Super League defeated

No trust in billionaire football owners – kick them out and reclaim the game

At the Chelsea protest, photo Len Shail

At the Chelsea protest, photo Len Shail   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Socialist Party members Lenny Shail, who is a Chelsea fan and was at the Stamford Bridge protest, and Leeds fan Ian Pattison said:

The withdrawal of the six football clubs in England from the Super League – after protests and action by fans, players and other club staff – is rightly celebrated. Fans protested in their hundreds at Leeds, and in their thousands at Chelsea and Arsenal.

Liverpool supporters joined the Leeds protest. And supporters of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham were welcomed at the Chelsea protest.

There was reportedly uproar at a Chelsea staff meeting. And Liverpool players simultaneously voiced their opposition.

Premier League club captains were reportedly planning to meet to oppose the plans. Even the security staff at Chelsea were celebrating the news that all but signals the death of the Super League.

But the billionaire owners who attempted to rob our clubs and game are still in charge. They cannot be trusted and must be removed, along with the rest of their big business mates and structures in football.

Now, democratically elected representatives – of fans, of players and other club staff, their trade unions, the wider workers’ movement, and local communities around football clubs – must come together to begin the process of reorganising football. We should have the opportunity to inspect the financial books of football clubs, especially the richest that wanted to break away.

Let’s see what they really can afford. Football without the billionaire owners could decide to drastically reduce ticket prices, and allow local communities to benefit from club facilities.

And for starters, the new coefficient rule in the existing Champions League – allowing in the richest clubs based on past performance – must be scrapped. This was only introduced as a sop to the owners of the Super League clubs.

Arsenal fans in the Socialist Party protested with thousands of others.