Posted by Alex the Rabid Bee on November 19, 1997 at 18:36:09:
In Reply to: Re: Stephen Cooper posted by Alison on November 19, 1997 at 13:24:47:
OK, first off, my Flyers' fan girlfriend also said that she'd heard this rumour. Sounds a bit absurb to me. He could play for another ISL team, so why go amateur again? As for how much hockey players get paid, it obviusly varies. The reports I hear is that Brebant is on £1,000 a week net (not gross, net), plus a car, plus a house. However, go down to somewhere like Fife, and the top players will be on a couple of hundred at most. The wage cap only operates in the Northern Premier League, and is set at £75,000 a year. That should show the difference in wages between them and the ISL. Last year, the Bees' wage bill was £1,000,000. Just a bit of a difference!
Outside of the ISL, the players can't afford to be full-time pros (unless they're imports in the Southern Prem, who tend to work around the rink, like in the old days). For that reason, I can't see Coops wanting to turn amateur again, when he could still get top draw playing hockey. And it can't be for family reasons, as he's a Geordie, so why would he want to go to Fife? As for the Skoda's, well if the Steelers work out a sponsorship deal, they take the money. It's not the player's choice, is it? That's why all the Storm players drive VW's, Storm are sponsored by Ian Skelly.
Anyway, must go. Still trying to tune Radio Sheffield in for tonight, Simon. I think I'll have to unwind some coat hangers and tie them onto the aerial, mate :-)))
Cheers, Alex the Rabid Bee