Gerry Sutcliffe, the Sports Minister, has launched a withering attack on football’s finances in an attempt to save the game for ordinary fans, but he quickly ended up beating a retreat.

Sutcliffe, only three months into his job, had made an impact in a high-profile appearance in front of almost 300 leading opinion-formers by describing John Terry’s “£150,000-a-week” wages as “obscene” and warning clubs charging high ticket prices that they risked alienating ordinary fans. But his good intentions came with a lack of hard facts, the same fate that befell Richard Caborn, his predecessor. Caborn was struck down on a radio sports quiz in which he could not answer a single question; yesterday, Sutcliffe had all the right arguments but not necessarily with any of the right numbers to back them up.

Chelsea had borne the brunt of his attack as he questioned the club’s ability to sustain financial losses of £250 million. However, the club were demanding a retraction last night after pointing out that losses amounted to £80 million in their last year-end accounts and that the patronage of Roman Abramovich, their owner, meant that Chelsea were financially stable. Terry, the Chelsea and England captain, did not rise to the minister’s criticism but it is thought that his wages are closer to £130,000 a week.

After giving his opinions to the FT Sport Industry Summit in London, Sutcliffe then said he was off to deliver his views to Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League. But a Premier League spokesman said last night: “Yes, Mr Sutcliffe was here but I don’t think the issue was ever mentioned. It has all come as a bit of a surprise.”

Yet Sutcliffe’s criticism will find a place in the hearts of many supporters, who are suffering ticket prices spiralling to exorbitant levels and daily see their footballing heroes living out extravagant lifestyles by driving plush Bentleys and living in huge mansions, far removed from their own lives.

It was that well of disillusionment that Sutcliffe was trying to tap in to when he said: “Good luck to John Terry, but I think it is obscene to be on £150,000 a week. I understand that a footballer’s career is limited in time, but people in the street cannot understand salaries like that. Chelsea are £250 million in the red and they may be able to cope with that, but it’s not the real world – £250 million in the red is not sustainable.

“We can’t dictate what they do because the Premier League operates in a commercial marketplace. But there has to be a balance between the commercial aspects of the game and the needs of the ordinary fans, who are in danger of being alienated. It’s my job to be a critical friend and things have gone too far down the commercial road.”

Sutcliffe, born in Salford, sees the polar extremes of football as a Manchester United supporter but also a follower of Bradford City, as MP for Bradford South. He pointed out that United fans suffered a big hike in ticket prices this season while Bradford held season tickets to £138, guaranteeing attendances above 14,000 for each game.

“This year, Manchester United increased their season tickets by 13 per cent and said fans have to automatically buy European and Carling Cup games as well, and that costs an extra £200,” he said. “That’s taking the game away from the ordinary grass-roots supporter. Ordinary working people who want to go and see Manchester United face being priced out.

“There is a danger that there will be a move away from the game and we don’t want to be in a position where people are alienated. As Sports Minister, I am concerned for the grass roots of the game and the fans who have supported through the bad times as well as the good.”

Politician’s curve-ball

How many politicians does it take to make a complete Horlicks of the draw for the CIS Insurance Cup? If Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, and Alex Fergusson, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, are pulling the balls out of the bag, it would appear that the answer is two.

Salmond and Fergusson beamed with pride as they made the semi-final draw for the competition at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh yesterday. Heart of Midlothian would play Dundee United, Rangers would play Aberdeen, and that was that.

Backs were patted and everyone went home happy until the Scottish Football League announced at 6pm that there had been a terrible mistake. Aberdeen would actually play Dundee United and Rangers would take on Hearts.

The teams had been allocated numbers based on their final league positions last season, but rather than call the four-ball draw correctly, Fergusson had made an elementary mistake and announced the wrong teams.

“This was a genuine error and I can only apologise for the confusion caused,” Fergusson, a Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament since 2003, said. “We have worked as quickly as possible with the Scottish Football League to resolve the situation. As a lifelong Stranraer fan, I think everyone can be assured that there was no ulterior motive.”

— Words by Kaveh Solhekol