Government tell Premier League to support football pyramid or face independent regulator

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said that an independent regulator could be given powers over financial distribution unless the Premier League agrees to a deal to support lower leagues

The Premier League has been told to improve its support of lower leagues (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Premier League will be forced to give away hundreds of millions to the wider football pyramid if it cannot come up with a fair alternative by the summer, the government has warned.

Such an agreement was described as “some way off” in ministers’ formal response to the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, leaving open the possibility that legislation will be written up to give an independent regulator the authority to seize up to 25 per cent of the competition’s broadcast revenues - and possibly 10 per cent of transfer fees - for the benefit of the wider game.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston confirmed a White Paper will be drawn up this summer to detail exactly how an independent regulator would operate, amping up the pressure on the Premier League to finally strike a deal with the English Football League. The issue has been rumbling for years but reached new levels with the start of the pandemic and the ill-fated Super League plan - which prompted this review.