Clubs urged to give Scudamore £5m farewell
ENGLAND’S top-flight clubs are split over a request by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck to contribute to an astonishing £5million golden handshake for outgoing Premier League executive chief Richard Scudamore.
On an historic day for the Premier League with the appointment of Susanna Dinnage as their first female chief executive, some clubs were appalled by Buck’s proposal that they all make a £250,000 donation for Scudamore, who was paid around £2.5m last year including bonuses.
Buck called senior figures at the 20 member clubs earlier this week in a bid to rally support ahead of an emergency meeting yesterday that was called principally to ratify the appointment of high-flying television executive Dinnage.
But discussions about Scudamore’s pay-off were deferred until a scheduled Premier League meeting tomorrow, with insiders describing those talks as ongoing.
While Buck needs a 14-club majority to push through the proposal, at least five clubs are ready to reject his request.
Scudamore (below), who stands down next month, was on a basic salary of £900,000 a year boosted by bonuses for negotiating multi-billion-pound broadcasting deals.
It is believed Dinnage will be on a similar basic salary and receive appropriate bonuses which make her overall package on a par with Scudamore’s.
Buck has forged a close personal friendship with Scudamore since becoming Chelsea chairman 15 years ago.
And he clearly feels the 59-year-old has earned the right to receive such an obscene sum given the fine job he has done during his 19 years at the helm of the richest football league in the world.
The Premier League declined to comment on Scudamore’s bonus yesterday, limiting their remarks to Dinnage’s appointment.
The 51-year-old joins from the media organisation Discovery, where she was the global president of the Animal Planet channel, and has been known to publicly lock horns with the Premier League’s biggest paymasters Sky.
Dinnage, now the most powerful woman in British sport — indeed the most powerful person regardless of gender — takes up her new role early next year.
‘I am excited at the prospect of taking on this fantastic role,’ she said yesterday. ‘The Premier League means so much to so many people. It represents the pinnacle of professional sport and the opportunity to lead such a dynamic and inspirational organisation is a great privilege.’ Buck, who was chair of the Premier League’s nominations committee, added: ‘We are very pleased to appoint such a capable leader to this important role.’