TELEVISION MONEY AND THE ENGLISH PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

That this House recognises that the vast sums of television money poured into the English Premier League, including £2.7 billion during the current three-year contract, equivalent to 1.66 per cent. of the country's current financial deficit, have enriched beyond belief a small number of Premier football clubs, their players, agents and global owners but is doing very little to help grass roots football or to develop potential English 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 which are going to be under even more threat by the squeeze on public expenditure.