Football governance: CMS Committee writes to Premier League and Sports Minister
26 January 2024
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.
- Letter to Richard Masters, Chief Executive, Premier League, dated 26 January 2024
- Inquiry: Football governance follow-up
- Culture, Media and Sport
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 Stuart Andrew 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's comment
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, 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.”
Further information
Image: PA