by “We need to guard against unintended consequences that would jeopardize the success of English football.”
That was the warning the Premier League directed at those in power in an announcement it sent earlier this month. It was the latest move by an organization fighting a losing battle against what it sees as outside interference that could undermine its massive success.
But who is benefiting from that success? And at what cost? It is a legitimate question whether the organization is protecting the beautiful game or its own interests in another troubled week for English football and during a chess game in which Everton is a central piece.
READ MORE: Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite injury update given as team ruled out for season
READ MORE: Sean Dyche, Everton and the complicated answer to the question about his future
The notice referred to above was sent on the same day as the second Everton point deduction was delivered. That’s right – the second deduction, let’s not forget, handed down in the same season for offenses that occurred over different campaigns. Everton have broken the rules and deserve a penalty. The club and its fans also deserve fairness and proportionality. Instead, Everton is breaking new ground as the club flouts the profit and sustainability regulations that are holding the club in its struggles and not paving the way for progress. The day after that announcement appeared in Politico, and Everton was again feeling like an example of a club, the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, was writing in The Times about the same topic: the threat to independent regulation.
The penalty given to Everton between those cuts could have been decided by an independent commission against outside interference. But the process was very much with the child of the Premier League. And the time it was released seemed to be part of the same orchestrated campaign to push back against the change.
That campaign is necessary because there are growing questions about the Premier League’s handling of the beautiful game. And after the disgraceful news this week of scrapping the FA Cup replays and relegating the showpiece to a seasonal event, the biggest question once again is whether the organization is really working for the wider good of the game or just their own interests – which often align closest to those of the clubs at the very top of the pyramid.
If the Premier League takes protecting the integrity of its competition so seriously, it’s a shame it didn’t follow through with the six clubs who tried to undermine the league by looking to join the European Super League – a project that unfolded three years ago . since this week – with the same vigor he is currently chasing Everton. Their punishment was paid millions of pounds each for their role in a tournament that would have destroyed the competitive spirit of English football – a far more severe impact than Everton’s misbehaviour.
The scrapping of the FA Cup play-offs is the latest blow to the legacy and beauty of the game in this country. It might help those clubs in the European competition to avoid the threat of the extra game here and there – in January this year, the fixture schedule was even for Everton, a team that does not enjoy mid-season nights. week abroad abroad, undeniable. But those games are replaced by more elsewhere for the top clubs. The difference – those who are more profitable.
The opportunity to earn more money for those who already have the most comes at the expense of opportunity and excitement for those with less. In the early rounds, FA Cup replays present plucky semi-professionals who have the ability to hang on for a day out at a Football League club and a much bigger audience and stage than before. From the third round on, youth programs have been funded by playoffs, breakthrough signings, and stadium developments that lower league teams could otherwise only dream of. And your fans, they are so special. Most supporters of Football League teams know that they will never see their team reach the top flight. But the prospect of watching their teams wait for a final and a day away at Goodison Park or Anfield is the biggest prize of all. The highlight of the season, sometimes the highlight of a lifetime.
The reaction to a decision made without input from the Football League clubs was loud and justifiable. Who benefits? The Premier League and the football elite. Decisions like this reduce competition. They increase the chasms and gulfs, and cliff edges within the four highest divisions. The influence of the Premier League increases this. Everton spent senselessly, but they spent trying to catch up with 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 because of how poorly it was spent.
Nottingham Forest, the other teams who took points with Everton this season, also played poorly. But the gap between the Premiership and the Championship is so great that the club was always going to help them if they had a chance to stay up. As the Premier League moves away from the Football League, the divide gets bigger and therefore more expensive to fill. The sides will not overspend or compromise, which would help the sustainability of the pyramid and its competitiveness. Meanwhile, the wealth on offer and the Premier League making more and more money will only attract those who want to risk that wealth to earn a piece, which will once again undermine the base without responsibility encourage financial.
Much has been made this month about the strength of the wider game across Europe, as evidenced by Atalanta being able to win at Anfield, Bayer Leverkusen to break Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead and Athletic to end years without silverware. by winning the Copa del España. ready These do not indicate the success of the game. The fact that they are considered unlikely shows just how big a handful of clubs across Europe are. The same thing is happening in England, where the competition is still skewed in favor of those who have already tasted victory. The increase in reps helps bake in an advantage for those with the biggest teams. Want to play catch up? Financial parameters are essential, but the current ones offer little opportunity for upward mobility.
Meanwhile, as the competition suffers, so do the fans – and all clubs, not just those enjoying happy times. This is the final game of the League which turned this season into a farce on the field. However, fans are dealing with 8.15pm kick-offs, changes far too late to rearrange sensible travel bookings, ticket hikes 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 it’s almost impossible to follow VAR in the stands.
Independent regulation may threaten the success of the English game, as the Premier League claims. Perhaps the English game needs some protection from the Premier League.
