Premier League clubs will be able to extend parachute payments

by

Premier League clubs will be able to extend parachute payments The Premier League clubs have agreed that they will extend the period for parachute payments an additional two years, to four years.

Although the proposal will need to be approved and voted on at their June Annual General Meeting, at the moment the concept is understood to have universal backing.

Chairman Lord Triesman of the Football Association and Richard Scudamore the chief executive of the Premier League offered their backing to the plan and it is expected to pass in June without a problem.

All sides will benefit from the parachute payment extension and help to reduce the need for wholesale budget cuts directly before the Championship takes place.

Co-owner of the West Ham club, David Gold, was able to offer his support at a Thursday meeting and stated that this will be good news for the future of English football.

Gold stated that he is delighted with the Premier League decision and that the clubs back it completely and that it is a great first step for clubs that are relegated.  He added that it will help the clubs that have been affected negatively by relegation and will also help all of the Football League straight down to the lower teams.

Additionally, he also revealed figures that make up the revised payment plan and claims that over the next four years clubs will get around £48m.  He stated that it will be based on a percentage plan from available television monies, out of which there is now another 25% to add on to the third and fourth years.

You can own a share of your team

by

You can own a share of your team Sport fans have welcomed a government scheme possibility that would require clubs to offer supporters the chance to buy into up to 25% of the club, but opposition parties have called the proposals a ‘gimmick’ and a ‘pipe dream’ that will never see the light of day.

The Labour Party is preparing to add measures into their General election manifesto that will allow their supporters to have a larger say in how clubs are managed including the ability to launch a takeover bid if a club falls into administration or is placed up for sale.

Although the details behind the proposals are yet to be seen, any Governmental attempt to force clubs into allowing supporters to purchase stakes will raise practical and legal issues that could impact on insolvency and company laws.

However, supporters back the issue as Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation Malcolm Clarke stated that it is about time that the government recognizes the key value of the issue.  He continued to say that football clubs are not like other businesses but are a major staple in a community.

Chief executive of the Manchester United Supporters Trust, Duncan Drasdo, stated that it is a large step forward which is what they have been actively lobbying for.  He continued to say that there are many public interest areas where the government intervenes and there is an ample public interest in football clubs.

However, shadow sports minister, Hugh Robertson, stated that the move is just a pre-election gimmick that will never happen.

Watmore resignation sends out shockwaves

by

Watmore resignation sends out shockwaves The sudden resignation of Ian Watmore from his post as chief executive of the Football Association has created a tremendous ruckus, and some dire predictions about the future of football in England.

The great fear is that the uncertainty and lack of leadership within the Association will endanger England’s chance to host the World Cup in 2018.  The bidding for this coveted honour will take place in December, and many officials are worried that rival teams will take advantage of the turmoil to further their own cause.

Though Watmore has been in office less than a year, the general feeling is that he was the right man for the job, well liked by his staff and dedicated to the welfare of the football industry.  According to officials from both FA and the Premier League, he was gradually establishing a good working relationship between the two.

However, numerous sources have reported that Watmore was continually frustrated in his efforts for reform within the organization.  The disagreements between Watmore and other Board members, notably Sir Dave Richards, Chairman of the Premier League were chiefly about finances and how they were handled.

Watmore felt that the industry has been more and more governed by political and vested interests, but every move he made to rectify the matter was blocked by the opposition. The resignation of Watmore now leaves an important role unfilled within the FA. Unlike other jobs in London, this role cannot be simply advertised and filled quickly. It will take time to find a good replacement that can offer hope of salvaging the football industry.

Though most of the members of both organizations said they were surprised by Watmore’s departure, the overall reaction is one of concern and alarm.  Many feel that Ian Watmore may have been the only man who could “save” the football industry in England.

Premium football games may come to freeview

by

Premium football games may come to freeview Media regulator, Ofcom, is expected to decide that the pay TV market must be opened up so that terrestrial providers can broadcast its premium content across the Freeview system so that homes that only have aerials can view the channels as well.

The new move will benefit consumers since previously in order to view Sky Movies or Sky Sports a consumer needed to also purchase a dish or a Sky package subscription.

Those that live in listed flats or buildings are not allowed to purchase dishes and thus must pay around £35 a month in order to access the premium content.

At the moment, Virgin Media is the only cable service that provides the two channels but most regions cannot receive their cable signals.

If the reform is successful, then staying up to date on all the Ashes cricket matches and Premier League matches will become a much less expensive cost.  The expected provider of the new programming if the ruling is made is expected to be BT Vision.

In an attempt to soften the blow against Sky, Ofcom is expected to allow Sky to still offer the service, but to terrestrial viewers.

Currently, Sky broadcasts Sky Three, Sky News, and Sky Sports News on Freeview television and in 2007 started offering several of its top channels on pay per view including Disney and the Discovery Channel.

If passed, Sky is ready to launch a legal appeal under the grounds that the ruling may undercut the television provider’s market position by forcing them to reduce their prices.

Portsmouth administrator wants brand new team

by

Portsmouth administrator wants brand new team Andrew Andronikou, the Portsmouth administrator, has announced that he would like the club to come back next season with an entirely new group of players after the team was granted permission by the Premier League to sell their players off outside of the normal transfer window time period.

Already Andronikou has announced the first ten team players who are up for sale with many more expected to come available during the summer when their contracts expire.

The club already faces a certain end after they lost nine points for entering administration.  Currently, they are attempting to raise £30m, so that they can reduce their debts.

The administrator stated that supporters can rest assured that there will be a next season for the time with all new players, but this time not only will the players be able to compete but the club will have a more secure future for the coming years.

He continued to say that the club will need to cleverly look into how to manage the greatest asset of a team, the actual players, which mean that they need to sell eight to ten members of their first team squad out of the 28 on the squad.

Andronikou expects to be able to pick up some replacement players on free transfers.

In order to sell players outside of the normal transfer window the Premier League has stipulated that Portsmouth must sell the players to a football league, the players will not be allowed to play this season, and the agreement for transfer must be made with the other club for the summer.