Premier League deal needs ‘substantial work’
“The Premier League need to re-look at this deal and take a holistic view of what is happening on the ground in our national game. Clubs lower down the pyramid are struggling to pay their energy bills and are forced to cut back on community programmes.”
Niall Couper, CEO, Fair Game
FAIR GAME today asked the Premier League to return to the drawing board after details of their proposals to the EFL were revealed.
The details of the deal surfaced at an EFL General Meeting at Derby yesterday.
The EFL asked for 25% of current media revenues yet the Premier League are offering 14.75%. The proposed deal would then split those funds:
75% to Championship clubs;
15% to League One clubs;
10% to League Two clubs; and
Nothing to any of the clubs in the National League divisions
The deal includes the caveat that parachute payments – funds given to clubs relegated from the Premier League – must stay in place. This comes despite fervent opposition from the EFL. It is unclear what proportion of funding would be given to these clubs - currently it is around 7.4% of the total £3.19bn broadcasting pot.
The deal also seeks to further undermine the football pyramid by insisting that Premier League Under-21 teams must have more matches in the EFL Trophy.
Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, said:
“The Premier League need to re-look at this deal and take a holistic view of what is happening on the ground in our national game.
“Clubs lower down the pyramid are struggling to pay their energy bills and are forced to cut back on community programmes.
“We should not allow so many clubs down the pyramid, who are the heartbeats of their local communities, to disappear without a trace – as sadly could be the case with Southend and Scunthorpe.
“Football’s financial flow should be based on two elements: divisional average attendances and how well run a club is. That’s the model our experts have spent over two years developing. Without that football risks missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver the culture change the game needs.
“And - as this is such an important decision that affects the very fabric of our national game - financial flow should lie in hands of an independent regulator delivering for all levels of the game.
“The Regulator will have so-called ‘back-stop’ powers if no deal is reached.”
