Premier League: Richard Scudamore accepts £5m departure bonus from all 20 clubs
Scudamore, who will be succeeded by Susanna Dinnage in 2019, will also stay on in a consultancy capacity
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Your support makes all the difference.Outgoing executive chairman Richard Scudamore has accepted a £5m departure bonus paid for by all 20 Premier League clubs, it has been announced.
The proposals for clubs to donate £250,000 each was suggested by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, who chairs the league’s audit and remuneration committee and led the search for Scudamore’s successor Susanna Dinnage.
But the move has drawn criticism from many, with The Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) earlier urging clubs to reject the plan, citing that most supporters “strongly oppose the ‘golden handshake’”.
However, the payments will go ahead as planned after clubs were denied the opportunity to vote on the matter.
On leaving the Premier League shareholders' meeting in London, Tottenham owner Daniel Levy said the bonus was an "absolutely fair payment" and "all the clubs are behind it", while West Ham co-owner David Gold said that the farewell payments are "all very appropriate and we are all very pleased".
The value of the Premier League television rights when Scudamore joined in 1999 was £670m and has since risen to over £5bn, which marks the most recent deal he negotiated for 2016-19. The figure for the next deal to cover 2019-2022 has not been announced yet.
In a statement, the Premier League confirmed the money will be paid over a three-year period as a recognition for Scudamore’s “outstanding work over the last 19 years”.
“The Premier League has today agreed the arrangements for Richard Scudamore stepping down from his role as Executive Chairman,” read the statement.
“The decision was made by the Audit and Remuneration Committee and the Non-Executive Directors, supported and endorsed by the clubs.
“The payments, which will eventually total £5m, will be spread over the next three years and are in consideration of three important areas.
“It was vital that a comprehensive set of non-complete clauses were extended, to ensure the best possible protection for the future of the Premier League.
“It was agreed that it is crucial for the League’s ongoing success that Richard’s unique knowledge and experience remain available in an advisory capacity.
“The payments are in recognition of the outstanding work Richard has carried out over the last 19 years.”
The bonus has been met with outcry from supporters that feel the Premier League has placed financial and international success ahead of tradition football values.
“Premier League clubs have always told fan groups that budgets are planned in advance and there’s not a surplus of cash lying around from their extremely lucrative TV deal,” the FSF said.
“In the meantime, loyal football supporters continue to be inconvenienced by fixture changes to fit TV schedules, often losing out on travel costs or struggling to get to and from games in the first place.
“Now it appears clubs can stick their hands down the back of the sofa and find £250,000 at a moment’s notice. Fans strongly oppose the ‘golden handshake’ and we urge clubs not to make a decision which is hugely unpopular with supporters.”
Several fan groups have opposed the bonus, including Everton’s The Blue Union and Liverpool’s Spirit of Shankly.
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