Former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale has criticized the three demoted teams’ relative strength in comparison to other Championship clubs, notably his own Preston North End.
In the broad scheme of things, the fact that three of the league’s top four teams were demoted from the Premier League last season isn’t surprising.
Leeds, Southampton, and Leicester have all either retained players of significantly higher quality than the majority of the league, or have been able to sell for large sums in order to replace ambitiously, allowing them to sit comfortably above the rest.
Peter Ridsdale criticizes wage comparisons between Leeds and Preston.
Peter Ridsdale, former Leeds chairman and now a director at Preston, understands how difficult it is to compete financially with the big giants.
The disparity between the sides at the top of the table this season (not Ipswich Town) bothers the 72-year-old, as Leeds and others have clearly benefited from Premier League revenue in previous seasons, which he estimates will total £90 million over two seasons.
Ridsdale had hoped that Premier League teams would make an offer to fund their EFL counterparts with a piece of net TV money, but this has not happened, and he believes it is past time to make the league far more competitive through a balanced system.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live (via LeedsLive), Ridsdale stated:
“All we want is to ensure a sustainable and competitive EFL, and you can see the cliff-edge between the Premier League and the Championship, with parachute clubs coming down receiving something like £50 million in the first year and £40 million or so in the second year after being relegated.”
“We’ve got teams at the top of our division paying five times more in wages than (Preston), and it shows because they’re at the top of the Championship – and they’re doing it with parachute payments from the Premier League.
“The top three teams are Leicester, Leeds, and Ipswich, with Southampton fourth. Three of the four came down last year and received parachute payments. “If we don’t keep it competitive and sustainable, English football will be finished.”
Championship wage bills compared: Three relegated clubs top the list.
Ridsdale’s claim stands to reason when considering the salary bills of those in the Championship, particularly those at the top of the list.
| Club | Annual payroll |
| 1. Leicester City | £57,200,000 |
| 2. Southampton | £40,326,000 |
| 3. Leeds United | £36,588,000 |
| 4. West Brom | £24,200,000 |
| 5. Cardiff City | £21,860,000 |
| 6. Norwich City | £20,776,000 |
| 19. Preston | £10,513,000 |
Most clubs face a massive gap between the Premier League and the English Football League.
Ridsdale is correct that change must occur soon or many clubs will continue to slide away from Premier League riches.
This season has skewed that significantly, with all three relegated teams seeming capable of retaining their best players.
However, if you are not a part of that, it appears that you must strike gold with an incredible coach or a big investment to have a shot in the Championship, as teams like ourselves, Leicester, and Southampton are doing.
