Premier League is a global success... but now it must help sort big issues at home
MANY people believe Richard Scudamore did a good job in his role as the Premier League’s executive chairman.
And, in some ways, they’d be underselling his achievements because, as a pure capitalist, he did a fantastic job.
But, in other ways, they’d be overselling them, too, because, as the guardian of our game, the job Scudamore did was a rank bad one.
On his watch, the Premier League rode roughshod over the FA, it bullied them, held them to ransom and did whatever it wanted.
It became a global juggernaut that pretty much crushed everything in its path and rarely looked back at the debris it had created.
Clubs managed to alienate supporters and, in plenty of cases, broke bonds with individuals that had been in place for years.
That’s partly why I was hoping Susanna Dinnage would lay down a marker when she replaced Scudamore this month by coming in and setting out a manifesto that promised to give the game back to the supporters and communities which made it.
Dinnage has changed her mind about the role, of course, but I’m still hoping whoever comes in will have the brass neck to stand up to the clubs and tell them what needs to change.
What we need is for someone to come in and say, “Right, for 25 years we did some really cool stuff, we created this incredible brand and made it a global entity.
Grassroots
“And, while we will continue to grow the brand in the next 25 years, we are also going to embrace all of the clubs in our football pyramid to make sure we don’t have situations like Leeds, Blackpool, Blackburn and the rest of them happening again.
“We will continue to make money – and lots of it – but we will also deal with the very real issues in the game, issues such as ticket pricing, food at stadiums and the cost of replica jerseys.
“We will look after all four professional divisions and work our socks off to ensure the needs of the grassroots game is tended to.
“Because we recognise that we exist because of our communities, not the other way round, and we seem to have forgotten that.”
No one involved in the creation of the Premiership – as it was back then – could have ever foreseen just how big the Premier League would become.
Those club owners thought they’d have big businesses, yes, but we’ve gone into mega- territory – with serious billionaires, companies and even countries owning our clubs.
But, had we known then what we know now, there’s no way supporters’ MY message to
players
Woking and Barnet
with FA Cup clashes ahead of their a
United today is Watford & Sheffield eyes
it! Look into the simple one: Enjoy get
around the pitch, of the fans, walk in.
and soak it all someone’s shirt it
game starts,treat Then, when the can
– and see if you like a league game
heroes as your make yourselves
nearly 30 predecessors did
years ago. clubs would wealthy because they grew from cities Wayne Rooney was produced from one have s aid, and towns in England – a country that of those grounds.
“Yep, crack on is football mad and can sustain 90-plus Clubs should all be made to and don’t worry league clubs. commit £1million a year to their about involving Not only sustain them, but see them communities for grassroots us in the process.” thrive in the grandest of stadiums, a football. Because fans have stone’s throw from all of which you will But instead, all I have seen is been ignored from the find dozens of grassroots pitches not fit “take, take, take, money, outset, with the fat cats doing for purpose. money, money, come into the whatever they wanted. Surely our Premier League clubs megastore and buy this or that”.
There’s no way that would have been have enough ground staff to ensure The change at the top of the allowed to happen in Germany and there that, working with the council, those Premier League has brought us needs to be realignment here. pitches could be kept in good nick. to a junction and, if the new CEO
Clubs need to realise they wouldn’t Imagine the satisfaction clubs and quickly focuses on these issues, be as wealthy as they are if they were their communities would get if the next he or she will go from zero to hero in Germany, France or Spain. They are Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen or in double-quick time. FOR clubs to charge any amount for young supporters to be their mascot is a disgrace – and the £700 charged by West Ham and £600 by Leicester is obscene. It’s something I’ve railed against for years now and the new figures which came to light last week just go to show there is no shame at clubs despite the millions and billions they are earning.