Former Leeds and Chelsea proprietor Ken Bates has claimed that the FA ought to have launched guidelines banning international possession of English soccer golf equipment – regardless of promoting each of his groups to abroad traders.
The 89-year-old, who sold Chelsea to Russian Roman Abramovich in 2003 and sold his stake in Leeds United to Bahrain-based GFH Capital in 2013, also wants the number of overseas players in England’s top-flight reduced.
“There has been a clash of eastern and western cultures and eastern and western values.”#OnThisDay in 2004, Ken Bates has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after being sidelined following Roman Abramovich’s £140m takeover#CFC pic.twitter.com/b116kJpO5Z
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 2, 2018
Times have now changed and as the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool – both owned by Americans – lead calls for a breakaway European Super League, Bates believes the FA should have put a stop to it when they had the chance.
Manchester United owned by Americans. Liverpool owned by other Americans.
“The first thing they said was let’s reduce the Premier League by two clubs. Let those two resign. Get out of it. Nobody asked for them to come.
“The great thing about English football is you kick off in August and all start even. What you did 20 years ago has nothing to do with what you do today.
“The trouble is that the FA are very weak. I found that when I was on the FA council and the FA board.
“They should have introduced rules preventing foreign ownership of football clubs.”
Former Leeds United owner Bates also said that the Government should tax overseas payments for transfers and agent fees.
“Too much money goes overseas and they don’t pay any tax,’ he explains. “The Government should introduce tax for any payments overseas for transfer fees, players’ agents, image rights or any of that, 25 to 30 per cent.
“The other thing, they should charge outgoing transfer fees against tax. That will bring down the transfer fees, reduce the number of foreign players coming in and let the English players play in their English league.”
