Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Forget fans in grounds for now.. we need laws to protect our historic clubs from extinction
THE news that elite football will continue in these uncertain times is very, very welcome.
Most of us agree our sport is the most important of the unimportant things in our lives.
And I’ve no doubt that, for many fans, having live action televised during the next month – and potentially beyond – will serve as a major lifeline.
I just hope now, though, that as we head into a second national lockdown, those in the game who are pushing to get supporters back i nto stadiums will stop trying to put the horse before the cart.
They need to realise there are so many more pressing issues to sort out to ensure that, when we are finally free of Covid-19, this football pyramid of ours is still firmly intact.
For starters, we need to end all the petty spats between the different organisations, because they seem to be hindering any kind of progress whatsoever.
The Premier League is coming over all Lord of the Manor, the EFL is behaving like a spoiled brat, and as a re sul t we a re n’ t g e tti n g anywhere.
It ’s a l l v e r y t i t - f o r - t a t between Richard Masters and Rick Parry, and the way they are dealing with each other — and we can throw in the FA and Greg Clarke for good measure — is a shambles.
As a result of their behaviour, I ’d like a transparent and independently-led review into the governance of the game in this country because that is the only way I can see things getting sorted ted out. A review which h works out how our football pyramid can exist in good times and bad.
The Government nt needs to take its role in i all ll of this seriously as well, so I urgently call upon the Prime
Mi n i s t e r a n d n o t the De p ar tment f or D i git al , Culture Culture, Media and Sport (Ol (Oliver Dowden, left) to bring in legislation t that protects our oldest clubs in much the same way t that some sections of the arts are protected. t
We need to make them untouchable as assets of great community value and safeguard them immediately against foreclosure.
I’d have a sliding scale with clubs of more than 100 years’ standing protected the most, then down through those who are 75-plus and so on.
I know there’d be clubs who’d fall through the gaps, but it would be unfair to offer newcomers the same sort of protection you’d offer Notts County, a club of more than 150 years which pre-dates even the FA.
What cannot be allowed is for any of our clubs to go to the wall because, if we come out the other side of this virus without our world-envied pyramid still standing, we will be a laughing stock given the mon ey football in this country has made over the years.
We’d end up watching kids on loan from Manchester City’s D team populating the lower divisions and how many of us want that?
That’s why it’s time for a full review – no excuses, no threats and no BS from secretary of state for DCMS, Dowden. Let’s get it done, and let’s get this sport fit and ready for post-virus life.