An own goal

WHEN football clubs were close to their community roots, it was the result on the pitch that mattered most of all at 4.45pm every Saturday teatime – and determined the mood of their loyal fans for the following week. There was a clear correlation between the results and a worker's output on the factory floor.

Yet, while a side cannot prosper without its players being able to pass the ball to each other, it is becoming increasingly clear – as our revelations about Sheffield Wednesday show – that team work in the boardroom is, possibly, even more crucial to a team meeting the expectations of their supporters.

What chance do the Owls have when there are such bitter disagreements at director level?

The South Yorkshire side is not alone in facing such a predicament – boardroom battles have brought the once-great Liverpool Football Club, champions of Europe just five years ago, to the brink of financial administration.

Yet, while the difficulties facing each club are unique and largely dependent upon the personalities involved, there is a common thread in the form book and it is that the crazy economics of football will remain while clubs continue – just like the last Labour government – to spend beyond their means.

It is an issue that football must tackle head-on before the national sport becomes even more discredited.