ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION IN PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL

That this House notes the police raids on two English Premiership clubs and one Scottish Premiership club in connection with alleged corruption within British Premiership football; further notes that this follows on from Quest's final report into allegations of bungs in the Premier League; recognises that there is increasing distaste among football fans at the obscene amounts of television money, reaching £2.7 billion over the next three years, which is enriching a small number of premier football clubs, their players, agents and new global owners, but is doing very little to help grass roots football nor to develop potential England players of the future; believes, therefore, that there is a compelling argument for a windfall tax on television monies coming into football similar to the windfall tax that was levied on the privatised utilities after 1997; and further believes that the proceeds of such a tax should be ring fenced, administered by the Football Foundation and used to support the development of grass roots football in the UK and the retention and improvement of existing football pitches and changing facilities owned by sports clubs and local authorities.