Blackpool a sign of change?

By Michael Lynch
June 3 2010

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Parachute Payments

This year the Premiership, in keeping with its tradition of always getting what it wants, announced that it would be further increasing parachute payments to relegated teams in order to make it easier for them to make it back into the top flight. Parachute payments have already inflicted on us a plethora of “yo-yo clubs” which dart between the top-two tiers of English football and this will only serve to increase this number. This will make it harder for new clubs to break into the top flight.

The Premiership is closer and closer to becoming an Americanised institution in which only the elite can compete and year after year the same few will be playing in.

Blackpool promoted to the Premiership

There is hope however. This year saw Blackpool beating us and eventually Cardiff in order to reach the Promised Land via the playoffs. Despite still feeling somewhat bitter about this I wish them well. Here is a club which has been sensible and spent within their means and achieved promotion via simple old-fashioned good football.

Whilst my head tells me they will be involved in a relegation dog-fight and struggle to attract top players due to their location and stature, my heart would love them to stay up and prove everything which I have stated in this article to be false.

Unfortunately however I believe this to be extremely unlikely. Until something changes with the system then the same clubs will continue to challenge at the top level and financial irresponsibility will continue to plague clubs which are trying to break the new order.

I wish I could offer a solution but I cannot. There is a body of individuals paid to come up with such solutions and I only wish they would do their job. English football is in danger of becoming incredibly tedious.

Trentside, 2010. Editorial.