Exclusive: Government does not plan to include Premier League and EFL in sport bailout
The government does not intend to include the Premier League and English Football League in a bailout fund for sport and instead expects the richest football league in the world to help the rest of English football’s professional pyramid.
Leaders from across more than 100 British sports and governing bodies, including the Premier League, warned prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday that sport was facing a potential “lost generation” without an emergency recovery fund.
The letter was signed by the league’s chief executive Richard Masters but, with his clubs currently likely to surpass last year’s summer transfer window spending and the vast majority of their £9.2 billion three-year broadcast deal still intact, the government’s focus is not elite professional football.
It still stands by the expectation that the Premier League should share the benefits of Project Restart with the rest of the football pyramid and the EFL wants £200 million from the Premier League to cover the ongoing lack of crowds.
The government is sympathetic to helping both the Women’s Super League and men’s National League, which would not be viable without crowds, as well as non-league clubs and the grassroots. Numerous other sports are also in dire need of an emergency Covid-19 bailout similar to the £1.57 billion that was provided in July for the arts sector.
Almost half of all public leisure facilities were unable to reopen when lockdown measures were eased in July and 6,000 permanent and casual jobs in the sector have already been made redundant or ceased to exist.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden is meeting with sports leaders on Tuesday afternoon to discuss their needs and the Premier League has so far indicated that it expects to be part of the settlement.
As well as signing the letter to government, which was not signed by the EFL’s chief executive Rick Parry, the Premier League issued a statement on Tuesday which called for the return of fans. “Last season, Premier League clubs suffered £700m in losses and at present, our national game is losing more than £100m per month,” said the statement. “This is starting to have a devastating impact on clubs and their communities.
“While there is a current pause in a date for fans returning to sports venues, the Premier League and our clubs will not slow down in our preparations for providing safe, bio-secure environments. We will continue to work with Government to bring supporters safely back into grounds as soon as possible.”
