Henry scoffs at relegation claims
Source: Agencies |
October 22, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LIVERPOOL owner John Henry denies that foreign owners in the English Premier League want to scrap the relegation and promotion system.
Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the League Managers' Association, said this week that some of the American and Asian owners have been talking about ending the system.
But Henry called that "complete nonsense," saying in Boston on Thursday that it "hasn't been discussed."
Half of the EPL's 20 teams are foreign-owned. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland are owned by Americans, while Blackburn Rovers is under Indian ownership and Queens Park Rangers has Malaysian backers.
American sports leagues don't follow the European model of relegation and promotion. Bevan warned that, if more teams are sold to overseas investors, they could force a change.
Serious debate
However, Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said that "there's been no serious debate about it at all."
"It's just a nonsensical starting point," Scudamore said. "It's scare-mongering of the worst order in my view. There is absolutely no appetite for it. You just can't make statements without being able to back it up.
"I'm probably the person sitting with the most evidence. I speak to the clubs on a regular basis. I speak to all the owners on a very regular basis and there's no appetite for it whatsoever."
Other American-owned teams have also dismissed Bevan's claims.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, whose club is owned by American Malcolm Glazer and his family, said eliminating relegation "would be absolute suicide for the rest of the teams in the country."
The Aston Villa board headed by American Randy Lerner was "confused and surprised" by Bevan's remarks.
But Bevan said "particularly American owners without doubt" have been looking at a system without relegation.
Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the League Managers' Association, said this week that some of the American and Asian owners have been talking about ending the system.
But Henry called that "complete nonsense," saying in Boston on Thursday that it "hasn't been discussed."
Half of the EPL's 20 teams are foreign-owned. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland are owned by Americans, while Blackburn Rovers is under Indian ownership and Queens Park Rangers has Malaysian backers.
American sports leagues don't follow the European model of relegation and promotion. Bevan warned that, if more teams are sold to overseas investors, they could force a change.
Serious debate
However, Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said that "there's been no serious debate about it at all."
"It's just a nonsensical starting point," Scudamore said. "It's scare-mongering of the worst order in my view. There is absolutely no appetite for it. You just can't make statements without being able to back it up.
"I'm probably the person sitting with the most evidence. I speak to the clubs on a regular basis. I speak to all the owners on a very regular basis and there's no appetite for it whatsoever."
Other American-owned teams have also dismissed Bevan's claims.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, whose club is owned by American Malcolm Glazer and his family, said eliminating relegation "would be absolute suicide for the rest of the teams in the country."
The Aston Villa board headed by American Randy Lerner was "confused and surprised" by Bevan's remarks.
But Bevan said "particularly American owners without doubt" have been looking at a system without relegation.
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