The Economics of Football [Hardcover]

'This book is the first major European research monograph to analyse professional football from an explicitly economic perspective. Dobson and Goddard build upon and extend their prior research into professional football drawing upon rigorous economic theory and econometric analysis. I strongly recommend this book.' Paul Downward, Reader in Economics, Staffordshire University

'Dobson and Goddard present a fascinating and wide-ranging insight into this aspect of the economics of team sports.' Managerial and Decision Economics

'… two of the leading authors in the European sports economics literature, use a combination of economic reasoning and econometric analysis to enlighten us about European football … solid scholarship, providing extensive documentation, a wonderful reference list … profusely illustrated with graphs and charts … I highly recommend it to those sports economists studying the European scene, or for those looking for a technically proficient jump-off for their own analysis of NA or European team sports data.' Review of Industrial Organization

'… a very good and detailed economic analysis of football. The huge empirical evidence the authors present in a very detailed form is especially interesting and useful.' Besprechungen - Comptes Rendus

'To economists that count themselves as fans of English football, this thorough and informative book by Stephen Dobson and John Goddard is worth the wait … you will marvel at the thoroughness of this book and its dedication to matching the right econometric technique to the empirical task at hand … this book should prove to be a catalyst for research for years to come.' Economic Record

'This is a serious academic book, and economists will find plenty of rigorous research to justify their attention … economists with an interest in football … will be absolutely delighted by this book … it is written in a very clear, readable style, making it appear an effortless read, while still employing some of the most up-to-date and rigorous tools in the economist's toolbox.' British Journal of Industrial Relations

Advance praise: 'Professors Dobson and Goddard have improved on their already excellent treatment of what the world calls football. Whether it is revenue structure, player salaries or management performance, their combination of sharp economic reasoning and statistical enlightenment cut through complex issues with laser precision. Required reading for those truly interested in the international football scene.' Rodney Fort, Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan 'This volume contains a wealth of information and will make a fascinating read for policy makers and football fans. The book is also [a] great resource for academics and students who are interested in football as a setting for both teaching and research. The authors successfully blend theoretical reasoning with empirical analyses, which distinguishes this book from many others.' Ruud Koning, Professor of Sports Economics, University of Groningen --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

This book presents a detailed economic analysis of professional football at club level, using a combination of economic reasoning and statistical and econometric analysis. Most of the original empirical research reported in the book is based on English club football. A wide range of international comparisons help emphasize both the broader relevance as well as the unique characteristics of the English experience. Specific topics include: the links between football clubs' financial strength and competitive balance and uncertainty of outcome; the determinants of professional footballers' compensation; measuring the football manager's contribution to team performance, the determinants of managerial change, and its effects on team performance; patterns of spectator demand for attendance; predicting match results, betting on football, and the market in football clubs' company shares. The book concludes with an extended discussion of the major economic policy issues currently facing football's legislators and administrators worldwide.

An economic analysis of professional football. Uses theoretical and empirical methods to consider role of owners, managers, players and spectators. Concludes with an extended discussion of key policy issues, including European super league proposals, contractual arrangements in the players' labour market, and football's evolving relationship with the broadcasting media.

Steven Dobson is Senior Lecturer in Economics at Queen's University, Belfast. He has held positions at the Universities of Hull, Leeds and Reading in the UK and at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. He is the joint author of Introduction to Economics (Oxford University Press, 1999) and a co-author of Microeconomics (McGraw-Hill, 1995). Most of his research focuses on the economics of professional football and he has published numerous articles in journals including Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Economic History Review, The Statistician, Managerial and Decision Economics, Regional Studies, Journal of Economic Studies and Journal of Sports Economics.

John Goddard is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at University of Wales, Swansea. He has also held positions at University of Leeds, Abertay, University of Dundee and University of Wales Bangor. Research interests are the economics of sport and industrial organisation. He has published numerous articles in academic journals including International Journal of Industrial Organization, Economics Letters, Economic History Review, Managerial and Decision Economics, The Statistician, Bulletin of Economic Research and Applied Economics.