Corney in call for salary cap

ATHLETIC managing director Simon Corney is convinced the introduction of a salary cap is the only way to ensure the survival of clubs in football’s lower divisions.

After League Two club Darlington became the latest club to enter administration, Mr Corney believes the economic recession may hasten their demise of other teams.

And the lobby for curbs on spending is gathering momentum, with Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney also advocating controls.

Mr Corney said: “Having a salary cap is something which we have favoured for some time as we believe it is the only way football clubs can survive.

“From our conversations with officials from other clubs, many are struggling. Unless something is done soon, I can see one or two folding in the next year.”

Athletic’s owners would like to see each club in League One receive a basic sum, with the remainder based on their attendances and income stream.

Mr Corney added: “The salary cap would be based on gate receipts so the bigger clubs would have more to spend.

“There is too much pressure on chairmen to do silly things, and this would remove that danger and, hopefully, help all clubs to survive.”

Mr Corney added that the idea of a salary cap has received a positive response from Lord Mawhinney.

He continued: “Lord Mawhinney has been very receptive and has a good understanding of the needs of clubs. I have every confidence that he will come up with the right solution.”

Mr Corney once again reiterated that Athletic’s owners will be forced to curtail their spending.

He explained that their business interests - telecommunications and real estate - have been badly affected by the economic downturn.

Mr Corney said: “We have had to downsize and make redundancies. Whereas we employed 300 at our peak, we are now down to around 90.

“We are going to have to adopt a more pragmatic approach to the football club and there is no way we will be able to put in sums like £500,000, £600,000 or £800,000 each year as we have been doing.

“Our spending is at a manageable level, but now we have to get it down to a practical level and it is up to us to be smarter in the way in which we run things.”