How can it be that the Best/Most Exciting/Richest League in the World TM has still to avail itself of a chief executive, a full 14 months after Richard Scudamore announced he was standing down? Perhaps the Premier League’s tireless quest for superlative accolades means it is trying to outstrip Belgium, which famously went for 589 days without a government. It is now certainly the most Chief Executiveless League in the World, and we can only salute Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck – who is handling the process of filling the role – for his courage, his strength, and his indefatigability.
Having said that, the Premier League does have an acting chief executive in the form of Richard Masters, a man who has now been acting for so long that he is expected to receive a Bafta fellowship next year. The Premier League tell me that the search for Scudamore’s replacement is “an ongoing process, with no set time frame,” giving it the flavour of my intention to learn Mandarin, or sort out the top kitchen cupboards.
Right back at the start of this executive search, it was headline news. There was a flurry of interest way back in December, as it was announced Discovery executive Susanna Dinnage was to take the role. She later pulled out, with the next name in the frame reportedly being BBC Studios chief Tim Davie. He too is said to have ruled himself out. Then, last February, there were a couple of reports linking Javier Tebas, the cuddly far right nationalist who runs La Liga, with the job. La Liga duly issued a statement stressing that Tebas was committed to them.
Then it was Sir Gary Verity’s turn, with the then-chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, and the man who brought the Tour de France to the county, soon withdrawing from what we’ll by now charitably style as “the process”, following some kind of expenses furore, with a side order of bullying allegations. The next person to be linked with the role was ITV’s strategy chief Tom Betts, but that was back in April, and since then it has all been serenely quiet. The executive vacuum at the top of the Premier League is perhaps now accepted as simply a fact of footballing life in this land, like children being encouraged to gamble, or make obscene finger gestures at opposition players behind the goal.
Anyway. When, or if, the position is ever filled, the new incumbent could have a historic commercial opportunity to offset against the stalled media rights growth – if only he or she has the balls to embrace it. To wit, what has been described as the most exciting sponsorship opening in contemporary football. Yes, it’s the chance to get your name all over the VAR breaks! Or the name of your bitterest business rival, whatever feels most judicious in the circumstances.
Back in May, one sports marketing executive estimated to the Financial Times that VAR had been on screen for 27 minutes during last summer’s World Cup, and hazarded that the bigger international tournaments could clear £50m for sponsorship of this most pregnant of pauses, or up to £100m if bundled with other opportunities.
Little could be more inevitable than confirmation from Fifa that they were receiving approaches from companies keen to be associated with the Infuriating Scientific Hiatus. Fifa was currently rejecting the offers, but indicated that would change once development of the system itself was no longer the “top priority”. (Needless to say, there is a whole school of conspiracists who deem football so commercialised that they believe the VAR system has specifically been introduced for this purpose.)
With most advertising being pitchside or on players’ kit, the chance to have your brand plastered over something absolutely central to the progress of a match must feel tempting. You know, eventually. And also great value for money. Arriving at a VAR decision may take a mere eleventy minutes in linear time, but emotionally, spiritually – and in terms of anger management – it feels a lot longer. Thus for any potential sponsors, it’s like you’re buying some time, but getting a lot more for free.
In Australia’s A-League VAR is already sponsored by McDonald’s, with the fast food giant proudly described as “the Official Partner of the Video Assistant Referee system.” As far the present, arguably sub-optimal situation in the Premier League goes, being described as “the official partner of VAR” feels marginally less desirable than being described as the official partner of Henry VIII. Or possibly Dr Crippen.
Still, we are assured that the kinks/sporticidal tendencies of the system will eventually be ironed out. And once they are, I can’t think of anything more guaranteed to enhance one’s enjoyment of these high-profile gaps in the action than a brand logo, or even a longer word from our sponsors. Well, nothing short of the National Theatre staging a Harold Pinter season, and getting a sponsor for the pregnant pauses.
As for which brands may feel their messages most closely align with VAR, the technology doesn’t feel the most instinctive fit with, say, Guinness’s famous slogan, which declares that “good things come to those that wait”. On Saturday, you might have won a few new customers in north London, but rather more Man City fans would have sworn off you. Anyway, surely the perfect synergy would be with a product or service that takes a long time to complete, and makes people very angry or frustrated, but is the right thing to do in the long run. How about the Inland Revenue? Moments of high footballing drama could bear the HMRC logo, and a reminder to fill in your tax return.
