Poor control

Now English football really is in trouble. We should not waste much time on personal sympathy for Adam Crozier, the chief executive of the Football Association who resigned this week. He was outstandingly well-paid at £600,000 a year. But he was also worth it, because he had a valid vision for football, the presentational talent to sell it and the executive skills to drive it through.

It is the destruction of that vision that we should mourn. It was blocked by the short-sighted, vested interests of the Premier League money-grabbers, led by some of the more incompetent club bosses.

Mr Crozier wanted to ensure an equitable portion of the Premiership's wealth was spread on the grassroots. If fans and players at all levels cannot rely on the Football Association to protect their sport, they should look to the Government. We need a regulator to look after the interests of the game; it's time for Offoot.