[roversgirl]

Quote

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan will ask all the players and staff at the debt-ridden club to take a voluntary wage cut at the end of the season.

Sullivan also says the Premier League club, who have debts of £110m, will face "Armageddon" if they go down.

The Hammers are in the midst of a relegation battle after taking only six points from their last 10 league games.

"We are going to ask everyone at the club to voluntarily take a wage reduction," Sullivan told BBC Sport.

Sullivan also revealed that manager Gianfranco Zola would be among those expected to take a pay cut at the end season and added anyone unhappy with the request could leave the club.

"Gianfranco is highly paid and I think all managers in the Premier League are overpaid," said O'Sullivan.

"Everywhere you look there is excess. Everyone is overpaid for the job they do. There are 110 mobile phones being paid for by the club and you have minor people with Blackberry phones and other types.

"Already members of the administrative staff have come to us and said, 'look we know we are overpaid for the job we do but we are good people and we'd like to stay and we are prepared to take a voluntary wage cut'."

Sullivan and co-owner David Gold, who left Birmingham in November following Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung's takeover, took control of West Ham last month after buying a 50% shareholding.


West Ham's new owners say they have uncovered the severity of the club's financial position over the past few weeks and Sullivan fears that they could repeat the demise of Newcastle, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2009 after a season of off-field turmoil.

"I can't believe the contracts I've inherited," added Sullivan.

"The club is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down, I can't even consider the situation.

"It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's gone on at Newcastle."

West Ham are actively looking to reduce the club's debts, with professional investors being approached for finance and the club have already had to make several people redundant.

"We had a player liaison officer who just drove a few of the players around and he was paid £50,000 a year," revealed Sullivan.

"We've had to make people redundant, we'll make other people redundant. There are people at the training ground who we don't even know what they do, there are so many people there. When we spend money we have to make it count."

But of more immediate concern, however, is getting vital league points with their next game - at home to Birmingham on Wednesday - given added significance because of Sullivan's and Gold's links with the two clubs.

The manner of Gold's departure from St Andrew's still causes angst, with the 73-year-old upset that he was not retained as chairman when Yeung took over.

"I was at Birmingham City for years but I really want to give them a good whacking," he said.

"I have great fondness for them, but it was sad the way it ended. They reneged on the decision to keep me on the board - that will always rankle.

"After 17 years at Birmingham, I think we know how to run a football club, I am certainly a lot wiser than when I first started.

"All I need now is for the team to start winning. Wednesday night will do for starters."

The past and present regimes at Birmingham have been involved in verbal spats over the past few months but Yeung's representative, Peter Pannu, said there will not be any bad blood on Wednesday.

"The other party have taken over at West Ham and we wish them well. In fact, I did congratulate them myself," Pannu told the Birmingham Mail.

"We are, after all, football people but work is work and we have to delineate on that very clearly.

"I will shake hands in the boardroom. I have no problem with that and I have had a chance to have a conference with David Sullivan and David Gold.

"We had a very candid chat. David Sullivan appears to be a very straightforward man. He speaks his mind - just like me.

"I think people must understand we are all professionals so we know how to differentiate between right and wrong, work and personal.

"I respect David Sullivan, he has got his stance, we have got ours and we agree to disagree."

Source: BBC Football

SSN reported this and I was shocked at the huge amounts of money West Ham have wasted in recent seasons. Its no shock they are in this position when they have:

1) Spent 6 million on Boa Morte! Who has only scored once in about 70 apps and has a long term injury at the moment

2) Spent 5 million on Kieron Dyer who everyone knows is injury prone and has rarely played at West Ham

3) Offered ridiculous contracts to ageing players like Ljungberg and Neill. God knows what these players were on but I can imagine it was a lot and thankfully both went early as they were also given long term contracts!

Also cannot see why Benni moved there as he was a top earner with us and won't have moved for anything less than 30-35k a week. Plus these two came out saying they offered someone a 100k a week contract...it just doesn't all add up if they are doing that yet want the rest of the squad to take a pay cut?

Wages are stupid now, what was a good 20k a week player is now 30k so even if you do get someone on a free or for little money, they will now be wanting nearer 30k rather than 5 years ago when that figure was 20k.

[tommy_wafc]

They could end up in a similar state as Pompey soon. This could be the start of Premiership clubs entering administration.

This post has been edited by tommy_wafc: 09 February 2010 - 03:07 PM

[Bluebird Hewitt]

tommy_wafc, on 09 February 2010 - 03:03 PM, said:

They could end up in a similar state as Pompey soon. This could be the start of Premiership clubs entering administration.

Doubt they'll end up like everyone else with a 10 point deduction though. :rolleyes:

[roversgirl]

Oh god, hope Neil Warnock doesn't see that comment, it will set him off YET AGAIN :lol: Every single interview with that man he seems to mention Tevez or West Ham :lol:

[mass debates]

Bluebird Hewitt, on 09 February 2010 - 03:11 PM, said:

Doubt they'll end up like everyone else with a 10 point deduction though. :rolleyes:

Mostley because Prem teams only get a 9 point reduction :thumbsup:

[Phil Mitchell]

roversgirl, on 09 February 2010 - 02:53 PM, said:

SSN reported this and I was shocked at the huge amounts of money West Ham have wasted in recent seasons. Its no shock they are in this position when they have:

1) Spent 6 million on Boa Morte! Who has only scored once in about 70 apps and has a long term injury at the moment

2) Spent 5 million on Kieron Dyer who everyone knows is injury prone and has rarely played at West Ham

3) Offered ridiculous contracts to ageing players like Ljungberg and Neill. God knows what these players were on but I can imagine it was a lot and thankfully both went early as they were also given long term contracts!

Also cannot see why Benni moved there as he was a top earner with us and won't have moved for anything less than 30-35k a week. Plus these two came out saying they offered someone a 100k a week contract...it just doesn't all add up if they are doing that yet want the rest of the squad to take a pay cut?

Wages are stupid now, what was a good 20k a week player is now 30k so even if you do get someone on a free or for little money, they will now be wanting nearer 30k rather than 5 years ago when that figure was 20k.

And thats nothing compared to the players on this list:-

1st = Monthly Salary 2nd = Annual Salary 3rd = Weekly Salary
1) Zlatan Ibrahimovic Internazionale 750,000 9,000,000 166,000
2) Ricardo Kaka AC Milan 750,000 9,000,000 166,000
3) Lionel Messi FC Barcelona 700,000 8,400,000 156,000
4) John Terry Chelsea FC 632,000 7,575,000 140,000
5) Frank Lampard Chelsea FC 632,000 7,575,000 140,000
6) Thierry Henry FC Barcelona 625,000 7,500,000 138,000
7) Samuel Eto'o FC Barcelona 625,000 7,500,000 138,000
8) Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 564,000 6,763,000 125,000
9) Ronadinho Gaucho AC Milan 542,000 6,500,000 120,000
10) Andrei Shevchenko AC Milan 542,000 6,500,000 120,000
11) Michael Ballack Chelsea FC 542,000 6,500,000 120,000
12) Steven Gerrard Liverpool FC 542,000 6,500,000 120,000
13) Rio Ferdinand Manchester United 542,000 6,500,000 120,000
14) Raul Gonzalez Real Madrid 533,000 6,400,000 118,000
15) Ruud van Nistelrooy Real Madrid 533,000 6,400,000 118,000
16) Iker Casillas Real Madrid 500,000 6,000,000 110,000
17) Frederic Kanouté Sevilla FC 500,000 6,000,000 110,000
18) Wayne Rooney Manchester United 500,000 6,000,000 110,000
19) Michael Owen Newcastle United 500,000 6,000,000 110,000
20) Fabio Cannavaro Real Madrid 483,000 5,800,000 107,000
21) Robinho Manchester City 473,000 5,680,000 105,000
22) Francesco Totti AS Roma 458,000 5,500,000 101,000
23) Luca Toni Bayern Munich 458,000 5,500,000 101,000
24) Arjen Robben Real Madrid 455,000 5,460,000 100,000
25) Ashley Cole Chelsea FC 450,000 5,410,000 100,000
26) Deco Chelsea FC 450,000 5,410,000 100,000
27) Fernando Torres Liverpool FC 450,000 5,410,000 100,000
28) Carlos Tevez Manchester United 428,000 5,140,000 95,000
29) Adriano Internazionale 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
30) Patrick Vieira Internazionale 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
31) Charles Puyol FC Barcelona 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
32) Andres Iniesta FC Barcelona 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
33) Xavi FC Barcelona 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
34) Sergio Aguero Atletico Madrid 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
35) Gianluigi Buffon Juventus 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
36) Willy Sagnol Bayern Munich 416,000 5,000,000 92,000
37) Dimitar Berbatov Manchester United 405,000 4,869,000 90,000
38) Andrei Arshavin Arsenal FC 405,000 4,869,000 90,000
39) Didier Drogba Chelsea FC 405,000 4,869,000 90,000
40) Nicolas Anelka Chelsea FC 405,000 4,869,000 90,000
41) Paul Scholes Manchester United 405,000 4,869,000 90,000
42) Alessandro Del Piero Juventus 400,000 4,800,000 88,000
43) Karim Benzema Olympique Lyon 400,000 4,800,000 88,000
44) Pike Bayern Munich 400,000 4,800,000 88,000
45) Frank Ribery Bayern Munich 400,000 4,800,000 88,000
46) Joe Cole Chelsea FC 383,000 4,600,000 85,000
47) Ryan Giggs Manchester United 383,000 4,600,000 85,000
48) Xabi Alonso Liverpool FC 383,000 4,600,000 85,000
49) Jamie Carragher Liverpool FC 383,000 4,600,000 85,000
50) David Beckham AC Milan 375,000 4,500,000 83,000


Which say's alot, some of these players are on a ridiculous wage these days. And it will get even more stupid in another 5 years time probably. This list is from last season, so some of these players(and others) will probably be on even higher wages or similar.

This post has been edited by Phil Mitchell: 10 February 2010 - 04:58 AM

[Rab53RFC]

The premiership clubs were always going to end up in a domino effect like this. One after another they'll all start to crumble.

Their eyes were bigger than their belly, so to speak.

[SuperPav]

Sullivan and Gold are such morons anyway.

This pleases me.

[HalfTimePint]

Only 2 weeks ago they were prepared to pay £100k per week for a quality striker. Days later they are asking everyone to take a 25% pay cut. Why the sudden change? Anyway, all players do need to take a pay cut if the games is to survive. Curious about the admin staff at West Ham saying they'd take a pay cut! How much can they possibly earn? £25k per year?