Premier League ‘parking bus’ over cash sharing talks, says MP Dinenage
Premier League club chiefs have been accused of “parking the bus” by MPs over negotiations about how its billions are shared with the rest of the English football pyramid.
Hopes had been raised that an offer worth an extra £900m over six years to the 72 clubs in the second, third and fourth tiers would materialise following fresh talks on Monday.
But Premier League clubs did not vote on an offer, and Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chair of the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee, has criticised the continued stand-off.
“The longer this deadlock goes on, the more the stated commitment from Premier League clubs to striking a deal with the rest of the pyramid looks like nothing more than an empty promise,” Dinenage told the PA news agency.
“With the richest teams in the country continuing to park the bus to block a financial settlement, the Premier League’s number should now be up and the Government must urgently introduce its much-trailed legislation to bring an independent regulator into play.
“Every day that goes by without an agreement threatens the financial sustainability of clubs in communities up and down the country.”
The Government has warned that the new regulator will have the power to impose a deal on the Premier League and the EFL, which runs the three lower divisions, if they cannot agree on one themselves.
The EFL is set to discuss the matter at a board meeting on Thursday. Until a new deal is signed off, it will not give ground on Carabao Cup semi-final second legs or FA Cup replays.
That is set to create major congestion next season with UEFA’s club competitions due to expand.
The CMS committee quizzed Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and EFL chairman Rick Parry over the lack of an agreement back in January.
Masters admitted at that time that there had been disagreement over both the size of any offer to the EFL, and where any extra money should come from.
However, Premier League sources had indicated at the last meeting on February 29 that there was reason to be optimistic that a deal would be offered.
Additional reporting by PA