover, even for the larger clubs, these rules will require strict enforcement, and in many cases, they may not be credible. What would happen, for example, if Real Madrid or Manchester United were in breach of the rules: Would UEFA be willing to exclude either team from the competition, given the value of broadcasting rights generated by these clubs? Given the current difficulties of so many of the large Italian clubs, UEFA s resolve may be fully tested in the coming seasons. UEFA s plan is unlikely to have much impact on the behavior of smaller clubs that are unlikely to qualify for UEFA competitions. Although national associations may seek to introduce licensing systems that harmonize with UEFA s system, once again, the issue of credibility arises. Because credibility is such a problem, it is worth pausing to ask how it can be achieved. In France, this was achieved in the early 1990s by the establishment of an independent commission to monitor the finances of football clubs and with powers, supported by law, to enforce their rulings. Moreover, the commissioners themselves held appointments of sufficiently long duration that the fear of dismissal was not likely to play a role in their decision making. The legal power of the commission was established though a number of test cases.
9 Lago et al. / FINANCIAL CRISIS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL 11 Could the French scheme be easily translated into a European context? This seems quite unlikely. It is very unlikely that national or European legislation would ever confer the necessary powers to the federations so that they would be able to establish these kinds of commissions. Any voluntary scheme is likely to face severe political pressures. Thus, despite the apparent success of the French plan in establishing financial stability, it is unlikely to be adopted more widely. As suggested above, French fans have paid a significant price (not for their own system but for the excesses of the systems in other countries), because despite producing an exceptional generation of footballing talent and success at the national level, success at the club level in Europe has been limited. It is tempting to speculate that only if French teams started to achieve success at the European level would other associations see the benefits of adopting, to the extent that it is legally possible, a similar style of regulation. There is an alternative to tighter regulation: the adoption of American practices. Even though this is anathema to many in Europe, it must be observed that the American major leagues (baseball, American football, and basketball) are much more financially stable than European football. The major leagues have in place a number of mechanisms that have the effect of maintaining both competitive balance and financial stability. These include salary caps, draft rules, roster limits, revenue sharing, and other redistributive measures, many of which have been advocated in Europe. One of the key reasons that clubs in the United States agree to these measures whereas European football clubs seem unwilling to do so is precisely the openness of competition in the European context, exemplified by the system of promotion and relegation. In the United States, clubs that are successful today are willing to share with the less successful because they know that in the future, the positions are likely to be reversed, and they will one day benefit from the system. In Europe, however, large clubs fear the idea of sharing with weaker clubs in case the latter do become strong and cause the relegation of the former at some later date. There can be little doubt that many of the larger clubs have been looking at a European superleague that would be either closed or have restricted access not only to develop more attractive competition (to TV at least) but also to bring about a basis for a more secure financial system. In other words, we conclude that there are two broad approaches to dealing with financial instability in European football. The first is to impose tighter financial regulation from above, as exemplified by UEFA s club-licensing plan. Within the current system, we doubt whether such mechanisms can be credible without strong legal backing such as is provided in the French system, as outlined by Gouget and Primault. The alternative to tighter regulation is a restructuring of football competition in Europe to create a more sustainable basis for smaller clubs in particular. This would involve adopting greater restrictions on the mobility of the clubs up and down the leagues.
10 12 JOURNAL OF SPORTS ECONOMICS / February 2006 NOTES 1. In The Netherlands, a new team (AGOVV in Apeldoorn) was given a license for professional football in 2003, expanding the number of professional football teams to 37. A number of smaller teams have had financial problems recently, but they have all been bailed out by local government or local businesses. 2. Other examples include the overfishing of the oceans or the emission of greenhouse gases, which lead to global warming. REFERENCES Annual review of football finance (2004). Manchester, UK: Deloitte and Touche. Fort, R. (2006). The value of Major League Baseball ownership. International Journal of Sport Finance, 1, Noll, R., & Zimbalist, A. (1997). Sports, jobs and taxes. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. Quirk, J., & Fort, R. (1992). Pay dirt. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Siegfried, J., & Zimbalist, A. (2000). The economics of sports facilities and their communities. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14, Zimbalist, A. (2003). Sport as business. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 19, Umberto Lago is an associate professor of management at the University of Bologna. He has recently published a book (with A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski) on the Italian business of football. He teaches marketing and the marketing of sports at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Rob Simmons is a senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University Management School. His research interests include sports economics, labor economics, and the economics of gambling. Stefan Szymanski is a professor of economics and director of the full-time M.B.A. program at Tanaka Business School, Imperial College London. His main research interest is in contests.
The Financial Crisis in European Football: An Explanation of the High Survival Rate of European Football Clubs using the Soft Budget Constraint
Bachelor Thesis Lisanne Bos 5873258 The Financial Crisis in European Football: An Explanation of the High Survival Rate of European Football Clubs using the Soft Budget Constraint ABSTRACT: This thesis
More informationAn Assessment of UEFA s Financial Fairplay Rules. Stefan Szymanski
An Assessment of UEFA s Financial Fairplay Rules Stefan Szymanski 1. Background 2. FFP rules 3. Assessment of objectives 4. Assessment of methods 5. Impact on Premier League 6. Conclusions Financial Stability
More informationnumerous reasons why Scottish football finds itself in this state. External factors like
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL IT S A FUNNY OLD BUSINESS Journal of Sports Economics (2006, forthcoming) Stephen Morrow Department of Sports Studies University of Stirling Stirling (Scotland) FK9 4LA Tel: 00 44 1786
More informationCenter for Research in Sports Administration (CRSA)
Center for Research in Sports Administration (CRSA) Working Paper Series Working Paper No. 35 Organizational Differences between U.S. Major Leagues and European Leagues: Implications for Salary Caps Helmut
More informationScotland s Balance Sheet. April 2013
Scotland s Balance Sheet April 2013 Contents Executive Summary... 1 Introduction and Overview... 2 Public Spending... 5 Scottish Tax Revenue... 12 Overall Fiscal Position and Public Sector Debt... 18 Conclusion...
More informationFinancial Evolution and Stability The Case of Hedge Funds
Financial Evolution and Stability The Case of Hedge Funds KENT JANÉR MD of Nektar Asset Management, a market-neutral hedge fund that works with a large element of macroeconomic assessment. Hedge funds
More informationThe Euro and the Stability Pact. Martin Feldstein *
The Euro and the Stability Pact Martin Feldstein * This paper is an expansion of the talk that I gave at the Allied Social Sciences Association meeting on January 8, 2005. The first part of the paper presents
More informationEuropean Monetary Union Chapter 20
European Monetary Union Chapter 20 1. Theory of Optimum Currency Areas 2. Background for European Monetary Union 1 Theory of Optimum Currency Areas 1.1 Economic benefits of a single currency Monetary effi
More informationWHITE PAPER NO. III. Why a Common Eurozone Bond Isn t Such a Good Idea
CENTER FOR FINANCIAL STUDIES WHITE PAPER NO. III JULY 2009 Why a Common Eurozone Bond Isn t Such a Good Idea Otmar Issing Europe s World, Brussels, Belgium Center for Financial Studies Goethe-Universität
More informationBook review National Pastime by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist
Book review National Pastime by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist Reviewed by Phil Miller As a graduate student in the mid 1990 s, I began work on a project on the economics of baseball for a research
More informationNORWAY Prepared by Hans Rugset Braekhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS
NORWAY Prepared by Hans Rugset Braekhus Dege Advokatfirma ANS 1. Are there any laws that govern a layoff of employees? If so, what do the laws require? In Norway, we have the Employment Act from 2005 which
More information2. THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF EDUCATION
2. THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF EDUCATION How much more do tertiary graduates earn? How does education affect employment rates? What are the incentives for people to invest in education? What are the incentives
More informationCarlsberg involved in football for 30 years
Carlsberg involved in football for 30 years Like a good marriage, Carlsberg s bond with football grows stronger year after year Carlsberg has been engaged with the international football community for
More informationShould banks be allowed to go into bankruptcy
Should banks be allowed to go into bankruptcy Robert Kärrberg, Victor Sellman Abstract A report on what consequences bankruptcy s in financial institutes have on society. The group has been equally involved
More informationBailouts and Stimulus Plans. Eugene F. Fama
Bailouts and Stimulus Plans Eugene F. Fama Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance Booth School of Business University of Chicago There is an identity in macroeconomics. It says
More informationWHY STUDY PUBLIC FINANCE?
Solutions and Activities to CHAPTER 1 WHY STUDY PUBLIC FINANCE? Questions and Problems 1. Many states have language in their constitutions that requires the state to provide for an adequate level of education
More informationClub Licensing Benchmarking Report FY2010 & Financial Fair Play
Club Licensing Benchmarking Report FY2010 & Financial Fair Play Media Day House of European Football, Nyon 25 January 2012 Agenda What is the UEFA Club Licensing Benchmarking Report FY2010 Highlights of
More informationDualization and crisis. David Rueda
Dualization and crisis David Rueda The economic crises of the 20 th Century (from the Great Depression to the recessions of the 1970s) were met with significant increases in compensation and protection
More informationWoodley Sports Football Club
Woodley Sports Football Club Introduction Woodley Sports Football Club is currently playing in the Unibond Northern Premier League Division One, England. They are four levels down in the non league football
More informationTHE FINANCIAL CRISIS: Is This a REPEAT OF THE 80 S FOR AGRICULTURE? Mike Boehlje and Chris Hurt, Department of Agricultural Economics
THE FINANCIAL CRISIS: Is This a REPEAT OF THE 80 S FOR AGRICULTURE? Mike Boehlje and Chris Hurt, Department of Agricultural Economics The current financial crisis in the capital markets combined with recession
More informationDr. Dave. Do state and local economic development tax incentives help state and local economies?
Dr. Dave. Do state and local economic development tax incentives help state and local economies? A. In the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. Robert G. Lynch, Chairman of the Department of Economics
More informationBRIEFING NOTE. With-Profits Policies
BRIEFING NOTE With-Profits Policies This paper has been prepared by The Actuarial Profession to explain how withprofits policies work. It considers traditional non-pensions endowment policies in some detail
More informationThe Real Economic Impact of a European Financial Transactions Tax
(Cover page) Red Tape Watch! The Real Economic Impact of a European Financial Transactions Tax July 2013 NEW DIRECTION Page 1 of 12 About Red Tape Watch! Analysing the economic impact of European Union
More informationPlease read this document carefully as the terms below apply to your Membership
Please read this document carefully as the terms below apply to your Membership In particular, please note the following: Where purchasing Membership on behalf of another person, you are deemed to have
More informationManaging the Fragility of the Eurozone. Paul De Grauwe University of Leuven
Managing the Fragility of the Eurozone Paul De Grauwe University of Leuven Paradox Gross government debt (% of GDP) 100 90 80 70 UK Spain 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
More informationChapter 10 Fiscal Policy Macroeconomics In Context (Goodwin, et al.)
Chapter 10 Fiscal Policy Macroeconomics In Context (Goodwin, et al.) Chapter Overview This chapter introduces you to a formal analysis of fiscal policy, and puts it in context with real-world data and
More informationDiscussion of Consequences of Government Deficits and Debt
Discussion of Consequences of Government Deficits and Debt Alberto Alesina Harvard University 1. Introduction I am very pleased to participate in this conference in honor of Benjamin Friedman, for two
More informationDoes pay inequality within a team affect performance? Tomas Dvorak*
Does pay inequality within a team affect performance? Tomas Dvorak* The title should concisely express what the paper is about. It can also be used to capture the reader's attention. The Introduction should
More informationInquiry into Access of Small Business to Finance
Inquiry into Access of Small Business to Finance Reference http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/economics_ctte/small_business_10/ index.htm The current structure of the financial system means that large
More informationSTATEMENT OF BOB FOOSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYERS UNION
STATEMENT OF BOB FOOSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYERS UNION BEFORE THE HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, TRADE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ON H.R. 1862 THE DRUG FREE SPORTS
More informationWhy is the Greek economy collapsing?
Why is the Greek economy collapsing? A simple tale of high multipliers and low exports Cinzia Alcidi and Daniel Gros 21 December 2012 W hy is Greece still mired in recession? Why has GDP fallen by close
More informationPolitics, Surpluses, Deficits, and Debt
Defining Surpluses and Debt Politics, Surpluses,, and Debt Chapter 11 A surplus is an excess of revenues over payments. A deficit is a shortfall of revenues relative to payments. 2 Introduction After having
More informationFROM GOVERNMENT DEFICIT TO DEBT: BRIDGING THE GAP
FROM GOVERNMENT DEFICIT TO DEBT: BRIDGING THE GAP Government deficit and debt are the primary focus of fiscal surveillance in the euro area, and reliable data for these key indicators are essential for
More informationSPORTS ECONOMICS B30.2360.00
SPORTS ECONOMICS B30.2360.00 PROFESSOR SIMON BOWMAKER SPRING 2010 Description and Scope This MBA elective course applies microeconomic theory and econometric analysis to sport and explores some public
More informationFinancing of deposit insurance - a central banker's perspective
SPEECH DATE: 15 September 2005 SPEAKER: Deputy Governor Lars Nyberg LOCATION: Sveriges Riksbank SVERIGES RIKSBANK SE-103 37 Stockholm (Brunkebergstorg 11) Tel +46 8 787 00 00 Fax +46 8 21 05 31 registratorn@riksbank.se
More informationItaly Perspectives Autumn/Winter 2012/2013. Notebook on refinancing and restructuring
Italy Perspectives Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 Notebook on refinancing and restructuring 2 Clifford Chance Contents 3 Foreword 1 4 Italy joins the club: demystifying the UK Scheme of Arrangement 2 8 Accessing
More informationA Workshop of Two Halves
A Workshop of Two Halves 45 mins: A detailed look at the UEFA Financial Fair Play Rules and some practical examples Half Time: 15 mins 45 mins: Football League adoption of the rules and questions to bear
More informationAll Party Parliamentary Football Group. Inquiry into English Football and its Governance. Memorandum of Written Evidence
All Party Parliamentary Football Group Inquiry into English Football and its Governance Memorandum of Written Evidence Dr Geoff Walters and Mr Sean Hamil Birkbeck Sport Business Centre Birkbeck, University
More informationDo Commodity Price Spikes Cause Long-Term Inflation?
No. 11-1 Do Commodity Price Spikes Cause Long-Term Inflation? Geoffrey M.B. Tootell Abstract: This public policy brief examines the relationship between trend inflation and commodity price increases and
More informationGolf participation in Europe 2011 golfbusinesscommunity.com
GOLF ADVISORY PRACTICE IN EMA Golf participation in Europe 20 golfbusinesscommunity.com While golf is not considered a bellwether for economic conditions in Europe, there is little doubt of the cause-and-effect
More information1. The financial crisis of 2007/2008 and its impact on the UK and other economies
1. The financial crisis of 2007/2008 and its impact on the UK and other economies Do you still feel vague about the causes and the effects of the financial crisis of 2007/8? Are you preparing for a job
More informationObject: DG FISMA Consultation paper on further considerations for the implementation of the NSFR in the EU
To: European Commission Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Kraainem, 24 June 2016 Object: DG FISMA Consultation paper on further considerations for
More informationTHE ROLE OF CENTRAL BANKS IN FINANCIAL SUPERVISION. THE EUROPEAN UNION PERSPECTIVE
THE ROLE OF CENTRAL BANKS IN FINANCIAL SUPERVISION. THE EUROPEAN UNION PERSPECTIVE ANNA JURKOWSKA-ZEIDLER Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Gdansk Abstract There are two main arguments for
More informationBorrowing Money for Your Business
Borrowing Money for Your Business After you have developed a cash flow analysis and determined when your business will make profit, you may decide you need additional funding. Borrowing money is one of
More informationOFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER Thomas P. DiNapoli, State Comptroller. New York State s Cash Flow Crunch
OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER Thomas P. DiNapoli, State Comptroller New York State s Cash Flow Crunch November 2009 Summary New York State has already been forced to take extraordinary measures to meet
More informationNote: This feature provides supplementary analysis for the material in Part 3 of Common Sense Economics.
1 Module C: Fiscal Policy and Budget Deficits Note: This feature provides supplementary analysis for the material in Part 3 of Common Sense Economics. Fiscal and monetary policies are the two major tools
More informationKey issues in bank lending
Key issues in bank lending Introduction Welcome to Keynotes. Keynotes is a monthly event and publication to help early stage businesses get to grips with key legal issues. A bit about us Keynotes is brought
More informationLocated in the heart of Central America with a population of
El Salvador Romero Pineda & Asociados El Salvador José Roberto Romero, managing partner Antonio Mendez, partner Romero Pineda & Asociados Located in the heart of Central America with a population of approximately
More informationTHE PETROL TAX DEBATE
THE PETROL TAX DEBATE Zoë Smith THE INSTITUTE FOR FISCAL STUDIES Briefing Note No. 8 Published by The Institute for Fiscal Studies 7 Ridgmount Street London WC1E 7AE Tel 2 7291 48 Fax 2 7323 478 mailbox@ifs.org.uk
More informationMEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. Between THE UNION DES ASSOCIATIONS EUROPEENNES DE FOOTBALL (HEREAFTER UEFA) And
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING Between THE UNION DES ASSOCIATIONS EUROPEENNES DE FOOTBALL (HEREAFTER UEFA) And THE EUROPEAN CLUB ASSOCIATION (HEREAFTER ECA) Whereas: - UEFA is the governing body for football
More informationCOMMENTS OF THE TRADE REMEDY REFORM ACTION COALITION
COMMENTS OF THE TRADE REMEDY REFORM ACTION COALITION ON COMMERCE S REPORT TO CONGRESS ON PROSPECTIVE v. RETROSPECTIVE ANTIDUMPING & COUNTERVAILING DUTY SYSTEMS (75 Fed. Reg. 16079, March 31, 2010) "I am
More informationExecutive summary. Global Wage Report 2014 / 15 Wages and income inequality
Executive summary Global Wage Report 2014 / 15 Wages and income inequality Global Wage Report 2014/15 Wages and income inequality Executive summary INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE GENEVA Copyright International
More informationTHE BASIS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN FOOTBALL 1
THE BASIS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN FOOTBALL 1 September 1999 1 Or any other professional sport 2 Like companies, some football teams are more successful than others. In business, we analyse performance
More informationEUROBAROMETER 72 PUBLIC OPINION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
Standard Eurobarometer European Commission EUROBAROMETER 72 PUBLIC OPINION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AUTUMN 2009 NATIONAL REPORT Standard Eurobarometer 72 / Autumn 2009 TNS Opinion & Social June 17, 2003 EXECUTIVE
More informationThe Personal Insolvency Landscape
The Personal Insolvency Landscape December 2014 Introduction A successful personal insolvency regime must strike the right balance: on the one hand, it should allow people to get back on their own two
More informationFIXING OUR BROKEN ECONOMY. a simple guide for the rest of us
FIXING OUR BROKEN ECONOMY a simple guide for the rest of us 1. PRIVATISED MONEY We see all around that the economy is broken. We have an unemployed labour force and we have empty factories, offices and
More informationThe French Public Debt Worries and. Solutions
The French Public Debt Worries and Solutions Vesselina Spassova Pierre Garello Abstract: In the context of debt crisis in the European Union, the French public debt finally attracts the attention of the
More informationa) raises the funds required by the Council to meet approved service levels in the most effective manner;
ITEM FINANCIAL STRATEGY 2016/17 2020/21 Report By Chief Financial Officer SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL 11 February 2016 1 PURPOSE AND SUMMARY 1.1 This report seeks approval for the financial strategy for the
More informationFISCAL POLICY* Chapter. Key Concepts
Chapter 15 FISCAL POLICY* Key Concepts The Federal Budget The federal budget is an annual statement of the government s expenditures and tax revenues. Using the federal budget to achieve macroeconomic
More informationWelcome to Aspire. Expert financial advice for you
Welcome to Aspire Expert financial advice for you Welcome to Aspire At Aspire we have one goal in mind to give you the financial advice you need and complete peace of mind that your finances are in the
More informationSocial Insurance Arises, In Part, Because of Asymmetric Information
Social Arises, In Part, Because of Asymmetric Information Assume there are 2 groups, each with 100 people. The first group has 5% chance of getting injured, and the second group has a 0.5% chance. The
More informationAn introduction to European employment law for Japanese companies
Acquisitions issues to expect Employing staff in Europe An introduction to European employment law for Japanese companies For Japanese companies encountering the European employment law system for the
More informationPayments and Revenues. Do retail payments really matter to banks?
Payments and Revenues Do retail payments really matter to banks? by Dave Birch Consult Hyperion Opportunities Banks do lots of things, all of which
More informationWhat are the key current issues shaping equity release by older home owners?
What are the key current issues shaping equity release by older home owners? Round table discussion November 7th 2012 About this project Focus today on equity release but a bigger picture. Initial proposal
More informationInsolvency. A vision for the next parliament. R3 manifesto for the 2015 General Election
020 Insolvency 2020 A vision for the next parliament R3 manifesto for the 2015 General Election UK insolvency landscape The 2010 General Election was a turning point for the UK s insolvency landscape:
More informationUnderstanding the Student Loan Explosion. Implications for students and their families. Sponsored by:
Understanding the Student Loan Explosion Implications for students and their families Sponsored by: Understanding the Student Loan Explosion: Implications for students and their families True wisdom is
More informationGeneral Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examination January 2010
General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examination January 2010 Economics ECON4 Unit 4 The National and International Economy Tuesday 2 February 2010 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm For this paper you must
More informationStarting a Small Business
Starting a Small Business Starting and managing a business takes motivation, desire and talent. It also takes research and planning. Like a chess game, success in small business starts with decisive and
More informationBS2551 Money Banking and Finance. Institutional Investors
BS2551 Money Banking and Finance Institutional Investors Institutional investors pension funds, mutual funds and life insurance companies are the main players in securities markets in both the USA and
More informationA Case Study In Behavioral Finance
A Case Study In Behavioral Finance We Are All Human Behavioral Finance is a field of study that combines psychology, economics, and finance to offer an explanation for why investors make irrational financial
More informationCollege costs are rising for a number of reasons: Calculating the decline in State-level support for college education:
I believe that as a nation, we must restore our public commitment to providing an affordable, quality higher education to every student. This is not only a moral issue, but an economic imperative. In a
More informationPOLAND. Lukasz Kuczkowski 1 OVERVIEW
POLAND Lukasz Kuczkowski 1 OVERVIEW Redundancy schemes in Poland are subject to various labour law regulations, such as the Labour Code Act dated 26 June 1974 (the Labour Code), and the Special Terms of
More informationIMPROVING TRANSFER OPERATIONS. A variety of bad practices and external threats have been identified with regard to transfer operations.
courtesy HSV Supporters Club IMPROVING TRANSFER OPERATIONS A variety of bad practices and external threats have been identified with regard to transfer operations The arms race for footballing talent is
More informationSchool District Snapshot
School District Snapshot Understanding Funding, Spending, and Saving Lots of numbers get tossed around when people talk about money and schools. So do lots of opinions. This article is intended to address
More informationEurope s Financial Crisis: The Euro s Flawed Design and the Consequences of Lack of a Government Banker
Europe s Financial Crisis: The Euro s Flawed Design and the Consequences of Lack of a Government Banker Abstract This paper argues the euro zone requires a government banker that manages the bond market
More informationDeveloping a Public-Private Partnership Framework: Policies and PPP Units
Note 4 May 2012 Developing a Public-Private Partnership Framework: Policies and PPP Units This note is the fourth in a series of notes on developing a comprehensive policy, legal, and institution framework
More informationGuide to cash flow management
Guide to cash flow management Cash flow management What is cash flow management? For a business to be successful, good cash flow management is crucial. Cash flow is the primary indicator of a business
More informationhttp://edugen.wileyplus.com/edugen/courses/crs4479/weygandt715...
Page 1 of 8 Print this page FINANCIAL STATEMENTS STUDY OBJECTIVE 8 Understand the four financial statements and how they are prepared. Companies prepare four financial statements from the summarized accounting
More informationSources of finance (Or where can we get money from?)
Sources of finance (Or where can we get money from?) Why do we need finance? 1. Setting up a business 2. Need to finance our day-to-day activities 3. Expansion 4. Research into new products 5. Special
More informationFor a Europe-wide coordinated levy on wealth
The nature of the crisis For a Europe-wide coordinated levy on wealth - European ATTAC Network - A constantly increasing disparity of wealth is an intrinsic aspect of capitalism. Wealth grows faster than
More informationThe Hidden Cost of Poor Advice: A Review of Investment Decision-Making and Governance in Local Government Pension Schemes ( LGPS ) Part 1
The Hidden Cost of Poor Advice: A Review of Investment Decision-Making and Governance in Local Government Pension Schemes ( LGPS ) Part 1 Universe and Data 99 Local Government Pension Schemes in England,
More informationProspect Theory Ayelet Gneezy & Nicholas Epley
Prospect Theory Ayelet Gneezy & Nicholas Epley Word Count: 2,486 Definition Prospect Theory is a psychological account that describes how people make decisions under conditions of uncertainty. These may
More informationThe central question: Does the bankruptcy process make sure that firms in bankruptcy are inefficient, and that inefficient firms end up in bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy White (1989) Bankruptcy the closing down of firms that are inefficient, use outdated technologies, or produce products that are in excess supply. The central question: Does the bankruptcy process
More informationSession 12. Aggregate Supply: The Phillips curve. Credibility
Session 12. Aggregate Supply: The Phillips curve. Credibility v Potential Output and v Okun s law v The Role of Expectations and the Phillips Curve v Oil Prices and v US Monetary Policy and World Real
More informationYour Options. A simple guide to available debt options
Your Options A simple guide to available debt options Contents Welcome 3 Our Customer Service Charter 3 Protected Trust Deeds 4 Debt Arrangement Scheme 6 Sequestration 8 Debt Management Plan 10 Minimal
More informationSMEs access to finance survey 2014
EUROPEAN COMMISSION MEMO Brussels, 12 November 2014 SMEs access to finance survey 2014 This memo outlines the results of a survey undertaken by the European Commission to provide policy makers with evidence
More informationInsolvency and. Business Recovery. Procedures. A Brief Guide. Compiled by Compass Financial Recovery and Insolvency Ltd
Insolvency and Business Recovery Procedures A Brief Guide Compiled by Compass Financial Recovery and Insolvency Ltd I What is Insolvency? Insolvency is legally defined as: A company is insolvent (unable
More informationGlobalization of the Premier League: A debate worth having.
Globalization of the Premier League: A debate worth having. Dr Susan Bridgewater, Warwick Business School. Football is certainly a beautiful game but, over time, it has also developed into a global and
More informationECONOMIC AND MONETARY DEVELOPMENTS
Box 6 SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES IN THE EURO AREA: ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND FINANCING CONDITIONS This box reviews the key role played by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area
More informationBEATING THE OFFSIDE TRAP: DRIVING FORWARD THE COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE
perspective DECEMBER 2012 BEATING THE OFFSIDE TRAP: DRIVING FORWARD THE COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE Enrico Lanzavecchia, Faizal Patel, Marco Labianca OF FOOTBALL CLUBS Beating the offside trap: Driving forward
More informationBaseball/Soccer (Resenha)
National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer. SZYMANSKI, Stefan, ZIMBALIST, Andrew. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2005, 263 pages. Por John M. Why
More informationFinancial market integration and economic growth: Quantifying the effects, Brussels 19/02/2003
Financial market integration and economic growth: Quantifying the effects, Brussels 19/02/2003 Presentation of «Quantification of the Macro-Economic Impact of Integration of EU Financial Markets» by London
More informationTRADING DISCIPLINE MODULE 6 MODULE 6 INTRODUCTION PROGRAMME TRADING DISCIPLINE
INTRODUCTION PROGRAMME MODULE 6 TRADING DISCIPLINE The final module in our introduction programme discusses the importance of discipline as a trading tool and covers a number of ways to maintain trading
More informationMONOPOLIES HOW ARE MONOPOLIES ACHIEVED?
Monopoly 18 The public, policy-makers, and economists are concerned with the power that monopoly industries have. In this chapter I discuss how monopolies behave and the case against monopolies. The case
More informationChapter 27: Taxation. 27.1: Introduction. 27.2: The Two Prices with a Tax. 27.2: The Pre-Tax Position
Chapter 27: Taxation 27.1: Introduction We consider the effect of taxation on some good on the market for that good. We ask the questions: who pays the tax? what effect does it have on the equilibrium
More informationDEBT FUNDING GUIDELINES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
DEBT FUNDING GUIDELINES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT The Context Local government financial statements, like those of other sectors of government and the corporate sector, include many items of considerable financial
More informationBriefing on Personnel Leasing in the European Union
Annex 13 Briefing on Personnel Leasing in the European Union 1. Economic significance In the EU (15 Member States; there are not yet any figures of the 10 new Member States) there are about 1,4 million
More informationThe J. League and the World Cup
The J. League and the World Cup Takeo Hirata and Stefan Szymanski Abstract This chapter examines the impact of the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and Korea on the domestic soccer league of Japan, the J.
More informationThe Future of the Scottish Horseracing Sector
The Future of the Scottish Horseracing Sector on Paper September 2014 BiGGAR Economics Midlothian Innovation Centre Pentlandfield, Roslin Midlothian, EH25 9RE Scotland 0131 440 9032 info@biggareconomics.co.uk
More informationCorrelation Analysis Between SoccerGame World Ranking and Player League Distribution
Sport and Art (): -0, 0 DOI: 0.89/saj.0.000 http://www.hrpub.org Correlation Analysis Between SoccerGame World Ranking and Player League Distribution Sandgren Evelina, Karlsson Mia, Ji-Guo Yu * Sports
More information