Express & Star Comment: Should taxpayer subsidise football?
Football is a billion pound industry.
Huge TV deals have seen even modest second and third division teams become multi-million pound businesses.
And while more and more money is pumped into the beautiful game, our public services are increasingly squeezed.
Policing many of our teams' matches costs West Midlands Police a fortune.
They have to do this with fewer officers and less money at their disposal.
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Our clubs have paid the force just over £5 million over the past five seasons.
But these are just the costs for inside or immediately outside the stadium.
Conservative estimates suggest this could be less than half the total costs to the police.
It is surely every football club's responsibility to ensure the safety of their fans?
Should the taxpayer really be subsidising these multi-million pound organisations?
Of course, football clubs are an intrinsic part of our towns and cities.
Not only are they historic, they are now vitally important to the local economy.
And they shouldn't be unduly punished for being successful.
But with the police so stretched and starved of resources, should cash-rich football clubs being doing more to pay their way?
