The Great Debate UK
In football, the biggest losers win
“Football is just a business nowadays, isn’t it?”
Well, actually no, it’s not, and it never has been – at least not if a business means an enterprise intended to maximise shareholder value.
In the “good old days” – so called because they were bloody awful – football clubs were financed by a Big Sugar Daddy, often the millionaire who owned the local mill or maybe a small chain of shops in the town.
As Chairman of the Board, he would treat the club as his little indulgence, a rich man’s hobby, an alternative to collecting old masters or old mistresses.
In return, he would behave as if he owned the club (which he did), his name would probably be on the main stand and his real business – the one that generated the money – would advertise in the match programme and on boards around the touchline.
Women on course to control larger proportion of wealth
- Jane Foley is research director at Forex.com and blogs regularly for Reuters Great Debate. The opinions expressed are her own. Reuters will host a “follow-the-sun” live blog on Monday, March 8, 2010, International Women’s Day. Please tune in. -
Projections indicate that by 2050 the world’s population will stand at around 9.2 billion, up from around 6.7 million at present. The vast majority of this increase will be in the developing world. In developed world countries populations may start tapering off after 2025.
The cost of youth unemployment
-Tony McAleavy is the Director of Education at CfBT Education Trust. The opinions expressed are his own.-
In response to fears that 16 and 17 year olds were the forgotten victims of the recession, the government announced an extra 72,000 school, college and apprenticeship places from this month. If all the places are taken up, non-participation might dip from 14 percent to around 10 percent. And yet, as many as 100,000 16 and 17 year olds currently in employment (with or without training) would still be at risk from the recession.
