• Business
  • Education
  • General
  • Social
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Jamaica Says…
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Factions
No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Education
  • General
  • Social
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Jamaica Says…
  • Business
  • Education
  • General
  • Social
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Jamaica Says…
No Result
View All Result
Factions
No Result
View All Result
Home

Project Big Picture: The ‘Backroom Dealings’ of England’s Football Elites

Gregory Bryce by Gregory Bryce
October 18, 2020
in Sports
0
Project Big Picture: The ‘Backroom Dealings’ of England’s Football Elites
0
SHARES
58
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Gregory Bryce

By Gregory Bryce

In the world of football, it is more often than not that the teams with the most money will reap the lion’s share of success. European football, and in particular, the English Premier League, is a good example of this. It is the clubs that can afford the best facilities, the best coaching staff and lure the best players that are the more dominant forces.

READ ALSO

The Legacy of Luton Shelton Will Live On

What is the Correct Choice for Jamaica’s Young Athletes?

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial fallout that many of the English clubs suffered has led to major issues for the Football Association (FA) and the English Football League (EFL). Many of the clubs in the lower divisions of English football have found it hard to continue normal operations due to the financial constraints.

In these dire times, the eyes were on the top-flight clubs to see how they would help to keep the struggling teams afloat. A plan proposed by Manchester United and Liverpool, coined Project ‘Big Picture’, seemed to be that answer.

The main selling point of Project ‘Big Picture’ is that a sum of $450 million (as quoted by the Insider) will be used as a bailout for clubs due to the impact of the COVID-19. The proposal also says that 25% of the Premier League’s broadcasting revenue would be given to the EFL as well as significant funding for the women’s game.

Sounds like the perfect solution, doesn’t it?

Then why was it that this plan was resoundingly rejected by the Premier League, criticized as a desperate ‘power-grab’ by the fans and dismissed as ‘backroom dealings’ by the UK government?

To understand the criticisms that the proposal received and why it was rejected, you must first understand the worrying mechanisms that lay beneath the surface.

While Project ‘Big Picture’ seemed to be a benevolent gesture by those who created the proposal, it would have lasting effects on the power structure of the Premier League. Led by Manchester United and Liverpool, and supported by Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City (the ‘Big Six’ clubs of England), the proposal also called for the Premier league to be reduced to 18 teams instead of 20, and for the Community Shield and the EFL Cup competitions to be scrapped.

The reason behind this is to cut the number of games that the average player would compete in every year and to increase the chances of European competition.

Not so bad, after all, when you consider that this change was proposed in the interest of the health and fitness of the players.

But while this all seems well-intentioned, the problems begin to surface when there is also a proposed change in the voting structure in England. Currently, every club in the Premier League has an equal vote when making a decision that will affect the league. For any proposal to be passed, a majority of 14 of the 20 teams will need to agree. 

However, Project ‘Big Picture’ wants to change this. The new proposal says that only nine teams would have voting power. These nine teams would be the ones that were in the league for the longest time. Added to this, for any new proposal to be passed, a majority of six of the nine would have to agree.

When you take into account that the six teams that are pushing for Project ‘Big Picture’ are also the same six teams that would have majority voting power, the criticisms all become clear.

Should Project ‘Big Picture’ come into effect, these six teams that created it, would have supreme control over the decisions of the Premier League, and especially financially decisions.

‘Money talks’ in football, and this plan would undoubtedly secure all power to the ‘Big Six’. 

Let’s give an example. Recently, Newcastle United entered negotiations to sell the club to a new wealthy owner. If this deal had gone through, Newcastle would have been expected to have become a very formidable force in the league (similar to how Chelsea did in 2003 and Manchester City in 2008). This deal would have disrupted the power balance of the ‘Big Six’. 

However, with Project ‘Big Picture’, the ‘Big Six’ clubs would have the executive power to stop any such deal, and essentially prevent any club from challenging the power structure. 

There are much more complexities that Project ‘Big Picture’ proposes that would essentially secure a dominant administrative power to the elite clubs and prevent any rise in fortune for those below them.

Thankfully, the proposal has received many criticisms from those it seeks to affect, and is highly unlikely to be put into effect any time soon. But this is a warning sign that the top teams are willing to make power moves to grab as much control over the league as possible.

Gregory Bryce is a freelance sports journalist.

We want to hear from you. Send feedback to commentary@factionsja.com.

Tags: Big PictureBig SixEFLFALiverpoolManchester United

Related Posts

The Legacy of Luton Shelton Will Live On
Sports

The Legacy of Luton Shelton Will Live On

January 26, 2021
4
Development of Local Track & Field
Sports

What is the Correct Choice for Jamaica’s Young Athletes?

January 24, 2021
40
Reimagining Sports During COVID-19
Sports

‘Champs’ 2021 Suffers First Setback

January 15, 2021
82
JFF Names 24-Man Squad for Saudi Arabia Fixtures
Sports

JFF Faces Public Backlash Over Financial Dispute

January 8, 2021
18
The Tragedy of Football Academies
Sports

The Tragedy of Football Academies

January 3, 2021
44
Gender Wage Gap in Football (Part 2): Why ‘Equal Pay’ is a Possibility in Some Cases
Sports

Gender Wage Gap in Football (Part 2): Why ‘Equal Pay’ is a Possibility in Some Cases

December 27, 2020
21
Gender Wage Gap in Football (Part 1): Why the USWNT Lost Their Case for Equal Pay
Sports

Gender Wage Gap in Football (Part 1): Why the USWNT Lost Their Case for Equal Pay

December 20, 2020
24
Is Franchise Football the Next Step for the RSPL?

RSPL Football Not On Christmas List

December 13, 2020
51
Kyle Butler’s Allegations of Years of Abuse

Kyle Butler’s Allegations of Years of Abuse

December 4, 2020
40
Next Post
“Jamaica Says” Episode 1: What are your thoughts on the timing of the upcoming general elections?

"Jamaica Says" Episode 8: What impact has COVID-19 been having on your mental health?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

POPULAR POSTS

Twisted Logic… Politics Before Health?

Twisted Logic… Politics Before Health?

September 1, 2020
345
Renting in Kingston

Renting in Kingston

September 1, 2020
322
2020 General Election – Election With A Difference

2020 General Election – Election With A Difference

August 31, 2020
309
Real Leadership in COVID-19 Jamaica

Real Leadership in COVID-19 Jamaica

August 26, 2020
285
Outsourced or Homegrown? Jamaica’s Football Dilemma

Outsourced or Homegrown? Jamaica’s Football Dilemma

August 7, 2020
274

Factions

Factions is a Jamaican news commentary online platform in which ordinary Jamaicans can comment on and analyze current local news. Share your thoughts.

Follow us

Categories

Business         Education         Religion

General           Social                 Politics

Sports

Recent Posts

  • The Legacy of Luton Shelton Will Live On
  • What is the Correct Choice for Jamaica’s Young Athletes?
  • Haiti Needs Our Attention Too
  • ‘Champs’ 2021 Suffers First Setback
  • Business
  • Education
  • General
  • Social
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Jamaica Says…

© 2020 Factions JA.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Education
  • General
  • Social
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Jamaica Says…

© 2020 Factions JA.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Share your thoughts. Sign up to create a post.

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.