Doncaster in May 2005

"It's worth reiterating that we are under no pressure to sell anyone,? said Doncaster, as years of careful financial planning bears fruit ? in particular the club's insistence on a tiered wage structure that takes account of the likely ?13 million shortfall in income between the Premier League and the Championship that accompanies relegation.

Suddenly, each and every player on the club's books finds himself back on Championship wages ? still very good Championship-standard wages, but not potentially crippling Premiership-style packages.

?For a number of years now we've structured our finances so that we could not only survive but, hopefully, thrive back in the Championship if we did have the misfortune to be relegated from the Premiership,? said City's chief executive, all too well aware of what has befallen others on their way down ...

?In the past, other clubs have either banked on being in the Premiership and not going down or, if they do, they then rely on selling players,? explained Doncaster, a policy that is fraught with peril with potential buyers either unwilling or unable to pay the long-term, Premiership-style wages enjoyed by, say, a Finidi George or a Pablo Counago ? whose non-tiered contracts helped propel Ipswich Town into administration following their relegation to the Championship in 2002.

Posted By: Old Git, Oct 2, 12:01:37