Everything published on The Esk is free to read. Behind it sits an advisory practice, CWTE Limited, that takes on commissioned work for organisations that need the same depth of analysis on a specific question: privately, and to their timetable.
Who I work with
- Investors and lenders considering a club, a stake in one, or credit secured on football assets.
- Boards and investment committees of clubs and other football businesses.
- Law firms and accountants acting on football matters.
- Media organisations needing briefing or analysis on football finance, ownership and regulation.
What I do
Acquisition and investment due diligence
The ownership chain, capital structure, debt and security, transfer liabilities, contingent claims and regulatory exposure of a club or group, for buyers, minority investors and lenders.
Board papers and financial analysis
Forensic readings of a club’s accounts, funding requirements and scenario modelling (relegation, European qualification, a sale or a refinancing), written for boards and investment committees.
Regulatory analysis
What the Football Governance Act 2025 and the Independent Football Regulator, the Premier League’s squad-cost and sustainability rules, and UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations mean for a particular club, transaction or lender.
Disputes and litigation support
Independent analysis of financial and regulatory questions for legal teams: the documentary record, chronologies and the financial consequences at issue.
Media briefings
Background briefings and commentary on football finance, ownership and regulation.
How engagements work
- Every engagement starts with a conversation to understand the question.
- If the work is a good fit, scope, timetable and fee are agreed in writing before it begins.
- Conflicts are checked before any engagement is accepted.
- Commissioned work is confidential to the client unless agreed otherwise.
Advisory work never buys coverage on The Esk or pre-publication review of its articles. The rules are set out on the Independence & funding page, and the standards every report follows are on the Methodology & editorial standards page.
The work speaks for itself
The best guide to what a commission produces is the published work: the Analysis Series, and the collections on Chelsea & BlueCo, the Independent Football Regulator and Everton. More about my background is on the About page.
Get in touch
To discuss an engagement, email paul@theesk.org.