Andrew Parkinson, Plymouth Argyle CEO: Hiring Wayne Rooney, Beating Liverpool & the Cost of Survival

This week, we take a look inside one of the most talked about clubs this season. From hiring Wayne Rooney as manager to knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup, it’s been a crazy season for Plymouth and CEO Andrew Parkinson. Even more so when the club finds itself bottom of the championship fighting for survival. But this is a club that continually outperforms its budget, competing against teams with 6x bigger budgets, and that’s what we want to get into today. How do you build success in a football club when you can’t rely on money to win?

On today's show we discuss:

1. Economics of a Championship Team:

- How do Plymouth compare to their rivals when it comes to the financial resources at their disposal?

- What does a club in the bottom half of the table generate in revenue?

- How much can they afford to spend on player budgets?

- The importance of having multiple budgets for multiple scenarios: facing the relegation reality.

- How much can a Championship team earn from sponsorship?

2. Plymouth this Season:

- Hiring Wayne Rooney at the start of the season attracted a lot of attention; was it more than a PR move?

…and what happens when you have to sack a manager?

- The competitive nature of the Championship and the importance of staying in the decision for both financial and player retention reasons

- The value beyond emotions of beating Liverpool and pushing Manchester City in the FA Cup

3. Improve the Business of Football:

- Why Plymouth are looking for investment and what they would be able to do with an additional capital injection.

- Developing a high performing and well supported women’s team is a priority, but should it be under the same banner as the men’s?

- Does the 3pm blackout help or hinder football across the pyramid?

- Can the club implement a media strategy to help support the profile and exposure of the club?

- Cracking America: capitalising on the pilgrims link with the US