Premier League bosses are concerned about the reputation of their brand against a background of austerity and the focus there will be over the next 18 months on young athletes pursuing their Olympic dreams.
In this context Wayne Rooney’s outburst has worried the Premier League, even though most fans don’t seem to be that bothered. However, a Premier League insider told the Financial Times, ‘There is a reputational risk. If your’e charged with marketing and selling the League, do you want any unknown quantity out there?’
Premier League bosses are concerned about the reputation of their brand against a background of austerity and the focus there will be over the next 18 months on young athletes pursuing their Olympic dreams.
In this context Wayne Rooney’s outburst has worried the Premier League, even though most fans don’t seem to be that bothered. However, a Premier League insider told the Financial Times, ‘There is a reputational risk. If your’e charged with marketing and selling the League, do you want any unknown quantity out there?’
Of course, there are limits to the risk. Attendances and television revenues are unlikely to suffer. Nevertheless, the Premier League is making yet another attempt to rein in aggressive behaviour from managers and players, particularly when directed towards referees. This has been greeted with a cynical ‘we have seen it all before, it will only last a few weeks’ reaction.
However, the stakes are high. The real story here is the continuing struggle between the Football Association and the Premier League over who runs football. This struggle is being played out in the House of Commons committee investigating the governance of the game. Its report is likely to be influential.