A Matter of Life and Death?
Bill Shankly’s quote about football being a matter of life and death is arguably the most notorious quote when it comes to summing up the passion that players, managers and supporters alike have for the game.
Shankly himself never stopped kicking every ball even when he retired as Liverpool manager back in 1974. Just over seven years later, Shankly was dead following a stroke. Four years later, Jock Stein would also die suddenly, suffering a fatal heart attack at Ninian Park as Scotland fought to avoid defeat to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive. Both of these legendary football managers were in their sixties when they passed. Not that old, but older than Justin Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s wider legacy may not readily compare with that of Shankly or Stein, yet such was the impact of his death that it became the main headline on the BBC website. It took over the Twittersphere too as the most random yet compelling trend at this time was 49, which was Edinburgh’s age when Leyton Orient announced his death.
In any case, Edinburgh was already becoming something of a legend at Brisbane Road, having secured Orient’s return to the Football League after two seasons in the National League, where they finished as champions and winner of the only automatic promotion spot available.
This leads to another Shankly quote about second being nothing, as my beloved Tranmere Rovers, who had slipped into the National League two seasons prior to Orient, finished the 2016/17 season in second place with a phenomenal 95 points from 46 games before losing the playoff final to Forest Green. At least Liverpool, who had amassed 97 points to finish second to Man City, had the consolation of winning the big one in Europe.
Orient and Edinburgh may have avoided the playoff rollercoaster at the end of this season but the promotion race went down to the wire, as Orient still needed a point in their last game. At the final whistle, jubilation followed but I suspect there would have been a sense of relief too that Orient did not fall at the final hurdle.
The reason for this relief is financial. Football League clubs are at least guaranteed a share of the TV revenues regardless of whether they appear or not, giving some level of financial security. When it comes to the National League, only the teams that appeared on camera benefit. Consider the story of North Ferriby United, who were in the same division as Rovers during 2016/17, but who folded two years later owing a debt of just under £8,000, less than what a bang average Premier League player would earn in a day. Imagine the impact on their coffers had North Ferriby appeared just once in front of the cameras that season.
Besides, even with numerous appearances on BT Sport, Rovers themselves counted the cost of three seasons outside the Football League, where they posted a loss of just under £2m for the year ended 30 June 2018, their last season in the National League. Had Rovers not performed miracles at Wembley some six weeks before this filing date, god only knows what the financial outcome would have been 12 months down the line.
In addition, Orient’s accounts for the corresponding period recorded a deficit on its profit and loss of just over £2.8m, plus a sharp increase in its creditors from £1.23m to £3.83m over the last 12 months. For the likes of Rovers and Orient, these figures are indeed a matter of life and death.
To this end, it would be nice if the football authorities were able to engage in some fiscal responsibility when it comes to divvying out the proceeds. The £170 million at stake when Aston Villa beat Derby in the Championship playoff last month is beyond all reason when levelled against the revenues that each club generated through the turnstiles this season.
Although there was nowhere near that sum at stake when Salford City took on AFC Fylde in the National League playoff final, the financial implications for the eventual winners, who reportedly paid a six figure annual salary to one of its strikers, were no less significant.
On the face of it, Edinburgh ought not to have had any worries or cares given his part in turning Orient around. However, success can come at a price too. With Orient, the need to consolidate next season as a bare minimum is paramount and no given considering that most teams that achieve promotion to the Football League tend to struggle more often than not.
Once the Football League’s financial fair play rules kick in for Salford, this would suggest that they too will struggle. However, the key difference is that Salford have the Class of 92, whose coffers are substantial as their career coincided with the Premier League gold rush, for support. Orient have no magic benefactors to bail them out should the worst happen.
For the avoidance of doubt, I do not wish to suggest for one moment that the financial implications of Orient’s promotion led to Edinburgh’s sudden passing. However, what is beyond doubt is that football has become more shit or bust over the last quarter of a century with the increase in TV revenues and the accompanying financial disparity from one league to the next.
As long as this trend continues, this will increase the pressure on those with an interest in the game, and that cannot be good for its short and long-term viability, nor indeed for the health of those involved.
