Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore said that the Premier League has a "strategic plan" to enable more clubs to win the title, according to Charlotte Bates of SKY SPORTS. In one of "the biggest shocks in the sport's history," Leicester City was crowned Premier League champion. And Scudamore "hopes the success of the rank outsiders gives hope to other clubs not usually regarded as contenders at the start of the campaign." He said, "Without being disrespectful to any club, we have a strategic plan at the Premier League and the strategic plan says putting a new name on the trophy in every six-year period. That doesn't mean we don't want any team to win it. It just means we would rather see some sort of rotation, for all neutrals in the game (what Leicester achieved) was a big moment." Asked how many teams "were in with a realistic chance of adding their name to the Premier League trophy," Scudamore joked, "If Leicester did it last season then you would have to say 17" (SKY SPORTS, 8/10).
NEW THREATS: The PA reported Scudamore believes "digital gaming and social media are among the biggest threats to keeping youngsters engaged in football." He highlighted "the modern-day obstacles but vowed the governing body would do everything it could" to keep young people able to identify with the sport. Asked which league or sport he sees "as the main competitors to the Premier League," he said, "I see it wider than that. I see gaming, all sorts of digital gaming, I see all sorts of young people spending time on their devices doing all sorts of things to entertain themselves, with social media generally. We don't necessarily see other sports -- I think that's a little narrow, in terms of our competitors" (PA, 8/10).
