Football Club Ownership - Never Mind the Quality

Never Mind the Quality

More years ago than I care to remember there was a TV comedy show called “Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width” about two tailors, one Irish, one Jewish, who represented the two attitudes embodied in the title.


One said, in effect, who cares how much time we spend on every aspect of the suit so long as the customers are coming through the door? The other advocated making all parts of the suits the best they can possibly be so that the reputation of their business was known and admired.


Watching what’s going on with Portsmouth puts me in mind of the Premier League. I don’t have to labour the point but that seems to be the attitude of the folks in Gloucester Place: “once we’ve set up the golden goose, who cares what happens round the back with the dirty bits”.


Richard Scudamore and his mates at the PL would disagree, of course. They have a “fit and proper” test for owners of their clubs these days and no doubt every Middle Eastern, Far Eastern, American, Russian or British wannabe football god has come through that test with flying colours.


Pity they don’t have a rule which says a club is allowed only one owner per season. Pompey have had four so far. They are, we are told, £11 million pounds in debt and have a week to sort it out. I hope they do, for the fans sake, but then I hope they don’t for the sake of football.


Until a club goes bust we will continue to believe that the PL is the best in the world. It isn’t.


It is allowing a free reign to the financial speculators to mess up – just like the banks. Trouble is, there aren’t enough governments interested in baling out football clubs.