Former Man City manager Brian Horton is fearful for the future of lower league football after his former side helped to smash transfer records this summer.
With a record £835million spent on new players by Premier League clubs, this transfer window was the most expensive in English football history.
Horton has grave concerns about what this could mean for clubs outside of the top division.
He said: “There should be more money coming from the Premier League down towards the lower leagues.
“Unless we change something then some of those clubs will go.
“And that will be a major shame because the set-up we have with the 92 clubs is the best in the world.”
Manchester United were the biggest spenders this summer, breaking the British transfer record with the addition of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for nearly £60million.
The purchases of Marcus Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao took The Red Devils’ total spending to nearly £150million.
Horton has over twenty years experience as a manager, including nearly a hundred games in charge of Man City, who themselves spent big money on new players.
Defender Eliaquim Mangala was their most expensive addition at £32million but Horton considers his old club as just a small part of a larger problem.
“It’s not just Man City,” he said “It’s the whole football world in terms of Premier League, the players’ wages and the transfer fees. It has escalated out of all proportion.
“I still feel I would be saying that if I was still Man City manager. It has been talked about putting £10 million into grass roots football but I think it should be more than that.”
Although he has his concerns about the disparity between Premier League and Football League clubs, Horton still hasn’t lost his appetite for football.
He said: “I still go out every day and while I don’t do as much coaching as I have done in the past, I still join in.
“You can’t replicate what we do because it is not like a normal job. I am doing something I have done for 50 years since I was an apprentice footballer at 15.
“So, I think if I lost that love I would quit. But I haven’t and I still love what I am doing every day.”
Main image courtesy of Paramount Media via YouTube, with thanks.
