The UK now has a political class that seems to have lost all interest in sport
It’s that time of the year again in football when the Championship sweeps all before it: it’s full of joy and life with packed houses, goals, drama and uncertain outcomes. It’s stacked with great names: Leeds, Burnley, Sunderland, Coventry, Blackburn, Norwich, Preston, Derby (take your pick). It’s where Coventry vs Middlesbrough on the last day of the season should be a big, big match. Leeds hammered six past Stoke on Monday, watched by nearly 37,000, and secured promotion to the Premiership, along with Prem regulars Burnley, who were watched by 21,486.
Meanwhile, the great Luka Modric, multiple Champions League and Ballon d’Or winner, has taken a stake in Swansea City, currently mid-table in the Championship, as an investor and co-owner. And as he’s someone who has been playing at the highest level more or less forever, it’s safe to say that he knows what he’s doing. NFL megastar Tom Brady has a small stake in Birmingham City, who have cruised League One and will take their place in the Championship next season. American investment is everywhere in the Championship: Norwich, Leeds and Burnley all have American ownership, as does Portsmouth, which is run by Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO.
This seems to me to represent a pretty vibrant football world. But watch out: a new regulator with powers to impose massive fines and penalties, vet prospective buyers and oversee finances, not just in the Premiership but across the top five tiers of English football, could soon take control. This watchdog, which evolved after the collapse of the European Super League in 2021, is largely disliked in football, which takes the view that the sport is highly regulated anyway and the new structure could send several clubs to the wall as well as deterring investment.
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