16 February 2024 , 08:00
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Government ministers are stressing that there is no delay in pushing through the Football Governance Bill.
And it cannot come soon enough because there is still apparent apathy from Premier League clubs towards finding a financial deal with the EFL. Incredibly, only HALF of top flight teams attended a dinner organised in London by Burnley owner Alan Pace last week for talks with Championship clubs.
Those in attendance were Chelsea, Brighton, Bournemouth, Manchester City, Luton, Burnley, Newcastle, Brentford, Wolves and Crystal Palace. The meeting focused on support and a strategy for relegated clubs which is why there were 17 Championship teams in attendance but it did also look at the Governance Bill in general as well as financial controls across the EFL.
It must be stressed this was a dinner organised by a club for the clubs to try and break bread but the evening finished without much hope of progress. That puts the ball firmly back in the Government’s court and sources insist it is still on course to go through Parliament just as soon as time allows. A general election is now far more likely to happen in the autumn which means there can be no excuses.
There have been whispers that the Governance Bill could be “watered down” and a Labour Government would insist on it having stronger teeth. The Premier League has discussed proposals for more financial support but there has never been a formal offer to be accepted or turned down.
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Prem bosses have stressed the dinner was informal and initiated by clubs and was therefore invaluable on any level. They also believe talks and the timetable are moving in a positive direction. Football remains a big vote winner for MPs. Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, attended a different Premier League function last week where the mood music was described as “positive” towards finding an agreement.
But Frazer is acutely aware of the challenges which need to be addressed and a compromise being reached without an independent regulator getting involved seems as far away as ever.
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Wayne Rooney could be back on our TV screens as a pundit this month (Getty Images)Wayne Rooney is a man in demand.
The BBC are believed to be keen on getting the ex-England captain to be their star pundit for his former club Manchester United’s FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday week.
United legend Rooney has been in the studio in the past for Sky’s Monday Night Football and he was terrific. This could be his first big public outing since he was sacked by Birmingham City last month.
Rooney, United’s all-time leading goalscorer, is a thoughtful, detailed and eloquent talker about the game. At a time when several stations - including the BBC - are looking at new faces for punditry and studio experts, Rooney would be very popular.
He has also made it clear that he wants to carry on coaching and Rooney’s determination to get another job in that field was underlined by him saying that he has turned down an approach from Misfits to go into the boxing ring.
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Brentford striker Neal Maupay has long been an arch wind-up merchant.
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First, mocking James Maddison’s darts celebration at Tottenham and then taunting Manchester City star Kyle Walker about his kids. He also wound up Arsenal players at an empty stadium at his former club Brighton during lockdown days.
Maupay’s antics have caused plenty of discussion among current Premier League players about what crosses the line and what is acceptable when it comes to trying to wind up opponents on the pitch.
Teasing players about current WAGs with little smart remarks is one thing. Fashion sense is also fair game. As is training ground secrets. Children are quite another.
In the NFL, there is even criteria for taunting opponents in the rule book. “The use of baiting or taunting acts or words that engender ill will between teams.” There is a 15 yard penalty for offences together with fines of £9,000 and £13,000 for a second offence.
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Former Arsenal star Robert Pires provides an excellent foreword in an insightful new book entitled The Footballer’s Guide.
Written by Stephane Ehrhart, who works for UEFA and is an expert on career transition and sport management, it gives invaluable advice to players after they hang up their boots.
Pires writes: “It’s easy to live in a state of denial. This is especially true when you are as passionate about the game as I was: you want to stay completely focused on the present, only ever thinking about the next match. The reality is that your life after football might start sooner than you think.”
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