IN THE MONEY: Ex-Man United star Wes Brown was declared bankrupt after racking up six-figure debt with HMRC and falling behind on car payments…while Newcastle will bank more than £10m from Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary
- Newcastle will earn eight figures for allowing Amazon behind the scenes
- Brown ran up six-figure debt with HMRC and fell behind on repayments
- Karren Brady wants Betway sponsor of the shirt and stadium roof
Newcastle will rake in more than £10 million from a highly lucrative fly-on-the-wall documentary series featuring Amazon Prime, which will air next season.
It is clear that the club is transferring a similar amount to Manchester City for allowing Amazon to film behind the scenes at St James’ Park. Sources confirmed the deal is worth eight figures.
The four-part series, which will air in August, will focus on the club and its owners reaching their first cup final in 24 years and likely Champions League qualification.
It is also believed there will be major transfer deals, such as the signing of Anthony Gordon from Everton for £45m in January.
The club’s ongoing HMRC investigation and a high-profile Premier League inquiry into their ownership structure are less likely to be addressed.
Newcastle set to pocket more than £10 million from highly lucrative fly-on-the-wall series
It is clear that the club is banking a similar amount to Man City for giving them access to Amazon
WES BROWN DECLARED BANKRUPTCY
Former England and Manchester United star Wes Brown was declared bankrupt after racking up six-figure debt with HMRC and falling behind on car repayments.
On The Money may reveal that the two creditors have filed for bankruptcy for 43-year-old Brown.
Remarkably, Brown, who won 23 caps for England, owed just a few thousand pounds to the car finance company, revealing the desperate state of the former defender’s financial situation.
Sources close to Brown, described as one of the nicest men in football, believe he lost most of his money through bad property deals.
He and Real Housewives of Cheshire star wife Leanne also spent a lot of money maintaining a lavish footballer lifestyle, before paying for an expensive divorce.
A source close to Brown, who played more than 200 games for United between 1998 and 2011, said: “It may seem like Wes made a lot of money – to most people he was – but the problem was he was also trying to competitive lifestyle of teammates who made five or six times more than him.
Most of his money disappeared in bad real estate deals. He overpaid on the farm where Leanne lives. He spent like £6 million or £7 million buying that. They have tried to sell it but have been unsuccessful, even after lowering the price to £4.75 million. Any money left over will be tied up at the farm.
‘An earlier property of theirs was once listed for £4.5 million, but it took seven years to sell, eventually going for £2.4 million – almost half the price.’
Former England and Manchester United star Wes Brown (left) has been declared bankrupt
Former teammates including Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick have rallied around Brown
Leanne also wrote off £500,000 she believed was owed by former Housewives co-star Dawn Ward.
It is clear that former United teammates, including Wayne Rooney, and current Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick have rallied around Brown, who is believed to be renting modest premises from United striker Marcus Rashford ‘at friend rates’.
BRADY IS LOOKING TO RECONFIGURE THE BETWAY PACKAGE
West Ham’s vice-chairman Baroness Karren Brady would like to strike a deal with main club sponsor Betway to get the gambling business off the club’s shirts and perhaps on the roof of the London Stadium as part of a naming deal.
Brady has been openly talking about her desire for a naming deal for years, and industry sources have told In The Money that a reconfigured Betway package is appealing to her. But the process may not go smoothly.
Firstly, West Ham have tried to find a naming rights partner in the seven years they lived in London’s former 2012 Olympic stadium, but have been unsuccessful.
Karren Brady wants Betway sponsor of the shirt and roof of the London stadium
From 2026, betting companies will no longer be allowed to appear on the front of players’ shirts
Deals with companies ranging from Vodafone to Indian multinational conglomerate Mahindra Group have been discussed and have come to nothing in the past.
Secondly, it is clear that Betway are happy with their current £10 million a year agreement to be the club’s title sponsor until 2025.
Insiders acknowledge that the club and the betting company have a great commercial relationship and that at some point, not necessarily soon, they will “sit down to discuss what the future might look like.”
Due to rule changes announced by the Premier League, which will take effect from 2026, betting companies will no longer be allowed to appear on the front of players’ shirts.