Holt’s blast for Premier League
ACCRINGTON Stanley chairman Andy Holt has launched a scathing attack on the Premier League over the size of contracts paid to topflight players and their agents
In a series of furious tweets Holt repeatedly accused the Premier League of “destroying the game” by allowing huge amounts of wealth to accumulate at its top end.
The Premier League said it would write to Holt to ask if he wanted the organisation “to continue the support” it provides to his and other Football League clubs.
Holt was commenting in the wake of newspaper reports claiming Zlatan Ibrahimovic is paid over £350,000 per week by Manchester United, and that agent Mino Raiola pocketed £41m from the deal that brought Paul Pogba to Old Trafford.
Holt tweeted: “Hang your heads in shame @ premierleague you are an absolute disgrace to English football.”
He continued: “Your largesse is ruining the pyramid and @England national team.... your largesse should be the focus of fans fury. You’re destroying the game, not ‘rogue’ owners.”
Holt sought to draw a stark comparison between the fee reportedly paid to Pogba’s agent and the annual budget at League Two club Stanley, which he said is almost 20 times smaller.
Holt added: “We run our club with less than this... £2.2m THIS is the problem with the English game.
“The cash paid to this agent is almost double the funding for all the @EFL @SkyBetLeagueTwo clubs put together. WAKE UP @ premierleague.
“The @EFL is like a starving peasant begging for scraps off your table @ premierleague. Owners might ruin clubs, you’re destroying the game.
“Bodies involved in football are disparate... [governing bodies] have own interests to look out for not the health of the game.”
It is understood Accrington and each League Two club will receive £430,000 in solidarity payments from the Premier League this season.
The payments are linked to the value of the Premier League’s broadcasting rights, with League One clubs getting £650,000 each and Championship clubs £4.3m.
A Premier League spokesman said: “The Premier League supports all clubs in the EFL with solidarity payments and provides significant funding for their community projects and youth development schemes – all things that Accrington Stanley benefits from.
“It is only because of the interest in our competition and in Premier League clubs that we can support Accrington, the wider football pyramid, and communities and schools across the country.
“We will be writing to Mr Holt to ask him if he wishes for the Premier League to continue the support we currently provide for his and other clubs in the EFL.”