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The Guardian today publish the verdicts of a few from within football:
Iain Moody, a former agent:
"I've just read your piece about the state of football. Couldn't agree more. I'd challenge you to find someone who spends more time thinking about, or follows more closely, football (for Christ's sake, I spent the last six years working in football!) but I've reached the end. I quit my last job with a football agency because the whole industry made me sick. I told my boss (while still working there) why I didn't believe he could justify the money he took from clubs for doing virtually nothing and why, as a football fan, I felt genuinely ashamed and embarrassed to work for him.
“We're heading for some significant change. Look at what's happened in Italy for each of the last three summers. Who plays in which division is now decided by a serious of ludicrously expensive court cases, appeals procedures and fan unrest rather than results on the pitch. Great clubs like Fiorentina, Lazio, Roma, Parma, Napoli, Torino and many others have literally gone bust and had to be re-formed. In 1985 Verona won the title. Torino were runners-up. Now only Juventus or Milan can win the league - unless Inter finally stop wasting money on overpriced players and sort themselves out. Dull, dull, dull. Thank god for the cricket."
Dave Boyle, Deputy Chief Executive of Supporters Direct:
“Your article summed up what a lot of fans have been feeling for years, and it was welcome to read the thoughts that rarely get articulated in the national media. But while you're spot on about the bad, you've underestimated the good.
“There's now 13 clubs owned by fans in the UK, with over 40 with a fans representative on the board. Still a long way from where we want to be, but things are changing. There's a lot to be ashamed of in football, and even more to be embarrassed of. But it remains a wonderful sport, capable of uniting people, providing experiences and friendships that last a lifetime.”