Birmingham City in bottom half of the table in football fairness index

Birmingham City were in the bottom half of the table for the Championship 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.

Birmingham City FC scored 27 out of 100 on the index – putting it 20th of all clubs in the Championship last season. In the Championship, Norwich City topped the rankings, with Burnley taking the second spot and West Bromwich Albion in third. At the other end of the table, Middlesbrough were bottom – followed by Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers.

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. This would see Birmingham City receive an estimated £3.4 million – which would be £2 million less than they do under the current model of redistributing funds.

According to the index, the club ranked joint 19th in the Championship for its financial sustainability. The findings also show Birmingham City 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."