MP urges Government action to support lower league football clubs
On the floor of the House of Commons yesterday, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron challenged the Minister for Sport to take action against the huge income disparities between Premier League football clubs and clubs playing in the Football League and Non League.
Speaking during an Urgent Question on the Fan-led Review and Football White Paper, Tim said: "I am concerned that the Minister, in his response, has pointed the finger at least to some extent at the EFL and implied that he has listened to owners as much as he has to fans.
"That deeply concerns me. Two great challenges that football faces are: bad and dodgy governance, and institutionalised unfairness of income.
"Some 93% of football television income goes to the Premier League clubs, despite the fact that a majority of fans going to watch games each weekend are going to EFL and non-league games, not Premier League games.
"Only 35% of transfer revenue from Premier League clubs goes to the EFL, even though the majority of British Premier League players have played in those lower divisions.
"Does the Minister understand why many of us are concerned about the tardiness of this process and the fact that Ministers seem to be listening to the owners more than to the fans?"
In response, the Minister for Sport, Stuart Andrew said: "I totally reject that accusation; if anything, I have spent more time with EFL, the Premier League, the Football Association, and fans groups and supporters groups than with any of the owners, because I recognise that the changes we need to see arise from the evidence that the fan-led review highlighted, much of which came from hundreds of hours of work listening mainly to fans.
"The honourable Gentleman's interpretation of what I have said, as meaning that I am spending more time with owners, is factually incorrect."
Speaking afterwards, Tim said: "Our local football clubs in Cumbria are at the heart of so many of our communities.
"Rather than getting defensive, the Minister should be focusing on sorting out the huge disparities the exist between the big Premier League clubs who enjoy an embarrassment of riches, and many clubs in the EFL and in Non League who struggle to get by."