“We must guard against unintended consequences that would jeopardize the success of English football.”
That was the warning to the Premier League powers in an advert placed earlier this month. It was the latest step by an organization fighting a losing battle against what it sees as outside interference that could undermine its immense success.
But who reaps the benefits of that success? And at what price? Whether the organization is protecting the beautiful game or its own interests is a fair question in another turbulent week for English football and during a chess match in which Everton has become a central piece.
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The advert mentioned above was placed on the same day that Everton’s second points deduction was delivered. That’s right: the second deduction, let’s not forget, was imposed in the same season for violations that occurred during different campaigns. Everton broke the rules and deserve punishment. The club and its fans also deserve fairness and proportionality. Instead, Everton is breaking new ground as the club finds itself in breach of profit and sustainability rules that keep the club trapped in its struggle and do not pave the way for progress. The day after that advert appeared in Politico, and Everton once again felt like a club being made an example of, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters wrote in The Times on the same subject: the threat of independent regulation.
The punishment imposed on Everton amid cries against outside interference may have been determined by an independent commission. But the process was very much a child of the Premier League. And the timing of the release seemed to be part of the same orchestrated campaign to prevent change.
This campaign is necessary because questions about the Premier League’s handling of the beautiful game are increasing. And after the embarrassing news this week of the cancellation of FA Cup replays and the showpiece’s relegation to a seasonal event, the biggest question is once again whether the organization is truly working for the wider benefit of the game or merely looking after its own interests. which are often closest to those of the clubs at the very top of the pyramid.
If the Premier League is so serious about protecting the integrity of the competition, then it is a shame that it has not prosecuted the six clubs who attempted to undermine the competition by attempting to join the European Super League – a project that came to light for three years. ago this week – with the same vigor it is currently chasing Everton. Their punishment amounted to a payment of several million pounds each for their role in a competition that would have ruined the competitive spirit of English football – an impact far more serious than that caused by Everton’s crimes.
The cancellation of FA Cup replays is the latest blow to the heritage and beauty of football in this country. It could help those clubs in European competition avoid the threat of an extra game here and there – in January the fixture list was unenviable even for Everton, a team that did not enjoy illustrious midweek evenings abroad. But those matches are only being replaced by more elsewhere for the clubs at the top. The difference: they are more lucrative.
The chance to make more money for those who already have the most comes at the expense of opportunity and excitement for those who have the least. In the early rounds, FA Cup replays present plucky semi-professionals with the potential for a day out at a Football League club and a much larger crowd and stage than they are used to. From the third round onwards, the replays have funded youth programmes, landmark signings and stadium developments that lower league teams could otherwise only dream of. And for fans they are just as special. Most supporters of Football League clubs know that they will never see their team reach the top level. But the prospect of seeing their team hold out for a draw and an away match at Goodison Park or Anfield is the biggest prize of all. A highlight of the season, sometimes the highlight of your life.
The reaction to a decision made without the input of Football League clubs was vociferous and justified. Who benefits from it? The Premier League and the football elite. Such decisions reduce competition. They enlarge the gorges and gorges, and the cliffs within the top four divisions. The influence of the Premier League exacerbates this. Everton spent money unwisely, but they did spend money to overtake teams who, when Farhad Moshiri arrived, were only a handful of places above them. Even then, hundreds of millions of pounds were not enough – although that was partly due to poor spending.
Nottingham Forest, the other team that took points with Everton this season, also spent unwisely. But the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is so wide that the club will always have to gamble if it wants to have a chance of staying afloat. As the Premier League moves away from the Football League, the gap becomes wider and therefore more expensive to bridge. Parties will either overspend or give up, which will benefit neither the sustainability of the pyramid nor its competitiveness. Meanwhile, the wealth on offer as the Premier League makes more and more money will only entice and entice those chasing that wealth to take risks to earn a piece, which again undermines, not encourages, financial responsibility.
There has been a lot of talk this month about the power of the wider game across Europe, as apparently evidenced by Atalanta being able to win at Anfield, Bayer Leverkusen to break Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga dominance and Athletic to go decades without silverware end by the Spanish Copa del Rei. These are not indicative of the success of the game. That they are even considered so unlikely shows how a handful of clubs dominate across Europe. The same thing happens in England, where the competition is still divided in favor of those who already have a taste for winning. The increase in substitutions contributes to the advantage of those with the largest selections. Want to play catch-up? Financial parameters are necessary, but the current ones offer little opportunity for upward mobility.
While the competition suffers, so do the fans – and of all clubs, not just those experiencing happy times. This is a Premier League that has become an on-pitch farce this season. In addition, fans now have to deal with the 8.15pm kick-off, match changes far too late to allow sensible travel bookings to be rearranged, map walks and even Christmas Eve football. Meanwhile, if you want to celebrate a goal in a stadium, the best way to understand what’s happening is to ask someone watching on TV, because following VAR in the stands is virtually impossible.
Perhaps independent regulation would jeopardize the success of English football, as the Premier League claims. Perhaps it is the Premier League that the English game needs some protection against.