Doing a Leeds
“Doing a Leeds”是专指英格兰一些足球俱乐部因财政管理不善而可能造成严重后果的一个代名词。这词源于2000年代,当时仍在英超的利兹联(Leeds United A.F.C.,即此术语所指的“Leeds”)投入巨大的资金而打进欧联四强,不过在过程中却欠下大量债务。当利兹联未能再次取得欧联资格后,俱乐部遇上严重的“财务危机”,随后降级至英甲,这是俱乐部历史上首次第三级别联赛。
殒落的利兹联
1992年,利兹联成为新成立的顶级联赛—英超的22位创始成员之一。1990年代末,俱乐部在联赛的表现一直是名列前茅的,最终俱乐部更打进2000/01赛季欧联四强。由于俱乐部希望争取好成绩,他们的消费水平已经超过所有其他足球俱乐部,利兹联的债务逐年上升,从 900万英镑至2100万英镑、3900万英镑、8200万英镑和最高峰时达1.19亿英镑,大部分金钱都是用来支付转会费和球员的工资。当利兹联因只能在英超取得第5名,而失去参加2002/03赛季欧联的资格后,由于,俱乐部失去欧洲赛的门票和电视直播的收入,因此亦再也不能偿还债务,所以必需出售球员来套现[1]。
2003/04赛季结束后,俱乐部以倒数第二位的成绩降级至英冠。2006/07赛季,受持续财务问题影响的利兹联自愿受接管,使她们在联赛被罚扣10分,结果降级至英甲;在这之前,俱乐部从未在第三级别联赛比赛过[2],比赛4年后在2009/10赛季回归英冠。
降级后经过16年的挣扎,俱乐部终于在2020/21赛季回到英超。
“Doing a Leeds”
“Doing a Leeds”或“(to)do a Leeds”这个词的意思已等同于足球俱乐部因财务管理不善而带来严重后果的一个词汇。它可以具体提及任何未能取得欧联资格而又没有充分计划好财务问题所带来的影响的足球俱乐部,或是指于英超降级后,未能作出充分调整来避免再次降级的足球俱乐部,更笼统来说是指任何迅速消亡的足球俱乐部[1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]。
主教练和主席,虽然有时不得不“追逐梦想”[10][11](这通常是“Doing a Leeds”的前奏),但在经过一些分析人士指出他们大型的投资可能会超出预算后,他们往往会否认他们是"doing a Leeds" [12][13]。同样,足球俱乐部高价买进球员和无法保留欧联的参赛资格时,球迷可能会担心俱乐部是否会成为 "do a Leeds"[14],或者是从英超降级,从而未能“实践梦想”[15]。
相反,避免“Doing a Leeds”已经成为主教练出售最好球员来筹措资金的理由,从而避免因足球俱乐部受到接管而导致以降级作为处罚的危机[16]。未能在预期的“正常”投资中,维持足球俱乐部的联赛地位,也都被称为“Doing a Leeds”[17]。
2009年,当纽卡斯尔联成为自利兹联后另一支大俱乐部从英超降级后,这词组的使用情况很显著。纽卡斯尔联的新老板米克·艾殊利说他的投资实际上是将俱乐部从“Doing a Leeds”中拯救出来[18]。无论如何,在纽卡斯尔联降级前后,人们都担心俱乐部“(to)do a Leeds”及在缺乏调整下进一步降级到英甲[19][20]。
在曼联于2010年的公布中显示,俱乐部自债券问题缠身的马尔科姆·格雷泽成为老板后,需要筹集资金来偿还巨债,这引起媒体怀疑是否连作为最成功的英超时代的足球俱乐部,亦有可能陷入“Doing a Leeds”的危机中[21]。
参见
参考资料
- ^ 1.0 1.1 (英文)Road to ruin. The Herald (Newsquest). 17 February 2007 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
The first thing which comes to mind about Leeds United today is...their freefall, the collapse into the state they are in now because of Ridsdale's ruinous decision-making. They have become the biggest victim of all the money which has washed around English football in the Premiership era. Every other board of directors in the land is frightened of "doing a Leeds".
- ^ (英文)Relegated Leeds in administration. BBC Sport. 4 May 2007 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
- ^ (英文)Everton 0 Manchester 2: Irresistible United march on. The Times. 20 February 2005 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
those erstwhile fans turning on him now should ponder the fact that his £28m transfer probably saved their club from “doing a Leeds”, as financial meltdown has come to be known
- ^ (英文)Damned to football. The Times. 25 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
This is the fate to which Peter Ridsdale, the chairman from 1997 until 2003, consigned the club with his profligacy and risk-taking; the phrase “doing a Leeds” is now a recognized one to describe a major club that fades away
- ^ (英文)Catchy Toon could be a classic. The Guardian. 23 March 2003 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
...'doing a Leeds' has entered the language of English football. There is now an understandable worry that any club trying to haul themselves up on the Champions League ladder will crash spectacularly to earth in a couple of seasons.
- ^ (英文)North East’s elite outfits fear a fate as ‘next Leeds’. The Journal (njcMedia). 24 March 2009 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
the "L" word sends them into a cold sweat. What they most fear is "doing a Leeds". Leeds United famously chased the dream and fell flat on their face, a monument to mismanagement lurking in League One as a warning
- ^ (英文)Birmingham City in danger of 'doing a Leeds'. Daily Mirror. 28 May 2008 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
David Gold fears relegated Birmingham could end up dropping another division to League One - like Leeds - unless the club's mutinous mood changes
- ^ (英文)City Diary. The Telegraph. 29 April 2004 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
He's trying to raise £450,000 by selling a quarter of the company and as his spokesman put it: "We're doing a Leeds." What, selling all the players and going down? "No, I mean a Wimbledon."
- ^ (英文)Bates still focused on grand vision. The Times. 16 January 2007 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
But were Chelsea not hugely in debt and on the brink of “doing a Leeds” when Roman Abramovich made Bates an offer he could not refuse?
- ^ (英文)Pompey pay for chasing the dream. BBC Sport. 11 February 2009 [11 February 2010]. (原始内容存档于2009-02-14).
- ^ (英文)Manchester City making their voice heard as United pushed all the way in Carling Cup. telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2010 [2010-02-11]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-31).
- ^ (英文)Sullivan: Bitter manager wouldn't have been good for Birmingham City. Birmingham Mail (Trinity Mirror). 24 November 2007 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2012-03-13).
As for a lack of funds, Sullivan said: "We've spent all the money we can afford as a club, without doing a Leeds United.
- ^ (英文)Dean is no Messiah. The Sun. 12 January 2005 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Worthington denied Norwich were mortgaging their future by signing England Under-21 star Ashton. The club plan to use part of their parachute payments if they are relegated to help fund the deal. Worthy added: “We are not doing a Leeds because the board would not put the club in that position.
- ^ (英文)Parry Vows To Keep Top Players. Daily Post (Trinity Mirror). 6 February 2003 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
RICK PARRY has promised Liverpool will not be forced into `doing a Leeds' by selling off their best players - even if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.
- ^ (英文)Crunched creditors call time on living the dream. guardian.co.uk. [11 February 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-02-13).
- ^ (英文)More Big Footie News. The Sun. 6 February 2004 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Chelsea saved West Ham from doing a Leeds this season according to Hammers boss Alan Pardew...Pardew says the club could have gone into administration, or worse, if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had not bankrolled a £12.6m raid for Cole and Johnson.
- ^ (英文)No compensation for Robbie amid a rising tally of missed sitters. Irish Independent. 7 December 2008 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Liverpool fans may think that if they had not lost Fernando Torres for much of the season they would now be 12 points clear. This would, however, increase the possibility of them "doing a Newcastle" something that cannot be countenanced while their American owners appear intent on "doing a Leeds".
- ^ (英文)Mike Ashley pledges to do 'what’s best for Newcastle’. The Telegraph. 15 September 2008 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Ashley insisted that he had saved Newcastle from “doing a Leeds”. “Unless I had come into the club then it might not have survived,”
- ^ (英文)Geordies need another messiah to justify immaculate deception. Irish Independent. 2 August 2009 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
People warn that Newcastle United are in danger of "doing a Leeds" but it can be argued that when it comes to hubris, Newcastle United make Leeds look as modest as Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra
- ^ (英文)What the back pages say: The world ponders Alan Shearer's future as he cites a million reasons for Newcastle's relegation while Sbragia quits Sunderland. Daily Mail. 25 May 2009 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Daily Star - Alan Shearer will tell Newcastle's money men to swing the axe and make massive changes to stop the relegated club doing a Leeds.
- ^ (英文)Are Manchester United doing a Leeds?. The Guardian. 12 January 2010 [23 January 2010]. (原始内容存档于2010-01-23).
Scrutiny of the Premier League champions' financial results makes for eerily familiar reading. Will the weight of their debts drag them out of the Premier League in the next five seasons?