Birmingham Metropolis proprietor Tom Wagner says lower-league golf equipment “mustn’t take an excessive amount of” from high Premier League sides, amid ongoing negotiations to redistribute a share of their wealth inside the EFL.
Talks over a deal to share Premier League earnings inside the soccer pyramid are carrying on towards a backdrop of strain from the federal government as a brand new impartial soccer regulator is being established.
A invoice to ascertain the regulator turned legislation in July and could have backstop powers to drive a deal ought to it not be agreed.
The Premier League argues English soccer can govern itself, stating a regulator could have “unprecedented and untested powers to intervene within the distribution of [its] revenues” and have “a detrimental impression on competitiveness and funding in world class expertise”.
Talking at The Summit, a part of Leaders Week London 2025, Wagner, an American investor, mentioned: “I feel the highest golf equipment in English soccer should be protected in any respect prices. We will not take an excessive amount of from the highest golf equipment to help the pyramid.
“When you have a scenario the place the highest groups aren’t dominant, I imply internationally, with the easiest gamers and product, then the curiosity will wane – notably from the US market which can drive curiosity and capital flows into soccer.
“I really like the pyramid – we’ve skilled loads of it – however the high golf equipment which might be extremely profitable have vital model worth and draw curiosity. We hope that curiosity will assist develop the whole pyramid.”
Backed by vital US funding since 2023, Birmingham are among the many richest golf equipment within the EFL and secured a document 111 factors when incomes promotion from League One to the Championship final season.
Birmingham spent £25m in League One final season, greater than the remainder of the division mixed, in response to Transfermarkt.
They’re among the many largest spenders within the EFL, together with Welsh membership Wrexham, who’re owned by a consortium that options Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Eleven of the 20 groups within the Premier League have US homeowners and a two-thirds majority may permit them to band collectively to vote by way of main adjustments within the sport, together with a much-debated abroad thirty ninth match.
Wagner is supportive of enjoying a match abroad in the USA, with the membership having floated the thought of enjoying Wrexham there final season.
He mentioned: “We have now two US-owned golf equipment within the Championship and our matches did very properly within the US when broadcast. I feel we’re solely scratching the floor of what we will do internationally and that is very thrilling.”
The co-founder of Knighthead Capital Administration additionally spoke extensively about Birmingham’s Sport Quarter growth plans, which embrace a proposed multipurpose 62,000-seat stadium.
The membership imagine the stadium will permit Birmingham to turn into extra of a soccer vacation spot because it “does not make sense” that individuals maintain travelling to London and Manchester however skip the “second metropolis”.
Wagner additionally mentioned he would welcome Birmingham’s native rivals having fun with on-field success.
“I respect followers benefit from the distress of their crosstown rivals,” he mentioned, “but when I used to be to root towards Villa or Wolves in our quick space then I’m rooting towards golf equipment within the Birmingham space and lessening the standard of Birmingham soccer.
“Manchester United and Metropolis are two nice golf equipment in the identical metropolis, London have loads of nice crosstown rivals, so why would not we wish that for Birmingham to extend the curiosity?”
Wagner additionally defined that he and his colleagues had little interest in multi-club possession and that that they had explored investing a minority stake in a London facet however thought-about it overvalued earlier than shopping for into Birmingham.
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