The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has today
written to Premier League
Chief Executive Richard Masters asking him to clarify remarks
made to the Committee last
week about ‘small clubs’ and the league’s role in the Profit
and Sustainability Rules and sanction regime.
Mr Masters appeared to imply that Everton and Nottingham Forest
were ‘small clubs’ and suggested that the sanctions regime for
Premier League clubs breaching rules was left entirely in the
hands of an independent panel.
The Committee has also written to Minister for
Sport urging the Government to
bring forward the Football Governance Bill as soon as possible.
The Bill would establish an independent regulator, which would
have backstop powers to impose a financial deal on the Premier
League and Football League if they fail to reach agreement
themselves.
, Chair of the CMS
Committee, said: “Richard Masters’ implication that
nine-times league title winners Everton and double European Cup
winners Nottingham Forest are ‘small clubs’ will have raised
eyebrows with fans. To suggest clubs are categorised according to
size raises wider questions about whether every member of the
league truly does receive treatment that is fair and
consistent.
Equally puzzling was his insistence that the charges and
punishment regime is entirely independent of the Premier League,
when there is documentary evidence of an attempt to move the
goalposts with a proposal for a structured policy for sanctions.
If Mr Masters was a referee, the VAR control room may well now be
having a word in his ear to look again at his evidence to the
committee.
Overall, given what we heard last week from both the Premier
League and EFL, it now seems more important than ever that the
Government gets on with establishing the independent football
regulator that can step in to safeguard the health of the game
beyond the monied world of the top flight.”
