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Better the devil you know?

David Conn discusses Richard Scudamore's decision to step down as chief executive of the Premier League: Quits while ahead

Conn concludes, 'Some football people have felt comfortable with Scudamore despite the perception of him as an aggressive fighter for the Premier League, appreciating his roots as an English football fan. Some pictured a possible alternative, say an obsessively commercial US-style chief executive, who might think ending promotion and relegation makes sense, and came to the conclusion about Scudamore: better the devil you know.'

Sports minister Tracy Crouch tweeted, 'He has transformed the league into one that is passionately followed and watched here and across the world and I've enjoyed working with him for the past 3 years.'

Sports academic David Webber responded, 'English football has ALWAYS been passionately followed. As chair of the Premier League, Scudamore was merely the latest to commoditise it and oversee its transformation into a servant of global capital.'

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