Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – in the House of Commons at on 20 May 2021.
Peter Bone
Conservative, Wellingborough
What assessment he made of the potential effect of the super league on levels of competition in professional football in the UK.
Nigel Huddleston
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
The Government were vocal in their Opposition to the European super league, which would have been detrimental to the entire football pyramid.
In fact, the whole House was united in opposition. I am glad that all the English teams that were to be involved have now withdrawn from the project, and that was the right result for football fans, clubs and communities right across the country.
Peter Bone
Conservative, Wellingborough
The super league was based on the American model of football, which does not have promotion and relegation. It has other criteria such as the draft and salary caps to make it a more competitive league. Will the Minister give an assurance to this House—in fact, prejudge the review if you like—and promise that, whatever happens, there will be promotion and regular relegation between the different football leagues?
Nigel Huddleston
Assistant Whip, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. I know that he shares my passion for American football, but it is not necessarily a model that we would wish to emulate. It has strengths and weaknesses, but, at heart, football—in fact, all sport—is about competition and fairness, and those should underlie the sport. We are conducting the fan-led review. I am afraid that I cannot pre-empt the conclusions of that review, but I think that we are all looking forward to the work that my hon. Friend Tracey Crouch, a highly regarded and respected Member of this House, will be conducting over the coming weeks, and I am sure that he will contribute to that debate.
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