More Than a Game

The Premier League is the most commercially successful football league in history, the self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’. But success has come at a cost, unbalancing the English game to a profound and damaging degree. The signs are everywhere: it is estimated that 61 of the country’s 92 professional clubs are loss-making; payments to agents each year regularly total more than the combined income of all 44 clubs in Leagues 1 and 2; supporters face higher prices every season, while travelling the length and breadth of the country at ever more inconvenient times to accommodate TV schedules; young English players find their route to the top blocked; and the socially beneficial community activities that clubs undertake are underfunded. Racist incidents are on the rise, grassroots facilities are in a dreadful state and failed World Cup bids have severely weakened England’s standing in the global game. The Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated things across the board.There is an alternative. In this revealing and eye-opening analysis, leading economist Mark Gregory reveals the breadth and depth of the problems facing the national game, and shows us a way to bring football home for good.]]>