Kieran Maguire

Kieran Maguire is a British academic, author, and broadcaster. He specialises in the accountancy of association football and wrote the book The Price of Football. His expertise is frequently sought within English football media. Alongside comedian Kevin Day, Maguire presents a twice-weekly podcast called The Price of Football in which football finances are discussed.

The Price of Football

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Maguire is the author of the book The Price of Football,[1][2] and presents a twice-weekly podcast alongside the comedian Kevin Day in which they discuss contemporary issues regarding, and listener questions concerning, the finances of modern day men and women’s football clubs.[3][4][5] The podcast had a quarter of a million downloads within its first five months.[6] This figure had doubled to 500,000 listens by May 2020.[7]

Critical reactions

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The reviewer for the Columbia University Press wrote: "At a time when many commentators are bemoaning the effects of “too much money” in the game, this clear-headed and rigorous analysis and presentation of the financial imperatives and challenges facing football will be welcomed not only by students of the industry, but by the wider constituency of fans and supporters."[2]

Margaret Decker, writing in Blues Trust said "The Price of Football by Kieran Maguire is an excellent book for anyone who wants to understand how money impacts the game of football. You don't have to be an accountant to understand it."[8]

Stephen Mumford writing in Times Higher Education said "This book should be essential reading for anyone even remotely considering investing in football (and, unless they are super-rich, they should probably stay away). For general readers, it won’t exactly enhance your enjoyment of football, but it should at least increase your understanding of what goes on and why."[1]

Writing in Soccer & Society, Steve Menary says of the book: "In chapters 1-6, Maguire offers a simple but cogent explanation of a set of club accounts, then in the second half of the book looks to place annual accounts within the context of real financial issues ..." and "Manchester United' supporters will be better equipped to make a more informed decision ... after reading The Price of Football."[9]

Writing in The Guardian about the podcast, Miranda Sawyer says: "Obviously, this one isn’t for anyone who actively dislikes football, but for even a casual fan (me), it’s a very interesting listen. Kevin Day .., teams up with financial expert Kieran Maguire ..." and "Day asks the right questions and Maguire is impressive with his research: in last week’s show he pointed out that a newspaper financial football story was completely wrong, without being rude about it. The machinations of sponsorship, TV rights, stand maintenance, even crowdfunding, are laid bare, and somehow this sheds light on to the actual games themselves."[10]

In November 2019, the podcast was nominated for the 2019 Football Supporters' Federation Online Media of the Year Award alongside FourFourTwo, David Squires, and eventual winners The Athletic.[11]

The Price of Football was shortlisted for the Fan Media of the Year at the 2020 Football Supporters' Association awards,[12] and for their Online Media Award in 2021.[13] In November 2023, The Price of Football was nominated in the Podcast of the Year category at the Football Supporters' Association awards.[14]

Academic career

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Maguire has been involved in financial education since 1989. He is Senior Teacher in Accounting and Finance at the University of Liverpool Management School, where he teaches the Football Industries MBA. He specialises in financial reporting, financial modelling and football finance.[15] Whilst at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2011, Maguire was awarded Best UK Accountancy Lecturer. He had also been named the 2010 Lecturer of the Year by students at the University. In addition, Maguire won the Innovation in Teaching and Learning Prize 2010 for his developments in student learning.[16]

Studies and other media appearances

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Other media appearances by Maguire as a financial football expert include audio platforms such as The Anfield Wrap,[17][18] BBC Radio 5 Live,[19][20] BBC Radio Sussex,[21] TalkSport[22] and the BBC World Service.[23] Print media includes national publications such as The Times,[24] The Daily Telegraph[25] The Guardian,[26] The Independent,[27] and specialist media such as the BBC Sport website,[28][29] FourFourTwo,[30] The Athletic,[31] and Goal,[32] as well as local newspapers such as The Liverpool Echo,[33] Stoke based The Sentinel,[34] Newcastle's Evening Chronicle,[35] and the Hull Daily Mail.[36]


The Express and Star quoted him extensively on the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the finances of football clubs.[37]

Maguire's expertise within football finance has led to him earning nicknames such as "Columbo of football finance",[5] and the "rain man of football finance".[38]

Kieran also contributes to football website Football CFB.

Personal life

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Maguire was born in the Elephant and Castle in London on 1st March 1962 to Irish parents. He attended Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College before graduating in economics at the University of Manchester. Maguire is a fan of the bands The Chameleons, The Jam, and Joy Division[15] and football club Brighton & Hove Albion, where he holds a season ticket.[38]

Bibliography

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  • The Price of Football (ISBN 978-1911116899)
  • Unfit and Improper Persons (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/unfit-and-improper-persons-9781399407540/)

References

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  1. ^ a b Mumford, Stephen (5 March 2020). "The Price of Football, by Kieran Maguire". Times Higher Education.
  2. ^ a b "The Price of Football". Columbia University Press. February 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. ^ "The week in radio and podcasts: WeCrashed; The Price of Football". TheGuardian.com. 9 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Five of the best independent football podcasts to listen to". 23 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Meet The Price Of Football's Kieran Maguire - The Columbo Of Football Finance". The Sportsman. 21 February 2020.
  6. ^ Austin, Simon (9 March 2020). "Football finance expert's podcast gets 250k listeners in five months". Prolific North.
  7. ^ "How to produce a hit podcast during lockdown". BusinessCloud. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. ^ Decker, Margaret (29 January 2020). "Review of 'The Price of Football'". Blues Trust. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  9. ^ Menary, Steve (3 May 2020). "The Price of Football". Soccer & Society. 22 (5): 540–542. doi:10.1080/14660970.2020.1763069. S2CID 219052729. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (9 February 2020). "The week in radio and podcasts: WeCrashed; The Price of Football". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Vote now: FSA Awards 2019 shortlists announced". Thefsa.org.uk. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Vote now: FSA Awards shortlists announced". Thefsa.org.uk. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  13. ^ "FSA Awards 2021 shortlists announced - Football Supporters' Association". Thefsa.org.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  14. ^ "FSA Awards 2023: Vote now!". thefsa.org. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Kieran Maguire - University of Liverpool". Liverpool.ac.uk.
  16. ^ "Story, Manchester Metropolitan University". Manchester Metropolitan University.
  17. ^ "Well Read: The Price Of Football – Kieran Maguire". Theanfieldwrap.com.
  18. ^ "FFP Archives". Theanfieldwrap.com. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  19. ^ "BBC Radio 5 live - Football Daily, EFL Special: How will clubs be affected by coronavirus?". BBC.
  20. ^ "BT enters sports TV broadcasting". BBC News.
  21. ^ "BBC Sussex - BBC Radio Sussex Sport, Kieran Maguire from Liverpool University". BBC.
  22. ^ "Man United owe staggering £169m in transfer fees on likes of Fernandes and Maguire". talkSPORT. 9 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Business Daily". Radio-uk.co.uk.
  24. ^ Maguire, Kieran. "Time for the football family to step up and look after its own". Thetimes.co.uk.
  25. ^ "Life after chaos: how sport might recover – part IX: Women's football teams may be first to face cuts". Telegraph.co.uk.
  26. ^ MacInnes, Interviews by Paul; Jackson, Jamie; Aarons, Ed (5 May 2020). "Football's future: 'Pubs and clubs won't bounce back for many months'". Theguardian.com.
  27. ^ "Lower league clubs have been 'taken out at the knees', football finance expert warns". The Independent. 4 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Premier League 2020-21 without fans? Eight charts on the impact". Bbc.co.uk. 4 May 2020.
  29. ^ "EFL clubs have been 'taken out at the knees' by coronavirus pandemic". Bbc.co.uk. 3 May 2020.
  30. ^ "How realistic is a salary cap for clubs in the Football League? We asked an expert…". fourfourtwo.com. 28 August 2019.
  31. ^ Slater, Matt (7 April 2020). "Explained: The 'terrible' state of Premier League clubs'..." The Athletic. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  32. ^ [1] [dead link]
  33. ^ Maguire, Kieran (6 August 2019). "Liverpool's finances in the FSG years, and taking over Man Utd". Liverpoolecho.co.uk.
  34. ^ "Football finance expert fears for 'unsustainable' EFL business model". Stokesentinel.co.uk. 5 May 2020.
  35. ^ Challies, Josh (13 May 2020). "Expert explains delay in Newcastle United takeover". Chroniclelive.co.uk.
  36. ^ Smailes, James (5 May 2020). "Hull City well placed for hardship but issue with Allam share dividend". Hulldailymail.co.uk.
  37. ^ "Football finance expert paints bleak picture for lower league clubs". Express and Star. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  38. ^ a b "The 'rain man' of football finance - and an Albion fan". Brighton and Hove Albion. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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