MOT View: Leeds must call out clubs willing to sacrifice sporting integrity for self-interest
The Premier League’s plan to restart the season was looking vulnerable this week when the bottom clubs staged a bid to remove the trapdoor of relegation.
Project Restart is dependent on playing games in neutral venues.
However, the bottom six clubs in the Premier League have reportedly said they would vote against the proposal unless relegation was taken off the table.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has cited the loss of integrity in the league if clubs are forced to lose home advantage and play at neutral venues.
But let’s explore that a little bit.
At the start of the season, all Premier League clubs knew what they were playing for. Three teams would be relegated, four clubs would get Champions League places. One team would be crowned as champions.
Liverpool might have run away with the title but there’s still plenty to play for at the top, with Champions League and Europa League games up for grabs.
Man United have to play four of the teams at the bottom of the league.
Does Barber really think sporting integrity is served by making these fixtures only meaningful for one side?
And does he think sporting integrity is served by denying Leeds and West Brom promotion? Premier League sides are unlikely to vote for an expansion of the league next season and Leeds fans have been waiting for almost 16 years to get back in the top-flight.
Brighton and other clubs like Aston Villa and West Ham want to reap the rewards of TV money and serve the public a host of dead rubbers for the rest of the season. That’s shameful.
Thankfully Sky Sports and BT Sport have fought back and said taking relegation off the table could amount to a breach of contract.
The clubs forming this rebel group should be ashamed that it’s the broadcasters who have had to point out why their plan is so wrong.
Leeds should now come out and call them out too.
Because for all the reasons that this season should not re-start, your team not being good enough is the worst of them all.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Impossible’ – Alan Shearer delivers dire warning to Leeds fans after major setback reported