It was only sold for forty thousand dollars six years ago. However, they did add a single, crucial item: percentages of the sales that followed. Let it be there just in case—you never know when something might happen to the bank. After six years, it won't trickle; instead, an amount they could never have predicted will flow. Maidenhead United will now receive 100 times more money than they did when they sold Max Kilman to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018 for free!
Ten or fifteen years ago, the English fifth division was essentially a semi-professional league. There were six or seven professional clubs, those demoted from League 2, but the majority of the league was made up of teams whose players barely trained twice a week and were forced to work outside of football because the club could not afford to pay big salaries.
That has altered during the past ten years. A growing number of clubs are transitioning to a full-time schedule, and the fifth league's wealth is increasing.
The proprietors of Hollywood as well as Wrexham, Notts County, Salford, Luton, and Stockport County before them all contributed significantly to the fifth tier's rise in popularity, viewership, and appeal to sponsors.
Comparatively, just one team (Oxford City) had fewer than 1,000 spectators per match during the previous season 2023–24, while three clubs had average attendances of over 5,000 and twelve over 2,000.
Just one squad had more than 5,000 players ten years ago, eight had more than 2,000, and even eight had fewer than 1,000.
The number of semi-professional clubs is another measure of how far this level of competitiveness has advanced. Wages, pay, and player quality have all surged. There were just three last season: Maidenhead, Wealdstone, and Dorking.
The latter has spent seven years as a member of the fifth league. Being among the league's worst teams, they are consistently the front-runners to be relegated.
But it's nothing new to them. They can easily take the strong person's head off and consistently outperform the bookmakers.
Since they are now millionaires, perhaps their situation will improve in the upcoming season!
The oldest stadium in England, with a history spanning over 150 years
Having been in existence for more than 150 years, Maidenhead United was created in 1970. Situated in southern England's Berkshire, the semi-professional club is only ten kilometres away from Windsor Castle.
They are among the fifteen teams that participated in the inaugural FA Cup season in 1871–1872, and they have never before participated in the Football League, meaning they have never finished higher than fifth.
Since 2017, they have been in the fifth division, and they will be in this company's eighth division for the upcoming season. Every season, they are typically a threat for relegation, but they consistently overcome the odds to make it through. As seen by their 14th-place performance in the previous season, they frequently knew how to swim in the calm middle of the table.
York Road stadium is what makes the Magpies famous. Constructed in 1871, it is among the oldest in England. The Football Association has recognised it as the oldest stadium in England that has been continuously utilised by the same team from its inception.
The first match between Maydehead and York Road took place on February 16, 1871.
Alan Devonshire, Maidenhead's coach, is another well-known figure. Devonshire is a legend at West Ham United. He appeared in more than 400 games while playing for them between 1976 and 1990. He was a member of the squad that defeated Arsenal 1 to 0 in the FA Cup final in 1980.
He is in his second term at Maidenhead currently. He served as their leader from 1996 to 2003 the last time, then he took over again in 2015. He was the Magpie bench warmer for more than 750 games.
Nobody enjoys playing Maidenhead, especially at their stadium, and for years this team has been taking down formidable opponents. Every time Maidenhead stole points away from the favourites, supporters would chant, "You've just been Devonshired," as Alan Devonshire enjoys playing against and frequently defeating the favourites.
For the favourites, away trips to Maidenhead are usually a nightmare and a banana peel. Only one of the top eight teams from the previous campaign was able to defeat Maidenhead with all three points; the formidable Wrexham was unable to win at York Road in two attempts, and neither were the other favourites. League 2 relegates are having particularly difficult times. Every time, Alan Devonshire imparts wisdom to them.
Seven years later, Maidenhead would be generating millions thanks to some cunning person!
Apart from the previously mentioned York Road and Alan Devonshire, Maidenhead has garnered attention recently for having produced one of the finest stoppers in the Premier League.
Max Kilman, a football player for Wolverhampton now, was a 42-game player for Maidenhead from 2015 to 2018.
As you are undoubtedly aware, Kilman started his career as a futsal player. He earned twenty appearances for the English futsal team in addition to playing for Maidenhead.
Scouts from Wolverhampton saw him six years ago, and for just £40,000, they brought him in. It's not a huge sum of money, even by fifth division standards, but the club had a shrewd employee who included a provision about percentages of future sales. Most likely, they were thinking, "Leave her alone, just in case."
Max Kilman had more room to play at Molyneux in 2020–21, and the following season he was promoted to the starting lineup. As he developed, he started to be associated with a transfer out of Wolverhampton.
Last summer, Napoli was brought up. The Italians' £30 million offer was turned down, and I can only image the Maidenhead residents' thoughts as they computed their potential earnings in the event of a successful move.
Kilman's contract includes a percentage-of-sales provision, which Maidenhead disclosed to supporters in April. The Englishman's agent, Peter Gryphon, expressed his optimism that Maidenhead would benefit greatly from a move by the middle of the summer.
Peter could have known anything at that point that nobody else did, as news of Wolverhampton and West Ham's agreement to sell Max Kilman for forty million pounds had already been leaked by English journalists Fabrizio Romano and others in the first few days of July!
Later on, it became known that Maidenhead had a 20% release clause, or £8 million, towards the transfer. However, Wolverhampton wasn't happy with that arrangement, and as a result, the terms were modified and the amount was ultimately lowered to 10%, according to English sources.
Once more, they claim Maidenhead will get an amount too large by fifth league rules. They will be four million pounds richer and millionaires when the trade is officially confirmed! When looking at it through the financial lens of this league, most teams find that 500–700 thousand pounds is adequate to get them through the season, and very few teams make four million pounds a year.
Maidenhead will be able to continue operating normally for a few of years with that amount.
Alan Devonshire gave West Ham a lot, and West Ham has now done a lot to support his Maidenhead. Nothing will change in the strategy because everyone knows what sort of coach Alan is and the kind of squad he has been developing for years on a very tight budget. Even if the bookies have already lowered their odds of them getting promoted the next season, they will not allow the money go to their heads and rush into investing.
Maidenhead will not change; it will only get "heavier" by four million.
