Leeds United have massively improved over the past two seasons. What was, frankly, a mess under Paul Heckingbottom has been transformed into something beautiful under Marcelo Bielsa. Just for that, Leeds United fans should be thankful. They sit perched ready for promotion. However, these fans will not be thankful if this Guardian story rings true.
The title of the story, ‘Outrage at Premier League’s demand that promoted clubs help settle its debts’, is enough to get the red mists rising. The basic premise of the story is that clubs promoted this season and next will face an £8million surcharge which the Guardian’s David Hynter writes is “to help soften the blow of broadcast revenues lost because of the Covid-19 crisis.”
This proposition, which Hynter says the Championship clubs learned about last week, will earn £48million over the next two seasons that would go straight into the Premier League’s coffers.
Championship clubs are rightly up in arms about this proposition, one that effectively equates to a separate entrance fee upon successful promotion. Hynter writes that Championship clubs feel that: “the top division ought to be spreading its largesse down the leagues – as the government has demanded – and not, in effect, make a raid on upwardly mobile Football League clubs.”
Rather than it being an ‘entry fee’ requirement, it is thought that it will be deducted from any monies that they are due – promotion is estimated to be worth up to £180million for sides coming up from the Championship. Even relegated sides won’t escape over this two-year period with deductions coming there as well.
You can understand the anger that promoted Championship sides would be feeling. It’s like being given a bill for cleaning up at a party that you didn’t attend.
