Another swipe at working class lads earning money from football. At least this one recognises the role of the owners. But what about the media magnates and corporate sponsors? A thread: https://twitter.com/ShippersUnbound/status/1245773878619766786

The Premier League was created when Lord Sugar rang up Rupert Murdoch to get Sky to "blow their (ITV's) deal out of the water". The money that has poured into football has come from television and sponsorship deals (as well as commercialisation of Club branding (kits etc)

BT Sport has also pumped millions into football. Why was this possible? Because in the 1980s the Thatcher government deregulated television & telecommunications. Why not criticise Sky and BT for their largesse in creating the Premier League?

Football Club ownership was also deregulated in the 1980s (The FA used to have a rule that no dividend greater than 7% could be extracted). That changed in the 1980s and new directors came in to make profit. Why not criticise these entrepreneurs?

Some of these entrepreneurs went with the free market logic of the 1980s and set up their clubs as private businesses. Some even floated on the stock exchange (eg Spurs). Why not criticise the rules that let them do this?

Finances are also bolstered by corporate sponsorship deals with multinational corporations. This matches free market logic of post 1980s capitalism as brands seek to expand their markets around the world & use the popularity of football to sell their goods. Why not criticise them

Clubs also make money from corporate boxes. The only people who can afford these are entrepreneurs & hedge fund managers. Why not criticise these for spending their millions on watching a match rather than paying for the NHS?

Clubs also make money from match day sales - tickets, catering & merchandise. Many stadiums have been part funded by the government eg West Ham's London Stadium. Why not criticise Johnson for his criminally undervalued lease? Or question why states spend on the Olympics?

An alternative source of funding is from global billionaires. The UK wants to see itself as a global finance centre & welcomes investment from around the world. Why not criticise these investors?

Football is a popular pastime & some working class lads get paid very well. Most footballers do not. They are part of a wide network of owners, sponsors & media magnates. So why are the footballers criticised not the whole network?

This is an easy distraction for the public. It's diverting people away from the government's spectacular failure in preparing, managing or communicating this crisis. It is diverting from neoliberal capitalism that celebrates paying less tax & a small state (underfunding the NHS)

And journalists & the public fall for it. @MattHancock says about the Premier League paying their share, & everyone focuses on the players. He's played you all and you should be asking the Secretary of State why he is failing, not falling for his smoke and mirrors #covid19UK