Roy Hodgson, calls for TV money to go into grassroots

England’s manager, Roy Hodgson, hopes the Premier League’s latest influx of television money can be used for the benefit of the national game.


Sky Sports and BT Sport’s new package for domestic broadcasting rights is worth £5.136bn for the 2016-19 seasons, a 70% rise on the current £3.01bn.

That prompted immediate calls for the windfall to be shared extensively with the grassroots game and Hodgson wants to see investment in coaching and facilities.

“We [the FA] represent English football but I’m as aware as anybody that [the Premier League] is a European league played on English soil,” he told BBC Sport.

“Our interest is in getting as much money as we possibly can to improve facilities, improve coaching, so that this crop of young players we’re seeing come through are followed by another crop of young players.

“Of course the FA doesn’t have the financial resources of the Premier League so any help we can get, we’ll be very, very grateful.”

The FA chairman, Greg Dyke, shares Hodgson’s view and is hoping for a meaningful contribution towards a planned upgrade in football facilities nationwide.

“We’re trying to raise money inside the FA because we think there’s a real need for many more artificial pitches across the country,” Dyke told BBC Sport.

“We’re trying to spend money on that, spend some more money on coaching and we need to raise about £30m a year we think from within the FA and other people.

“We would gratefully accept any money the Premier League would like to put towards it and they will, I’m sure.

“Everyone has been waiting to see what their latest television deal is and I think once we saw it we were all a bit staggered. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to go up that much but good for them. They did a good job.”


Source: Guardian