Former Arsenal co-owner and vice-chairman David Dein wants the 115 FFP charges against Manchester City to be dropped, claiming the Premier League taking legal action against its own members “doesn’t sit well”.
Dein was one of the architects of the Premier League in 1992, believing football to be a “sleeping giant”.
Greg Dyke, later the chairman of the FA, claimed Dein “was the most revolutionary bloke I’ve met in football”, insisting “the Premier League was his idea”.
Dein is also widely regarded to be an Arsenal hero, having appointed the little-known Arsene Wenger in 1996, with the Gunners winning the Premier League three times and the FA Cup on seven occasions under the Frenchman.
He told The Times that while is proud of what the Premier League has become, he wishes there was more harmony, believing the legal battles with Manchester City to be particularly damaging.
“I am very uncomfortable with the bickering that is going on at the moment, much of it over Financial Fair Play,” Dein said. “I want to see the children playing nicely in the playground. At the moment it’s not happening. Whatever little I can do to ameliorate that situation, I am happy to do.
“Personally I think the rules as they are now should be scrapped and we should start again with a new formula. At the moment it is not working. Man City recently had a case against the Premier League which they won. Now there’s going to be another case, and after that we will have the decision on the 115 charges.
“Every club that goes to a Premier League meeting now brings a lawyer with them. I watched the Liverpool v Aston Villa gamerecently and it was a fantastic advert for the game. I want people talking about the football, not swamped by legal issues. You’ve got the league taking action against their own members, that doesn’t sit well with me.
“I know the game has moved on from the time when I would have blazing rows with Ken Bates or Ron Noades or Sam Hammam [the former owners of Chelsea, Crystal Palace, and Wimbledon and Cardiff City respectively] and afterwards we would have a cup of tea and shake hands.”
Asked if he would like a general amnesty before clubs started again under newly-revised rules, Dein confirmed: “That’s what I would do. That’s what I think it needs but the legal action has a life of its own now and it is taking up a lot of Premier League time. It is costing the league £50million and I would rather see that money going into grassroots football. What’s happening is crazy.”