Sunderland promotion triggers new player fees

Promotion to the Premiership has already cost Sunderland hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Promotion to the Premiership has already cost Sunderland hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The Black Cats will no doubt ease their financial problems as a result of the riches life in the top flight affords to its members, but simply getting there has triggered a series of transfer payments as a result of clauses written into deals.

Manchester City, Oxford and Mansfield are each the beneficiaries of £100,000 windfalls after selling striker Stephen Elliott and midfielders Dean Whitehead and Liam Lawrence to the Wearsiders.

That will take the amount the cash-strapped club has paid for the trio to almost £1m. Elliott made his 40th appearance for the club in the 2-1 win over Leicester which clinched their return to the Premiership.

The 21-year-old cost an initial £125,000 from City and the Black Cats have since had to fork out £80,000 in appearance-related fees, as well as £100,000 on promotion.

Mansfield, too, have received £100,000 for 23-year-old Lawrence in addition to a £175,000 up-front fee and £30,000 on appearances, while 23-year-old Whitehead's price tag of £150,000 has been increased by the same £100,000 and £60,000 on appearances.

With Portsmouth also receiving £75,000 as the latest instalment of Carl Robinson's fee, Sunderland had an expensive weekend, although they will not be complaining one bit.

The club yesterday announced their season ticket prices for the new campaign with the average price increasing by 10 per cent after a five-year freeze.

Existing season ticket holders were offered the opportunity to renew at this season's rates until a deadline earlier this month, although the increase, which was initially forecast at somewhere between five and 20 per cent, still leaves the cost of watching football at the stadium of Light cheaper than the vast majority of their top-flight counterparts.

Rangers will appear before the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee after a paper drinks cup struck the Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov during Sunday's Old Firm derby. But the club will have to wait until after the end of the season for a hearing.

Petrov was hit by the cup while celebrating his opening goal in the 2-1 win just in front of the Copland Road section of Ibrox, which houses home supporters.