London (CNN) -- Modern European football has become almost synonymous with precocious millionaire players who lead lavish "bling" lifestyles and attract wages that would make even Wall Street bankers blush. But there was a time when soccer was a career driven more by love than financial reward. Rewind to 1961 and salaries for even the most famous footballers were low, as the English game was constricted by a law that limited the weekly wage to a maximum of just $31 (£20). It is 50 years since Jimmy Hill -- a dashing midfielder for first division side Fulham and the head of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) -- won his fight against what he perceived as an "injustice."
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Exorbitant wages paid to Europe's top footballers set to keep on soaring
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Barcelona star Lionel Messi is the biggest earner, making $47 million in 2009
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UEFA introducing new rules to help curb club's mounting debts thanks largely to salaries
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Football finance expert says as long as economies continue to grow so will players' wages
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UEFA
However, despite the game being richer than ever before, more than half of @placeholder's top clubs recorded a loss in 2009 with some even spending 100% of their income on salaries alone.