In 1979, Brian Clough agreed to make Trevor Francis the first player to demand a £1m transfer fee when he was purchased for Nottingham Forest from Birmingham City. The forward repaid some of that fee back later that year when he scored the winning goal in the European Cup final.
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Hello,
Great read! It’s fascinating to learn about Trevor Francis being the first player to demand a £1m transfer fee and then repaying some of that fee back in the same year with the winning goal in the European Cup final. I’m curious, do you think the demand for high transfer fees has had a positive or negative impact on football?
Thank you
– Stephen Wilk
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Hi Stephen,
That’s a really good question.
Football as an industry has grown exponentially over the years and like any market is controlled by supply and demand which comes with its pro’s and con’s. Personally it’s been great to see the improvements in stadium facilities, safety and community programmes etc.
Unfortunately, this growth has also led to over inflated transfer fees, wages and questionable club ownership which I feel is bad for the beautiful game as it creates a wider gulf between the players and the fans. The average working man is slowly being priced out of football which in my opinion is a real shame for football club as they used to be the heartbeat of the community and give locals a sense of belonging amongst peers etc.
What do you think Stephen?
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