Compared: Leeds United’s wage bill vs Championship rivals after Peter Ridsdale comments
The Whites’ salary bill serves as evidence that reform is required in response to the Premier League and EFL’s present financial divide, which has been criticised by former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale.
At the top of the Championship, two teams in the top six have received parachute payments since 2021 and 2022, respectively, while three of the top four are teams that were demoted from the Premier League the previous season.
Former Leeds chairman and current Preston director Peter Ridsdale believes that it doesn’t benefit others outside of that group when they are trying to mount a promotion charge.
Peter Ridsdale hits out at wage differences between Preston and Leeds
This week, during an interview with LeedsLive on BBC Radio 5 Live, Ridsdale expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of an offer for EFL teams owned by Premier League clubs to see TV revenue trickle down to lower divisions.
Ridsdale mentioned Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton’s parachute payouts as an example, highlighting the difference between clubs at the top of the pyramid and those who haven’t had that opportunity, such as Preston.
This is what he said:
“Our only goal is to ensure that the EFL is competitive and sustainable. It is evident that the Premier League and the Championship have a sharp cliff, with the relegated clubs receiving roughly £40 million in their second year after being demoted and over £50 million in their first.
“Preston’s wages are significantly lower than those of the teams at the top of our division, and this discrepancy is evident as the top teams in the Championship receive parachute payments from the Premier League.”
The top three teams are Southampton in fourth place, followed by Leeds, Leicester, and Ipswich. Of the four, three were taken down last year and received parachute payouts. If we fail toCompared: Leeds’ wage bill vs the rest of the Championship
It is hard to argue against Leeds and the other two teams’ intrinsic advantage of being able to spend more money than their long-standing opponents in the EFL, which is reflected in their salary bills.
Capology lists Leicester, Southampton, and the Whites as the top three teams, with West Brom—another team that was demoted from the Premier League not too long ago—coming in second:
| Championship 23/24 wage bills | |
|---|---|
| Club | Annual payroll |
| 1. Leicester City | £57,200,000 |
| 2. Southampton | £40,326,000 |
| 3. Leeds United | £36,588,000 |
| 4. West Brom | £24,200,000 |
| 5. Cardiff City | £21,860,000 |
| 6. Norwich City | £20,776,000 |
| 7. Stoke City | £19,774,000 |
| 8. Hull City | £18,540,000 |
| 9. Middlesbrough | £16,204,000 |
| 10. Sheffield Wednesday | £15,913,000 |
| 11. Birmingham City | £14,306,000 |
| 12. Watford | £14,198,000 |
| 13. QPR | £13,962,000 |
| 14. Ipswich Town | £13,490,000 |
| 15. Bristol City | £12,112,000 |
| 16. Millwall | £12,014,000 |
| 17. Swansea City | £11,844,000 |
| 18. Huddersfield Town | £11,234,000 |
| 19. Preston North End | £10,513,000 |
| 20. Coventry City | £9,900,000 |
| 21. Blackburn Rovers | £9,622,000 |
| 22. Sunderland | £9,484,000 |
| 23. Rotherham United | £9,092,000 |
| 24. Plymouth Argyle | £7,306,000 |
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