Richard Scudamore Criticises FA Over England Failings

'The Premier League Didn't Rip Up Playing Fields'

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has told the Football Association to look at itself before blaming him for England's problems.

England boss Roy Hodgson was furious when he discovered Manchester United's trip to Liverpool and the first north London derby of the season had been scheduled for the weekend before the key World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, which take place at the beginning of September.

Perceived Premier League intransigence on the matter was thrown in with the diminishing number of English players in the top flight as evidence Scudamore and his top clubs do not care about the national side.

Scudamore is growing weary of the FA's excuses

It is an argument Scudamore rejects, claiming the FA finds it too easy to blame others for England's failings rather than looking at itself.

"It seems to me that if England don't win something it is someone else's fault," said Scudamore.

"I have never, in my 15 years with the Premier League, said the competition's success, or lack of, is someone else's fault.

"We have not won the World Cup since 1966. The Premier League didn't start until 1992. What happened between 1966 and 1992? Whose fault was that?

"Let's run the reverse argument.

England went out of Euro 2012 on penalties to Italy

"Where does that leave the people at the FA in terms of their accountability?

"It frustrates me enormously because it is so palpably not true. It cannot be our fault on any level."

Whilst Scudamore has presided over the securing of astonishing TV revenue of £5.5billion for the three seasons that begin with the new campaign starting next month, the number of home-grown talents within England's top flight has continued to dwindle at an alarming rate.

Hodgson wants big clubs to avoid each other before England games

Only around 30% of Premier League players are English, a far lower home-developed percentage than other major European footballing nations, meaning Three Lions boss Hodgson has a thankless task trying to guide his team to the biggest tournaments.

But Scudamore is sick of being told the elite 20 clubs are responsible for England's demise.

"It is not the Premier League who ripped up the playing fields or didn't put money into schools," he said.

"It is not my fault fewer young kids are kicking a ball around or that the country is not safe enough for seven, eight, nine year olds to go down to the park on their own as I did and play football until after dark."

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