Football Governance Bill [HL]

Debate between Lord Birt and Lord Bassam of Brighton

Committee stage
Wednesday 15th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Birt (CB)]

To respond briefly to what the noble Lord just said, in my remarks I said that I think there is a case for looking at the weighting between solidarity payments and sustainability payments. That is exactly what I think the kind of measures that we discussed earlier would bring some clinical analysis to and come up with a considered answer.

Forgive me if I point out something else to the noble Lord. I am a lover of stats, and I have just looked up a stat, which is what proportion of Brighton’s revenues come from the Premier League. In the last year for which figures are published—so this will not be from this year—73% of the revenues of the noble Lord’s club came from the Premier League. He has to face the issue that if there were a material change in that, it would have an impact on the club and the Premier League and its appeal. This is about getting the right balance in all these things.

[Lord Bassam of Brighton (Lab)]

I agree that it is about getting the right balance—there is no disagreement between me and the noble Lord—and obviously I acknowledge the size of the support that Brighton & Hove Albion get. One should also put on record that our fans—I am a great fan, a season ticket holder and a 1901 Club member, for that matter—are incredibly grateful to Tony Bloom for the investment that he has put in. I do not entirely buy the argument that it is because of parachute payments. Back when Brighton were pressing for promotion in 2016-17, that was not foremost in anyone’s thinking, and I doubt whether it was foremost in Tony Bloom’s. But obviously we have to look at where the resource is spent, and that is why it is for the IFR to make that determination and to treat this issue with great care when it comes to a conclusion, based on the “state of the game” report.