Grimsby Town: Jason Stockwood takes aim amid ongoing Premier League saga | OneFootball

Finances within football and the vastly unbalanced share of wealth throughout the game has come into ever-sharpening focus in recent times. Partly due to the bill for an independent regulator being offered to parliament for review over the last couple of weeks, and equally because of the widening gap in affluence between the haves and the have-nots for which said regulator has partially been envisaged to address.

Last week, Grimsby Town co-owner Jason Stockwood used his regular column in The Guardian to show his annoyance at the more widespread "capitalist system where those at the top fail to see beyond their own narrow self-interest." Speaking in direct reference to the current top flight clubs' unwillingness to come up with a suitable financial offer to the EFL to support and sustain the game throughout the pyramid, Stockwood was keen to reiterate the importance of a balanced relationship "between commercialism and community" across the sport at all levels.

Earlier this month, Premier League clubs, in-line with government approval, were given a proposal by the brands' hierarchy. One that would have seen over £900m filter down through the levels as well as offering more stringent control on finances overall. Such a proposal requires 70% of the partaking clubs to be in agreement. This wasn't the case, as many top flight clubs rejected the offer outright, preferring to keep their larger portion of income and ability to push the limits in pursuit of their own aspirations, with little thought for others or the English games' future sustainability.

While the Grimsby Town Chair also took the opportunity to state the inherent connections between sport, particularly football, politics, and society, his frustrations around some Premier League clubs' inability to see the bigger picture - generally shared by supporters of lower league clubs and the wider game - were evident from an owner looking to provide a bright, long-lasting future for his club, it's supporters, and the area as a whole.

Fairly distributed finance is vital for the competitive future of English football

The English game has, by and large, always been very popular; underpinned by a rich history of competition and rivalry. That overall competitiveness has started to become more obviously eroded in modern times, mainly due to an ever-growing gap in resources between clubs at differing levels brought about through the disinclination of a select few to evaluate and appreciate how their product became so in-demand and marketable in the first place.

The competitive edge of English football has long been it's biggest selling point. The quirks of differing community clubs across the country interchanging divisions and levels of success in-line with football's regular cyclical nature is also a key factor in what has allowed the sport on these shores to become famed the world over.

By becoming increasingly unwilling to sustain this long-standing structure adequately, the top-flight clubs are damaging the very product they look to promote. This is an ongoing issue with other factors such as high ticket costs pricing fans out of attending games and kick-off times changed to suit global television audiences. The long-standing traditions within the game, and the communities that football clubs represent are part of the game's unique attributes that need protecting for the good of future generations, something Stockwood also mentioned when stating that the gradual change in attitude from those at English football's top table has seen "a significant cost to local supporters" in the ways mentioned above; aspects the Mariners chief says shines a necessary light on "the values we prioritise as a society and the intended beneficiaries of the game."

Teams at all levels rely on each other to give the sport continued integrity and interest. In layman's terms, the popularity of English football is built on its relentless competitiveness, community pride, and emotional attachment. By failing to protect this financially by sharing the game's vast wealth better, those at the top will continue to damage their marketable product and the future of many historical clubs irreparably in the long-term.

Independent regulator will be a big step forward in aiding football's sustainability

A financial regulator with no attachment to any particular league, club, or establishment can only be a good thing in providing a more sustainable future for the game and its supporters. While football clubs are businesses, they ultimately belong to their fans; without whom, they wouldn't exist. They belong to their towns and cities; their communities.

An independent body, if allowed to operate efficiently and without external pressures, ensuring those that are entrusted custodians of these historically and socially important institutions are thinking and acting in the best interests of the clubs, fans, and the wider game would surely offer a piece of mind for many, and though there will always be some who find creative ways to work around whatever is implemented, the foundation of such an entity should sow the seeds for a gradual return to a more collective game, and in-turn, a more competitive sport on the whole.