Aston Villa in bottom half of the table in football fairness index

Aston Villa were in the top half of the table for the Premier League in a new index of fairness in football.

Fair Game – a campaign group working to improve how football is governed – says the sport needs a "reboot", with many clubs in lower leagues struggling financially. The organisation has put together a new index of fairness in football, using over 80 sources of data on the finances, commitment to equality, fan engagement and governance of clubs in England's top leagues.

Aston Villa in Birmingham scored 52 out of 100 on the index – putting it 11th of all clubs in the Premier League last season. In the Premier League, Brentford topped the rankings, with Southampton taking the second spot and West Ham United in third. At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest were bottom – followed by AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

Fair Game is calling for lower league clubs to receive a greater proportion of television revenue, particularly for better-run clubs – such as those with sustainable financial models, or good fan engagement. Mark Middling, director of financial policy for Fair Game, said “Football is unsustainable. Since the start of the Premier League, there have been 64 incidents of clubs in the top four divisions going into administration.

"Companies House data reveals that 44 of the top 92 were technically insolvent in 2022, and 31% of clubs were spending more than they earn on players’ wages – that figure rises to 68% when you look at the Championship. The culture of penalties to control clubs has failed. Football needs a reboot,” he added.

Under their proposals, Premier League clubs would contribute 25% of their revenue to lower league clubs, alongside 10% of all transfer fees. According to the index, Aston Villa ranked 11th in the Premier League for its financial sustainability. The findings also show the club is signed up to the Living Wage Scheme – which commits employers to pay all staff a minimum of £10.90, or £11.95 if they are based in London.

Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, added: "Premier League clubs have rejected calls to increase the financial flow through the pyramid because of risky financial behaviour by some clubs in the EFL. Distributing more money through the Index to the better-run clubs in the pyramid resolves those concerns."