Football and capitalism

David Conn, who has written a history of Manchester City, has a piece about football and money in the LRB. The piece describes how the sport has been transformed as it has become increasingly commercially orientated and as the forces of global capitalism have reshaped its form and organisation. The piece also provides a brief comparison with the restructuring of German league football. There are also some startling details about changes in ticket prices, tv revenues (and its distribution) and the often discussed rise in players salaries.