Survey claims Stags players earn four times more than their fans

Footy.com’s survey took the average salary figures quoted for a team from the 2018 edition of Football Manager and compared them to the average salary figures for the local area, to work out the true wage gap between football teams and their fan.

The data from the game has been applauded on numerous occasions for its accuracy, and is even a recognised scouting system for clubs, as a result of their 1,300 researchers across the globe.

They claim that Mansfield’s players, with an average weekly salary of £1,490, earn four times as much as their local fans, whose average earnings are said to be £372.90.

Stags players are also said to have the third highest weekly pay in League Two.

Using the same data, promoted Luton Town have the highest wage gap, their salary average of £2,101 five times greater than their fans’ total of £446.40.

Lincoln, who made the play-offs, have the second biggest gap with players earning £1,712 – four times than their fans’ average of £384.40.

Promoted Wycombe Wanderers’ players are said to earn an average £1,137, twice that of their fans’ average of £470 while Notts County, like Stags, are said to be four times the supporters’ average with players’ figure of £1,428 against fans’ £364.10.

Interestingly, champions Accrington’s average wage is said to be only £635 – the lowest in the division – and twice that of their fans’ £378.80.

Barnet are said to have the lowest wages gap to their fans with players’ £674 up against fans’ £518.20.

To find the average weekly earnings of the fans, Footy.com looked at the median weekly pay figures for the local authority of each team from the latest ‘Annual Salary of Hours and Earnings’ from the Office for National Statistics.

For London teams, they looked at the average earnings for their local borough.

The web site then divided the teams’ average earnings with the fans to find out how much more they earned.