Minister's retreat in pay storm over Terry
Minister of Sport Gerry Sutcliffe was forced into an embarrassing climbdown yesterday after sparking a row with Chelsea and Manchester United.
Sutcliffe described Chelsea skipper John Terry's wages of £150,000 a week as obscene, as well as criticising United for increasing season ticket prices by 13 per cent - figures which were disputed by both clubs.
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Cash point: Chelsea skipper Terry was singled out by Sutcliffe
Speaking to the BBC's John Inverdale at the Sports Industry Summit in London, Sutcliffe said: "Good luck to John Terry, but I think it is obscene to be on £150,000 per week. People in the street cannot understand salaries like that.
"Chelsea are £250million in the red and they may be able to cope with that, but it's not in the real world and £250m is not sustainable.
"This year Manchester United increased season tickets by 13 per cent and said fans have to automatically buy European and Carling Cup games as well, and that costs an extra £200.
"That's taken the game away from the ordinary, grass-roots supporter."
Chelsea, angry that Sutcliffe should make such claims about Terry as well as commercially damaging estimates of their debt, complained directly to Sutcliffe's boss James Purnell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
They also say the numbers quoted by Sutcliffe were incorrect, with Chelsea losing £80m in the last financial year. Terry's salary is understood to be around £130,000.
Sutcliffe's department backtracked last night, saying the Minister accepted that the numbers he used may not have been 100 per cent correct but that he stands by the wider points he was making.
After just three months in the job, Sutcliffe is fast becoming as gaffe-prone as one of his predecessors, the late Tony Banks — a Chelsea supporter.
Manchester United chief executive David Gill claimed Sutcliffe was "speaking without knowing all the facts".
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He said United's price increase had been 10.78 per cent and that Old Trafford prices of £25-£44 compared very favourably with London clubs and kept United very much in touch with their grass roots supporters.
