Chairman Delighted With Premier League Money

By: Mariners Net
Date: 26/07/2007

TOWN chairman John Fenty has welcomed a £69,000 grant from the Premier League and says that it was Grimsby Town who lobbied the Football League. "This football club has been lobbying the Football League for this and they have set aside some of this money. We are delighted to see that has happened."

"There is three aspects to it. One is that the football clubs will naturally enjoy an additional income over and above the basic award."

The money is from a £90-million pot which will filter down the Football League over the next three years at a rate of £22.4-million per season.

Premier League bosses hope it will help bridge the gap between the top flight and the Football League, but Mr Fenty is a little sceptical.

"The only downside to that is it will simply go into the players' pockets. That's a matter of the way football clubs are run and it's not necessarily the best thing for football."

"It's two fold. One is that some of the money goes towards football in the community and the football development program - we are delighted to see that's happened."

"Grimsby Town are particularly going to set this money aside to improve facilities and the offering for the people going through the programs to ensuring that we get a better result."

"The other side of it is some of the money is being set aside for football clubs that want to follow up on initiatives that will help develop the business side of the operation and that's really good from a Grimsby Town point of view because other clubs have clearly taken the lead on this where they have redeveloped, got better facilities and so on."

"So in essence, through a grant award program, we will be able to put forward our ideas and hopefully subscribe and win additional financial support to help us build a stronger business, and that could help us towards the new stadium as well."

"It won't make any difference whatsoever in bridging the gap between the Football League and the Premier League."

"Essentially football clubs will make the same losses next year that they made this year because put simply the money will go straight into the players' pocket and effectively non of those clubs will be better equipped to play in the Premiership."

"So it's a real nonsense that the money is going to be distributed that way.

"This football club lobbied for money to be set aside to improve stadia and to improve football business in its entirity which in turn would increase gates and overall have a better impact for the long term future of football."

"The grant award has in part fitted that aim and objective.

"It's additional money, we knew the money was coming, again that would be factored into our playing budget already."

"The football club is going to make a loss next year, there is no doubt about that."

"We have still got tax debts to pay off. We have got two more years almost at £180,000 a year still to pay off so we mustn't get carried away and think that this is a mend all because it's not."

"We still have to control our budgets and we still have to work as tightly as we can but at the same time, we still believe we have got a budget that will enable us to compete."

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