Dispatches and The Football League: Not a smoking gun, but a start

“We are a simple alliance of 72 football clubs who largely lose money.”

That was the admission of the Football League’s own chairman, Greg Clarke, during this evening’s Channel 4 ‘Dispatches’ programme. It was a moment of intended pathos, perhaps, but it also served as a stark reflection of the vulnerability at the heart of the English game, a weakness that the programme suggested shady business interests are all too willing to exploit.

The investigation focused on the activities of the London Nominees Football Fund, exposing how third parties might seek to profit from the desperation of clubs chasing the Premier League windfall. While the reaction in some quarters has been one of weary familiarity, the details presented should disturb anyone concerned with the integrity of domestic football.

Bryan Robson was the most recognisable face caught in the undercover sting, his behaviour and language a symptom of a much deeper problem. But it is the system, not just the individuals, that allows such situations to arise. The programme depicted a world where men like Joe Sim, prone to bragging about his connections to Alex Ferguson, can operate on the periphery, looking for opportunities. Human nature being what it is, such figures will always be drawn to football’s money, circling like vultures. The responsibility of the game’s administrators is to make it as difficult as possible for them to succeed, yet recent history suggests the opposite has been happening.

The Caribbean Connection

The real story lies not with the famous names but in the opaque corporate structures that facilitate these dealings. It is a world of Caribbean-based holding companies, post office boxes, and serial club owners who move from one distressed asset to the next, hoping to strike it rich or extract what value they can from failure. This free-market frenzy has turned football into a space where reputable business people fear to tread, worried about their reputations and the prospect of pouring money into a financial black hole.

The extent of this particular web remains unclear, a point the programme hinted at without being able to fully explore, likely for legal reasons. Nine clubs, a full eighth of the Football League’s membership, were named in connection with the fund’s activities: Sheffield United, Leeds United, Leicester City, Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United, Derby County, Birmingham City, and Crystal Palace. The central question is how much of the talk was genuine and how much was mere braggadocio from the likes of Robson and Sim. Could they really facilitate the purchase of these clubs? Perhaps Joe Sim could shed light on matters that club owners cannot, such as the identity of the people from whom Ken Bates purchased Leeds United earlier this year. It seems unlikely answers will be forthcoming.

Ferguson’s Unwelcome Link

The links between Joe Sim and Alex Ferguson were also touched upon, though likely overstated. While some connection between the two seems plausible, the programme offered nothing to suggest any improper behaviour on the part of the Manchester United manager. He may, however, wish to distance himself from Sim as quickly as possible. It would not be a surprise to see a press statement emerge from the United States, where the team is currently on a pre-season tour, within the next day or two.

But the focus should not be diverted by the glamour of Manchester United.

This investigation was about the relentless chase for Premier League money and the desire of outside interests to speculate and profit from English football clubs. It was about a fundamental weakness in the governance of the game.

Time for Anger

This evening’s broadcast may not have been the definitive smoking gun some had hoped for, but that does not render it a failure. Firstly, there is no reason to believe this is the end of the story. More details could emerge in the coming days and weeks, and certain individuals not featured in the programme may be sleeping less soundly tonight. Secondly, the investigation could be the catalyst that forces the Football League and the Football Association to finally tighten regulations. Making absolute transparency of ownership a central principle of football governance must become the priority.

Most importantly, the programme might have succeeded in making more people angry. If it helps to remove the scales from the eyes of fans and observers regarding the damage being done by opaque ownership, it will have served a valuable purpose. The argument that reforming the game is futile is a tired one. Change is possible. The recent troubles of News International show how even the most powerful entities can crumble when enough pressure is applied in the right places. Nobody is suggesting the Football League should be dismantled, but with sufficient will, the serious reform it needs can be achieved.

The first step is for those who care about the game to make their voices so loud that they can no longer be ignored.