Premier League's Executive Chairman, Richard Scudamore to retire soon
The Premier League will be seeing a change in its leadership when Richard Scudamore, the Executive Chairman, steps down from his post after 19 years in service. Scudamore will be succeeded by the current Global President of Discovery's Animal Planet, Susanna Dinnage. Here is a look at the career of Scudamore with the world's most popular football league.
The legacy Scudamore will leave behind
Scudamore achieved great success in other endeavors before joining English football as the Football League's Chief Executive. He is responsible for making the Premier League into a global brand and the most watched football league in the world. Scudamore will be remembered for his vision and his able handling of the legal, financial, and political matters of the Premier League.
Scudamore's achievements and contributions to the Premier League
Richard's greatest achievement remains in how he monetized Premier League through the sale of broadcasting rights and made the tournament one of the most thriving in the world. Telecast contracts negotiated by him have seen the upperside of an unprecedented £4.5 billion. Scudamore will be remembered for breaking grounds, being open to ideas, partnering with streaming companies like Amazon and DAZN.
Major controversies during his career as Premier League boss
The retiring Premier League Executive Chairman was adept at handling disciplinary breaches. When Arsenal's Ashley Cole, Chelsea's CEO, and then-manager Jose Mourinho met illicitly to discuss a transfer, they were fined and three points were deducted from Chelsea's account. Scudamore set up committees to investigate against reports of corruption in the EPL. He was vocal in his defense of foreign ownership of EPL clubs.
On his successor, Susanna Dinnage
Susanna Dinnage, who has been chosen as Richard's successor, will surely become one of the most powerful women in the world of sports. She would take over the job in January. "Susanna was the outstanding choice given her track record in managing complex businesses through transformation and digital disruption," said Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck. Dinnage also expressed her gratitude, on being appointed.
Premier League has a woman in charge, finally coming-of-age?
Premier League has always been a male-dominated institution and it has been a long time coming when a woman would be at the helm of it all. This progressive step can have repercussions on all rungs of the ladder and might see women in higher positions throughout the world of sports. And to quote a favorite character, "The middle-aged white man's time is over".
