Richard Scudamore is stepping down as Premier League Executive Chairman at the end of the year. The 59-year-old will receive a £5 million payout spread over three years as a token of appreciation. The Premier League have stated that the amount is justified to stop Scudamore joining a rival when he steps down.
The first idea was that each of the 20 Premier League clubs would contribute £250,000 each towards the payout. Several clubs are believed to have strongly protested to this; Fulham, Watford and Wolves were named as clubs definitely opposed to the idea.
Other clubs were also thought to be against the idea and the Premier League would have needed a majority of 14 clubs to back the proposal. Liverpool and Everton, along with Huddersfield Town, are also thought to have been opposed.
With the two Merseyside clubs under political pressure not to contribute and all three being considered important within the local community, the Premier League was close to losing any majority they would need.
Richard Scudamore Handed a Golden Goodbye
Pushed Through
When the meeting of all 20 top flight clubs’ chiefs took place, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck pushed the proposition through without taking a vote. One major change was that the funds will now come from the central funding.
However, each Premier League club still remains liable for footing the bill. The clubs will be expected to ‘replace’ the funds back into the central pot. Fan groups were also against the proposal, which is seen as obscene by some.
The money could have been better spent on other things, like grassroots football and improving stadiums. Subsidising ticket prices was another option mooted by those opposed to the payout.
Damien Collins, MP for Folkestone & Hythe, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee believes this was the wrong thing to do, telling the Telegraph that “This smacks of wrong priorities. Why not donate it to a grass-roots fund?”
The Football Supporters Federation were also very much unimpressed with the payout. Having been told previously by the Premier League that there is no spare money from the TV deals, the Premier League having now ‘found’ extra money to pay a golden goodbye did not go down well with supporters from clubs.
Spending an obscene amount of money on one person who is leaving their post should not be allowed. Grassroots football is crying out for this kind of investment and is left out in the cold once again.
Rather than forcing this kind of idea through it should have been thought about at the start of Scudamore’s contract, writing something in place that would allow the Premier League to prevent him working for a competitor within a given time frame after leaving.
Many organisations write this type of clause into their employment contracts. This is nothing new and should certainly be considered in the contract of Susanna Dinnage who takes over.
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