Proof that clubs are willing to pay much more for domestic goods

The national team couldn’t muster the will to qualify for Euro 2008, but somehow clubs continue to demand mega money for home grown talent. With David Bentley costing a princely sum, Gareth Barry’s non-negotiable fee and Andy Johnson’s imminent trade, it’s clear that players are far too expensive if they were born on this tiny island.

Hence, we think the time is right to consider ten of the most overpriced Englishman currently plying their trade in the Premier League, comparing their lofty prices with some better value foreign equivalents…

Shaun Wright-Phillips
Manchester City were heartbroken to lose their star player to Chelsea, but in hindsight getting £21 million was fantastic business. Four league goals in three seasons compared to ten in his last year at Citeh highlights his failure to step up.
Foreign equivalent: Amantino Mancini to Inter - £10 million

Owen Hargreaves
£17 million might not have been too steep for a 26-year-old midfielder, but his failure to dislodge Michael Carrick, his predecessor in the overpriced stakes, shows he has yet to live up to his price-tag.
Foreign equivalent: Yaya Toure to Barcelona - just over £7 million

Scott Parker
The midfielder moved from Charlton to Chelsea to Newcastle and then to West Ham for a combined fee of £23.5 million, but has still managed just three England caps. Injury limited Parker to 17 league starts last season, meaning West Ham are yet to receive value for their £7 million investment.
Foreign equivalent: Tim Cahill to Everton - £1.5 million

Dave Kitson
The ginger striker’s invaluable contribution to Reading’s relegation battle was

Sports Direct staff getting a slightly better Christmas party this year

After they tolerated a season that consisted of poor results, the feint threat of relegation and Kevin Keegan, Mike Ashley has decided to punish Newcastle fans with a ten per cent increase in season ticket prices. Considering the fact that the average season ticket rise is 10 per cent and the economy in this country is completely fudged, this news could be a rather bitter pill for Geordies to swallow:

Supporter Jim Hannah, 47, of Whitley Bay, said: “Fair enough if you want to commit to three years - last season’s price is frozen.

“But the way things are economically, who can afford that? It’s a strange time to do it after the season we had.”

Despite Mike Ashley’s cash-draining surprise, the Newcastle website claims season tickets are now sold out for next season, and just ten per cent of Magpies claimed they would be giving up their pass in a poll published on The Spoiler last week (the average for the league is around 14 per cent).

My Premier League season ticket cost £250 nine years ago, and now the average price is around £780 - that’s the kind of inflation that makes petrol prices look reasonable. So are top flight clubs abusing their fans’ loyalty with extortionate prices? Let us know with a vote and comment below.