Greg Dyke cutting the tape at Brentford, where he was once Chairman
So the FA commission has met, and come up with proposals to
ensure that the England football team turn into world-beaters. The centrepiece
of this is an attempt to create a new 'League Three' of Premier League B-Teams between
League Two and the Conference, with these teams allowed to be promoted up the
pyramid to League One.
What’s clear is that the problem it’s intended to solve is a
very real one - young players who find themselves signed to top-tier clubs tend
to be shut out of making first team appearances, hindering their chances of
progressing to another glorious penalty defeat. Yet Greg Dyke’s proposals are at best a reward for terrible behaviour that misses the point –
and at worst a folly that could entirely destroy the English game as we know
it.
The Premier League and its clubs seem to regard the
behaviour of Cartman from South Park towards his mum as a model – they behave badly and against
the interests of the England team, then the FA offers to reward them by
changing the rules to attempt to justify and mitigate their actions. Any
suggestion that things shouldn’t work in their interest would no doubt be
greeted with a “But Greg….” Followed by a tantrum after which they’d get what
they want.
The Premier League's negotiating tactics
Yet to explore why this isn’t just a bad idea bounced around
a boardroom one needs to go back to the start of the Premier League, the
promises made and what’s happened since.
