While the Premier League’s move to introduce an Owners’ Charter is a good one, I fear it will make little difference in the overall scheme of things.

In the wake of the European Super League fiasco, England’s top-flight has said it will be introducing a charter which commits owners to the “core principles” of the league, including sporting merit, an open pyramid and sporting integrity. Breaking the charter will result in “significant sanctions”.

But while it sounds appropriate and proportionate, there is a huge problem with it: the owners of the clubs behind the ESL have shown, quite clearly, that they have absolutely no regard for the Premier League or its rules.

In fact, there was already a rule in place banning clubs from joining any competitions not sanctioned by UEFA or FIFA. But that didn’t stop them cooking up the ESL behind everyone’s backs, did it?

They simply aren’t afraid of whatever punishment the Premier League can throw at them because they know, only too well, that the league system needs them, their fans, their pulling power and their marketability.

So if the Premier League can’t realistically use the threat of expulsion as a deterrent (that would be shooting themselves in the foot) then what can they possibly do to punish breakaway clubs? Fine them? A few million euros isn’t going to stop them waltzing off to form a multibillion- pound super league.

And let’s say the Premier League decided it would be worth cutting off their nose to spite their face and did threaten breakaway teams with expulsion. Would that really be enough to stop them going their own way?

The initial Super League plan was so blindingly poor it was obviously devised by a few clueless millionaires during a drunken Zoom meeting. But if they can come up with a proper plan, one with multiple Europe-wide leagues and maybe even its own parallel knockout competition, then they wouldn’t need to be part of the Premier League anyway.

No, I’m sorry, but as honourable as this Owners’ Charter may be, it isn’t nearly enough. As I have said before, clubs need to be legally-obliged to remain within the current structures. There needs to be laws – across Europe – making joining any version of the ESL an actual, punishable crime.

It needs to be backed by cold, hard, unbreakable legislation – not the threat of a punishment which could be meaningless.

I admire the Premier League for getting the ball rolling and making the first move. But such was the public dismay at the ESL plan, such was the anger and fury of the fans, that it is now time for governments to take the lead.

There needs to be laws – across Europe – making joining any version of the ESL an actual, punishable crime

Football has had plenty of time to get its own house in order. But the fact that 12 of Europe’s biggest and best clubs felt strong enough to tear down that house shows the football authorities have failed.

In England’s case it could be the fractured approach to running the game which is making it confused and weak. Having the Premier League, the Football Association and the Football League making the rules is at least two organisations too many.

Or it could just be that some clubs have grown too big for their own good and only a proper legislative smackdown will work.

Whatever the reasons behind this failure to self-govern, English lawmakers and those in Italy and Spain at the very least, need to take definitive action and ensure football remains true to its roots.

The sport, the leagues and the clubs that play in them ultimately belong to the fans, not the owners. And the law needs to reflect as much.

Sport needs to be gender fair

Up until last week the idea of anything remotely sensible coming out of the mouths of one of Kardashian/Jenner family had always seemed unlikely.

But then Caitlyn Jenner, probably one of the more tolerable members of the clan, went on the record saying that trans boys who were born male should not be allowed to participate in girls’ sport at school. And suddenly she had my attention.

I am increasingly of the opinion that it is unfair to allow women who were born male to compete against women who were born female. Although there is some science that suggests the hormone therapy balances it out, I still find it truly hard to believe that someone born male doesn’t have physiological advantages over someone born female.

There are numerous stories going around of trans women competing against biological women and winning by huge margins. That can’t be down to coincidence. This is actually causing some young female-born athletes to give up the sports they love and that they have trained their whole life for.

That cannot be right.

Of course, I have nothing against trans women or girls (or men or boys for that matter) in the slightest. But when it comes to sport, I am of the opinion that the division between men and women needs to come at birth and remain there.

There is a growing movement, certainly in the US, to make it illegal for people born as males to compete alongside biological women. Several states are passing laws to that effect.

But Caitlyn weighing in on the debate is highly significant, not only because she is probably one of the most famous transgender women on the planet but also because, back in her days as Bruce, she was an Olympic gold medal athlete.

So, she has experience in both areas.

It has to be pointed out that Caitlyn was only talking about school sport and not sport in general, which I don’t think covers the problem sufficiently. And it also has to be pointed out that she is moving into politics and could just be saying this to win over the right-wing Republican vote in California.

But her saying anything at all on the topic is welcome because it stimulates conversation about an issue that needs debating so solutions that work for everyone can be found.

e-mail: james@quizando.com
twitter: @maltablade