Premier League clubs shocked by request to donate £5million to outgoing boss Richard Scudamore
Premier League clubs have reportedly been stunned by a request from Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck that they each donate to outgoing boss Richard Scudamore’s £5million ‘golden handshake’.
The Mail report that an emergency meeting has been called in London this afternoon where Scudamore’s successor will be announced.
However, it is Buck’s request that they each donate £250,000 which has caught the Premier League clubs off guard.
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Buck is a close friend of Scudamore’s since he became the Blues’ chairman 15 years ago and the report claims he has contacted all 20 clubs, asking them to donate to the outgoing boss’s parting gift.
And while the clubs recognise the fine job Scudamore has done during his 19 years at the helm of the Premier League, some are surprised by the bonus request given the salary and bonuses the 59-year-old has commanded in that time.
His basic annual salary of £900,000 is often topped up by bonuses he gets for negotiating the top flight’s multi-billion pound broadcasting deals, taking his income closer to £2.5m a year.
Officials from each club have been asked to attend this afternoon’s meeting where clubs will attempt reach an agreement on the special payment for Scudamore and find out who will replace him.
Scudamore first joined the Premier League in 1999 and has been responsible for its meteoric growth in stature across the globe.
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He gave an emotive speech when he announced in June that he would step down from his role as executive chairman.
“It’s an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,’ he said. ‘It is too much fun to be called a job.”
With Scudamore at the helm, the Premier League’s value to broadcasters has skyrocketed, allowing the league to negotiate television rights worth billions of pounds.
In turn, that huge influx of cash has allowed clubs to spend millions on buying star players and paying them eye-watering wages.
However, change may be in the air. Last season the ‘Big Six’ – Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and both Manchester clubs pushed for a bigger slice of the pie, which saw a ‘sliding scale’ of reward money introduced, based on a club’s league position.
Now those same clubs may see an opportunity to take more control of the Premier League’s future direction themselves, rather than give Scudamore’s successor the same power he had in calling the shots.
