The Political Economy of Football V2

David Conn is one of our leading football journalists and argues that there can be no credible argument against the Premier League sharing its wealth with other clubs:  https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/may/25/premier-league-share-riches-save-english-football?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other In any other sector of the economy it would seem rather odd if successful businesses were expected to cross subsidise less successful businesses.

Respected football journalist David Conn discusses the demise of Bury in the context of the need for financial fair play rules: Bury and FFP He argues, 'Rather than pay players from its fabulous revenues, the game still allows clubs to be perilously dependent on limited extra funding from owners, and the financial vagaries of their own industries. Day is said to have put £9m into Bury, yet the club and its 134-year-old Gigg Lane home have literally nothing to show for it, only ruin.' It is important to note that Uefa's focus in introducing FFP was sustainability rather than a level playing field.

The dispute between Manchester City and Uefa rumbles on. David Conn of The Guardian tends to take a rather sceptical and critical attitude towards City which he is entitled to do as a well-regarded sports journalist. However, personally I think that it is unlikely that City will be banned from next season's Champions League: City and financial fair play

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 ...

Everton's ownership and the alleged involvement of Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov will be scrutinised in a two part BBC Panorama special to be broadcast tomorrow and on Monday. The BBC has obtained documents relating to Usmanov's purchase of a 14.58 per cent stake in Arsenal in 2007 through the Red & White investment vehicle that he jointly owned with Farhad Moshiri, who sold up to his business partner last year to facilitate his 49.9 per cent purchase of Everton. It is understood that the programme will claim that the documents show that Moshiri's initial Arsenal stake was a gift from Usmanov, leading to the suggestion that the billionaire from Uzbekistan was behind the Iranian's purchase of Everton as he was the original source of the funds. Everton and a spokesman for Usmanov deny that he has any involvement at Goodison, which would be a breach of Premier League rules that state that any shareholder with a 10 per cent stake in one club cannot buy into ano...