MrRichardClarke | Sports Digital Consultant and Journalist

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Alex Fynn: The 'Spiritual Godfather of the Premier League'* outlines his European vision

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Alex Fynn: The 'Spiritual Godfather of the Premier League' outlines his European vision MrRichardClarke

Alex Fynn

The Sunday Times described Alex Fynn as the ‘Spiritual Godfather of the Premier League’. He is uncomfortable with the label but, in many ways, it is an apt description. The marketer and author also had an influence on the inception of the Champions League and he is critical how both conceptions have developed.

Now, Fynn is outlining his proposal for a fully-fledged European League. The idea has been talked about a lot in recent months and, if you believe the revelations in Der Speigel last year, the Continent’s elite clubs are trying to hammer out a format right now. It is fraught with difficulties but, more importantly, is it dangerous to the future of the game?

TOPICS

How far away is the Premier League from the vision he put forward in his part of the original blueprint

Why he is unhappy to be called the Spiritual Godfather of the Premier League

His original structure

Basing the Premier League on ‘events’ not run-of-the-mill games

The importance of smaller divisions creating interest

Why there had to be free-to-air games

Why the recommendations that made the money were taken and the ones that grew the game were ignored

The relatively modest size of the first Sky deal

The ways Sky have changed the game

The three key drivers for satellite TV

The value of the television spectacular

Have we reached a saturation point?

Why Alex feels big clubs deserve more of the TV revenue

The crucial differences between the German and Premier League

Limiting squad numbers and guaranteeing English members

The struggle to appoint a CEO for the Premier League

Is there a Premier League bubble?

His original thoughts on a European Super League

Why “they were wrong then and they are wrong now”

The problems with group stages

Why it is time for a European League

How a new European League might work and the issues surrounding it

The stumbling block of reducing the size of the Premier League

Finding enough room in the schedule

‘FFP has failed and it is never going to work’

The possibility of fans turning against football

LINKS

Alex Fynn on Twitter

Alex’s talk on his European League proposal in London on February 28

Alex Fynn’s books on Amazon

Article: The birth of the Champions League