Richard Scudamore, the respected Premier League executive chairman is to stand down by the end of 2018 after nearly 20 years as head of the organisation. The 58-year-old was appointed in November 1999 and has overseen a period of sustained growth.
The league’s UK television rights were valued at about £670m when he joined, and the last deal was worth £5.14bn. “It’s an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long,” said Scudamore. “It is too much fun to be called a job. Football is an intoxicating environment and therefore difficult to give up being so involved, but my passion for what football means to so many and the positive impact it can make will never diminish.”
Scudamore reportedly kept his decision secret from the clubs, only announcing it at their end-of-season meeting on Thursday when the agenda reached “any other business”. It appears the only people aware of his decision were Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman and head of the league’s audit and remuneration committee, and two of the league’s independent directors.
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