The Premier League may soon adopt its own version of Uefa’s financial fair play rules, according to Bolton boss Phil Gartside. He claims that such a plan is being discussed by the Premier League and that Richard Scudamore, the Premerships’s chief executive officer, is pushing for tougher rules on club finances.
The Premier League may soon adopt its own version of Uefa’s financial fair play rules, according to Bolton boss Phil Gartside. He claims that such a plan is being discussed by the Premier League and that Richard Scudamore, the Premerships’s chief executive officer, is pushing for tougher rules on club finances.
Gartside argued, ‘There are ways of tweaking it that would suit the English game better.’ In his view owners should be allowed to spend £10m on a player, but should not then pay him extortionate wages. The problem then is, how do you attract the player if you do not pay him what he is worth and there are not similar restraints on clubs elsewhere in Europe?
There are those who think a salary cap would be a better way forward. Robert Kraft, owner of National Football League’s New England Patriots, has been linked with investment in English clubs at various times. But he has said that the lack of a wage cap has made him cautious of investing.
However, for John W. Henry of New England Sports Ventures, the Uefa financial fair play rules made their investment in Liverpool more attractive on the grounds that it is revenue that will drive how good the club can be in the future.
Gartside said that in his time on the board at Bolton, no one had ever made an approach to buy the club, although new investment was needed. Bolton has an excellent stadium, but they have problems filling it and their catchment area puts them in competition with the richer Manchester clubs.