Supporters’ groups and the EFL are among those to welcome the bill, but the Premier League has expressed concern that the regulator has “unprecedented and untested powers to intervene in the distribution [its] revenues.”
The Premier League also said it could have a “negative impact on competitiveness, clubs’ investment in world-class talent and the aspirations that drive our global attractiveness and growth.”
He is in talks with the government to persuade it to make changes to its legislation to avoid what he calls “unintended consequences”.
The legislation also faced opposition from others, such as the vice-chairman of West Ham United, Baroness Brady, who told the House of Lords that “there are dangers lurking in this bill”.
On Monday, Brady said: “This unprecedented intervention in private commercial rights must be carefully analyzed.
“This clearly has a disparate and disproportionate impact on Premier League clubs. It is also clear that the consequences of this seismic and deeply flawed intervention are not fully understood.”
But responding to a number of proposed amendments, Blunkett said: “What is this all about?
“It is quite right that we in this House should examine, present reasoned arguments and challenge this type of bill.
“But I say to the Premier League and to those who, given the nature of the debate in committee over the last three days, are involved in the briefings: overdo it and you do it at your own risk because at some point millions of fans may find out what happens going on with the filibuster that’s going on in this committee, and when they do, they’re going to be very angry.”
The Premier League has been contacted for comment.
