ANOTHER SNUB FOR PREMIER LEAGUE

THE Premier League clubs are taking an increasingly dim view of those leading the search for a new chief executive after a second person rejected the opportunity to succeed Richard Scudamore. BBC executive Tim Davie has followed Susanna Dinnage in rejecting the chance to become one of the most powerful figures in British sport amid concerns that the job, while extremely well rewarded, is something of a poisoned chalice. Davie, who BBC insiders say has chosen to remain in what he considers a far more secure position — and one that pays him close to £700,000 a year — has been put off by a number of factors, not least the fact that some clubs were lobbying him on certain issues before he had even decided whether to accept the role. It is also a widelyheld belief that TV revenue money peaked with the last deal that Scudamore negotiated and will prove more difficult to secure at the same level in the future. Yesterday Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck (above), who is head of the nominations committee, sent an email to the 20 clubs explaining that a new shortlist will be drawn up. ‘It’s a mess,’ said one club insider yesterday. ‘There was clearly no succession plan in place for when Scudamore stood down and people are far from impressed.’ Richard Masters will continue as the interim chief executive, probably until the end of the season. It will be interesting to see if outgoing FA chief executive, Martin Glenn, is considered, given the search may now look more at sport than television. Davie is the head of BBC Studios, which is the commercial arm of the national broadcaster. Already of embarrassment to Buck was the decision by Dinnage not to succeed Scudamore after agreeing to leave her current post at Discovery. She informed the Premier League just before Christmas of her desire to stay put, having also been concerned — it is understood — by news Scudamore was remaining as a consultant on £1.7million a year.