Simon Jordan says that Tom Wagner and Birmingham City’s EFL rivals need to be patient in their attempts to come to a funding arrangement with the Premier League.
The pundit and former owner of Crystal Palace feels that, with the prospect of an independent regulator hanging over them, the Football League has a unique opportunity to influence the 20 elite teams.
The Premier League did not even hold a vote on the proposal during yesterday’s board meeting, suggesting that they are dragging their feet on giving the 72 clubs outside of the top tier a larger share of their revenue.
Rather, they concentrated on amending the Financial Fair Play rules, which have caused other clubs to worry about their own standings and led to charges of violations against Manchester City, Everton, and Nottingham Forest. It appears that the general consensus is that after they have worked out new Profitability & Sustainability rules, the Premier League will address the EFL’s claims.
Although Jordan has advised Wagner, Blues, and the other EFL clubs to make sure they get the best deal, not the quickest, Salford City owner Gary Neville is not happy about that.
Jordan said on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan show, “If you were in the Premier League, you wouldn’t have the ambition to give the EFL more money, and the only reason you will do that is because you’re being leveraged into it by the threat of an independent regulator.”
And you will act on it as soon as it becomes necessary because all they are doing is engaging in a horse trade in order to lessen the effect of an impartial regulator.
The main point of contention in this business negotiation is that the NFL clubs are not entitled. We played in the EFL more often than the Premier League when I owned Palace, and I devoted more of my time to advocating for capable management so that we could close deals without the need for leverage.
Now that they have leverage. Thus, you should let [Rick] Parry and [Trevor] Birch work out a deal that will enable them to extract as much cash as possible from the Premier League. That’s what it takes if it takes a while to get that, if it takes all the way up to the court steps—by which I mean the day the independent regulator gets the white paper inserted into law.
“Because you want to get them to £400m, you don’t give small-minded people the chance to take £180 million from the Premier League or £200 million a season.”
“Your goal is to elevate them to the highest level you can.” If that entails manipulating the system, utilising the government, threatening people, engaging in brinkmanship, or physically approaching the court steps, you do so because this is the one chance the EFL has to receive appropriate distribution. Thus, you don’t waste it on pointless opportunities. You must wait.
The Premier League’s elite status is the primary factor contributing to its £3.5 billion value, both practically and realistically. There is now a contributing factor, and this is something I have always said: 14% of the Premier League’s output originates in the Championship. Three descend, three ascend. I understand its worth, but you must properly negotiate.
A greater portion of the Premier League’s earnings is something Birmingham City and the other 71 EFL clubs are hoping for, but the process has been drawn out because of worries about the Profitability & Sustainability Rules.
