Posted by Oliver Wilson

The Premier League has ruined English football.

Why else would Greg Dyke and his band of fickle followers have sat for the last few months, discussing how to save our national team from the unpleasant situation it finds itself in. Expectations are so low going into this year's World Cup that people now agree that Roy Hodgson's dropping Ashley Cole is the right thing to do, - I agree with the move myself but never expected the rest of the country to actually agree with me - and even some of the most stringent of Chelsea fans is scratching their head wondering why Frank Lampard IS making the trip to Brazil.

The number of English players in the Premier League is dropping by the season, yet the League itself - along with it's sexism spouting leaders - is booming year after year.

Yesterday, the league released its payment figures showing the public just how much each club has made from television revenue over the last 12-months. The facts make horrific reading.

Each side, for participating in England's topflight this season, received a guaranteed £52.2m.

That's than 13 of last season's Premier League teams took in total last season!!

Cardiff City, this year, despite getting relegated, received a whopping £62m in total from the split TV revenue and their finishing position at the foot of the table, giving them £2m more than the Red Devils received for finishing 19 places above them the previous year. This year's failures are going down with more money in the bank than the title winners took away 12-months ago.

Some will say that the Premier League has earned this money as a marketing brand, that this is system generated by us, because we are willing to pay the money to watch the Premier League from our sofas, our living rooms, or local pubs.

But while the League dishes out almost £100m to it's top clubs (Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all made in excess of £90m from the Premier League this season), we, the fans, continue pay more and more money to watch, be a part of, and enjoy the game.

Ticket prices continue to rise, satellite and tv providers still charge the earth for their sport packages, new shirts (both home and away) are released every year - although credit to Arsenal for NOT changing their home shirt for two years, it's just a shame their season ticket prices are the highest in the country - meaning us, the fans, pay out around £60 for one item of clothing to wear to the games.

Not only that, but we've had to watch as the Premier League's growth in money, value and television coverage has had a negative impact on England's national team and footballing growth. If the money is there, why can't we solve the problems with the English game's development.

It's OUR game. We the fans fund it, we the fans watch it, we the fans devote our lives to it and we the fans should demand more from it.  How many of us will see a benefit from this huge financial influx into the league?  It may bring enough money to keep some of our favorite players at our clubs, or bring an extra star into the team, but will it lower those ticket prices, build a new astro-turf pitch in our town, give more people the opportunity to get their coaching qualifications and badges, or give more those with those qualifications money to do their job?