Premier League clubs have agreed to share at least £1bn of their record UK TV rights deal with lower league sides and grassroots football. The clubs have also agreed to pay all full-time staff the living wage by the start of the 2016-17 season. The Premier League sold the live TV rights for £5.136bn to Sky and BT for three years from 2016. Donations have risen 40% from £700m, despite the TV rights going up by 70% from £3bn. The amount agreed at a meeting of the Premier League clubs on Thursday is dependent on a regulatory challenge from Ofcom and income from international TV rights sales. In addition to providing parachute payments to relegated teams, the member clubs agreed to invest in five key areas: Grassroots facilities Participation Fan engagement and match day experience Solidarity with lower leagues Supporting disadvantaged groups Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "These are unprecedented levels of redistribution in world sport, let alone football, which will deliver long-term progress for English football whether you are a fan, lower-league club or involved in the grassroots." The move comes on the same day the Football Supporters' Federation protested for the Premier League to share its TV wealth, but no definite agreement was made further than a broad pledge to help match-going fans. All full-time staff at Premier League clubs will be paid the living wage, which is based on the amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living. The living wage is currently set at £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 an hour in the rest of the UK. Rhys Moore, of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "It is definitely a move in the right direction. However, the vast majority of low-paid work in the Premier League is with sub-contractors. "This commitment doesn't address that, which is why we think living wage accreditation is so important. The commitment Chelsea made to become the only accredited living wage employer in the Premier League goes so much further than this." A new structure of the Premier league board was also agreed at the meeting, with Scudamore appointed as executive chairman alongside two independent non-executive directors, Claudia Arney and Kevin Beeston. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32077356 It's good to see all clubs signing up to the living wage, though most of the clubs permanent staff will be on it already, it's the part time staff that really need the help, hopefully this will also be addressed in time.
I've always thought it a disgrace that players earn tens of thousands of pounds a week while essential staff like cleaners and maintenance personnel get peanuts. Even a moderately paid Premier League player pockets more during the 90 minutes of a game than the staff earn in a month. This is a small step in the right direction.
