Is the TV deal just an artificial sweetener for the clubs?

Its that time of the year for Premier League fans when they have to depend on their admiration for other sports to enjoy some action on the field. Its also that time of the year when officials working for football clubs need to be working tirelessly off the field. Though the transfer season is not in full swing right now, the clubs need to plan ahead in order to get their new players before the pre-season training kicks off. And there is this little bonus of 60 million that each club has to contend with this season. Its tiime to splurge big money on player. Big time.

I have listened to many experts talking on various sports shows say that splitting the TV money among all the clubs playing in the Premier League is done with an eye to make the league the most competitive football league. Well, I do agree with the fact that it is far more competitive than the Spanish League but does the splitting of the TV money really reduce the gap between the clubs when it comes to the footballing talent put on the field by the various clubs

The logical answer to the above question according to the Premier League honchos is a simple yes. But I beg to differ on this answer. By wanting to reduce the gap or make the gap non-existent what you are essentially trying to do is provide a platform where there is no room for how strong the club is financially to play any role in deciding what kind of players it is able to sign.

According to me there are two ways of doing it -

1. Put a cap on the total amount of money that a club can spend on transfers. ( UEFA are trying to implement a different version of this by implementing the Financial Fair Play, which is not an attempt to bridge the gap, but an attempt to root out the financial mismanagement at clubs.

2. Distribute the money that is received through these deals in a way that the weaker teams get the lion’s share and the financially powerful teams get a smaller pie of the pudding.

The reason why I make the second point is because the situation now is totally bizarre. We are now talking about clubs like Chelsea or Manchester City (among many other clubs) getting 60 million . Would Chelsea or Manchester City take that kind of money – absolutely. But do they need that kind of money – no.

Wouldn’t it make more sense if a club like West Brom or Swansea receive more than the GBP 60 million they are about to receive now? Consider a hypothetical situation where West Brom and Swansea receive a 100 million each. Wouldn’t it make it a little easier for them to attract world class players to their clubs? Wont it help those clubs’ attempt to make it to the Champions League which would mean more money and fame? After all why should the fans who pay for the tickets to watch their teams play be unfairly treated just because their owner is not capable of putting in the money to buy world class players.

Many would look at what I have mentioned above and say that club football is an industry and just like in any industry there are big companies and small companies and still no complaints from either side about their respective positions within the industry, and hence, there shouldn’t be any complaints in this case.

But, what those people have to know is that for club football or the league to sustain its success and grow every year, it needs to be more competitive season after season and for that to happen there needs to be a scenario where the player doesn’t have to choose a club just because the other clubs are incapable of paying his wages. There will still be small clubs and big clubs but that would only be for footballing reasons unlike the situation that exists right now.

I am not suggesting that by implementing these steps, there’ll be structural changes overnight. But, at least it would be a step in the right direction. So, if the Premier League is far-sighted and have an eye for making big money which I know they do, this is the way to go. And until such time, the TV deal will only remain an artificial sweetener for the clubs