Viva Gareth Bale

[howard18]

On watching the 6.00pm. news this evening I was somewhat taken aback to see that the lead item was concerning the transfer of one Gareth Bale (Bail?)
I know absolutely nothing about football. Am I right in thinking that everything must be O.K. in the U.K. if the BBC lead with a football item.


Howard

[Romig1]

The transfer of any single asset for £85 million, may be considered newsworthy, notwithstanding the populist interest?

[Jan Rosser]

You should be living in Wales Howard - so far the BBC Wales news has been on for nearly 10 minutes and is still on the Gareth Bale item

[frintonite]

And reported to be earning £300,000 PER WEEK !!!! on his 6 year contract

[Romig1]

You should be living in Wales Howard - so far the BBC Wales news has been on for nearly 10 minutes and is still on the Gareth Bale item

Enjoy it Jan..... the next story to follow on is of a prize ram at a county show!

[Not so ancient mariner]

With the transfer fee and his wages, by the end of the first year Gareth Bale will have cost Real Madrid £101 million. That could have paid off a chunk of Spain's national debt - or at least the therapy needed by HK Phooey as a result of the move.

[Admiral of the Humber]

It's obscene.......

[david63]

I have absolutely no idea how anyone can be worth £300k per week - it is obscene. If it is £300 a year it would be too much and still be more than some will eatn in their lifetime

[Not so ancient mariner]

I have absolutely no idea how anyone can be worth £300k per week - it is obscene. If it is £300 a year it would be too much and still be more than some will eatn in their lifetime

At his rate of pay, he gets approximately the same per day as I earn per year!!

[Romig1]

I have absolutely no idea how anyone can be worth £300k per week - it is obscene. If it is £300 a year it would be too much and still be more than some will eatn in their lifetime

At his rate of pay, he gets approximately the same per day as I earn per year!!

...and many of those days will consist of little more than a couple of hours' training!

[wolfie]

But NSAM and Romig.................. do your legs work the same wonders?

Not that I think anyone is worth his weekly pay for playing with the wrong shaped ball.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Income tax for residents in Spain has marginal rates starting at 24% and rising to 45% for income of over €300,000 pa.

Therefore it is reasonable to presume that taxes of slightly less than half his income will be paid based on his usual place of work (Real Madrid).

Matters will of course be complicated by income streams for such "stars" from other sources (sponsorship, personal appearances, investments, etc) based from other counties including the UK and as is well-known this creates a veritable "industry" of legal but somewhat questionable creative avoidance schemes.

It is of absolutely of no business for anyone other than shareholders to question the remuneration of anyone in a free enterprise business. Only one condition applies. That all taxes due from such earners are paid. Evasion by a tax payer and/or the employer must always be punished by confiscation of any illegal gain,a fine equal on top to that gain and say a 100 hours community service + I hour for every £1000 defrauded. Imprisonment should be an option for repeat offenders or those who evade community service punishment.

Robust tax treaties between nations will hopefully one day reduce the greed and criminality of gross evasion which one suspects is an everyday occurrence in murky worlds like city banking and football.

[Not so ancient mariner]

But NSAM and Romig.................. do your legs work the same wonders?

Not that I think anyone is worth his weekly pay for playing with the wrong shaped ball.

No - I can't compete with GB in that respect - but neither will he when he's my age!!

Ah yes rugby: - a game played by men with odd shaped balls.... But I hope they have the right number of players on the pitch!!

[Silver_Shiney]

I see I'm not the only one to think these sums are obscene. They should all go out and get a proper job, and remember that football is supposed to be a game.

[Not so ancient mariner]

I see I'm not the only one to think these sums are obscene. They should all go out and get a proper job, and remember that football is supposed to be a game.

Football must be the only place where the 'workers' get paid more than the chairman!!!

[Not so ancient mariner]

Just a thought. Are these transfer fees liable for VAT - or IVA in Spain?

[david63]

It is of absolutely of no business for anyone other than shareholders to question the remuneration of anyone in a free enterprise business.

Agreed - but it does not mean that we cannot have an opinion

[Delboy]

I see I'm not the only one to think these sums are obscene. They should all go out and get a proper job, and remember that football is supposed to be a game.

Football especially at Premiership, European and World level's, has not been a game for many years. It is now very big business, generating millions of £/€'s of income/expenditure to the top clubs.

A top player is now regarded as a valuable asset to a club, and is worth whatever another club is prepared to pay on the open market. If a club is prepared to invest such sums as £85 million and wages of £300k per week for a player, they do so expecting at the end of the day, that the player will generate a profit on their investment whilst he is with the club. If he does, then their original investment has been worth every penny they initially paid out.

Football is run like any other business, its there to make a profit for its shareholders, the only difference especially for the top clubs, is the vast sums of money now involved. Some may say the figures are obscene, but they are whatever the market dictates.

[Quizzical Bob]

Just a thought. Are these transfer fees liable for VAT - or IVA in Spain?

They normally attract VAT but this is an intra-community transaction, code T4 I believe? No VAT charged providing you have the parties' VAT numbers on invoices.

[Mo2013]

Even as a season ticket holder with Manchester United I abhor these sums of money. But, as has rightly been said, football is a business now and players are indeed assets to be bought and sold to further the success of the club. However, I do not believe that you can buy success and £85m is unbelievably obscene. The pressure and expectation that will be on Bale will be enormous - let's hope he delivers because moving to, and playing abroad is not always a success.

[howard18]

Just a thought. Are these transfer fees liable for VAT - or IVA in Spain?

They normally attract VAT but this is an intra-community transaction, code T4 I believe? No VAT charged providing you have the parties' VAT numbers on invoices.

I would have thought that as GB was already an "asset" of the selling club - then perhaps Capital Gains Tax should be paid.

Howard

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Agreed Howard:

CGT applies to us "lesser mortals" when it comes to realising the value of valuables, second property, and other equity , and where a gain has been made less an annual personal allowance.

[Dark Knight]

still a pittance when compared to other top sportsmen in basketball, baseball, boxing and F1

[Manoverboard]

Even at that price he will still only be ' number two ' in the pecking order at that Club, the sums are what they are due to those of you who subscribe to Sky Sports ... don't blame the players when you are the cause.

[Mo2013]

Even at that price he will still only be ' number two ' in the pecking order at that Club, the sums are what they are due to those of you who subscribe to Sky Sports ... don't blame the players when you are the cause.

If you love sport and are unable, or cannot afford, to buy tickets for various sporting events, i.e. Formula 1, Wimbledon, the Champions' League Final, FA Cup Final etc. etc. (although I did go to the 1999 Champions League Final) then the next best thing is to subscribe to Sky Sports or any other provider who televises sport so that you can watch it from your armchair. I have always thought that football clubs buy certain players because they are intent on success and believe that a big name signing will secure that success, and yes, the revenue clubs get from Sky etc. so that Sky can screen their 'big games' does swell the coffers. Is making sporting events available to view to a lot more people a bad thing?