Before the start of the 2024 European Championship, England’s football team was widely considered one of the favorites to win the tournament. Coach Gareth Southgate had a wealth of talent at his disposal, with some of Europe’s best players travelling to Germany.
They included players like Jude Bellingham, who quickly became one of Real Madrid’s most influential players. Then there was Phil Foden, the Premier League’s player of the season. Striker Harry Kane scored goals at will for Bayern Munich.
So the squad is made up of many top footballers from some of the best and richest clubs in the world. However, many of these players honed their skills in less glamorous environments, further down the English system, the so-called football pyramid.
And the English team owes a lot to this pyramid. Before they achieved their current places in Europe’s elite top teams, 16 players of the 26-man English squad played and developed in the lower leagues.
Bellingham was a youth player at Birmingham City (now League One), who retired his number 22 shirt to inspire future generations of academy players. Harry Kane once played on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall and Norwich City.
England’s first-choice goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has also played on loan for teams such as Sunderland, Carlisle United and Preston North End, as well as amateur clubs Darlington and Alfreton Town.
Others who have spent time further down the pyramid include John Stones (Barnsley), Mark Guehi (Swansea City), Kieran Trippier (Barnsley, Burnley), Kyle Walker (Northampton, QPR), Anthony Gordon (Preston), Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) and Ivan Toney (Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, Wigan, Peterborough).
These teams are an integral part of the careers of today’s stars, offering them the opportunity to experience exciting games away from the glaring spotlight of the Premier League.
However, many clubs in the lower leagues are far from being valued as an important part of the development of English players and are struggling with major financial problems.
A recent report shows that the English Premier League generated revenues of more than £6 billion in the 2022-2023 season, far more than the revenues of the lower leagues. The total revenue of all 24 clubs in the Championship (England’s second division) was £749 million, League One (third division) £236 million and League Two (fourth division) just £131 million.
The English Premier League and the English Football League (which represents the three leagues listed below) are currently in a stalemate over how to share the revenue the Premier League generates from television. Currently, around 15% of revenue is passed on to the lower leagues, although much of this is used for the “parachute payments” paid out to the three clubs relegated from the top division to the Championship each season.
A sporting opportunity
Over the past 20 years, the income gap between the Premier League and the clubs below it has grown significantly. Research also shows that many lower league clubs are teetering on the edge of insolvency, with more than half technically insolvent. Some are taking financial risks to move up and earn higher revenues.
One reason for this could be the fragmented governance of English football, with several organisations running the sport. The FA manages the English national team and grassroots football, but has little to do with the operators of the various leagues.
That could soon change. Before the 2024 parliamentary elections, all major political parties Election promises the introduction of an independent football regulator with the aim of improving the finances of clubs in the five major leagues.
One possible outcome of regulatory intervention could be the harmonisation of current governing powers to help them work more closely together. This could potentially help English teams by offering more support to lower league clubs and encouraging the development of future stars.
However, there is no sign of government intervention in the financial distribution between the leagues.
And for England’s teams to continue to be successful in the future, the flow of talent must continue without being hampered by a financially strapped and fragmented system. If a future regulator were to mandate a higher profit-sharing system, the side effect could be a stronger England team in future tournaments – and who knows, maybe even a trophy one day.
