Abstract
This article draws on the data held by football clubs and associations alongside newspaper evidence and biographical accounts to provide a detailed analysis of the earnings of footballers in England before the Second World War. It argues that, despite the apparent equalizing effect of the maximum wage rule, there were considerable differentials in pay between the playing élite and the rank-and-file. Benefits, bonuses, international match fees and other indirect forms of income helped to maintain the skew in footballers' earnings which had existed since the legalization of professionalism in 1885. The article concludes by considering the earnings of footballers in England in relation to other countries, other sports and other sectors of the entertainment industry.
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