The Premier League is one of the UK economy’s star players

I am a Stoke City supporter and a huge fan of all football.

For me, it really is the beautiful game, and that makes me especially pleased that EY’s new report on the economic and social impact of the Premier League demonstrates just how much football contributes to the UK economy and society.

The Premier League model is simple: make the football as exciting as possible, and use this to generate the best possible commercial returns that can be shared equitably among the clubs to invest in stadiums, facilities, and future footballing talent.

This approach has delivered brilliant football and significant benefits for the country.

Stadium occupancy of 96.5 per cent is the highest of any league in Europe, and one billion homes globally have access to Premier League coverage. At a time when we are working through what “Global Britain” will mean in future, the Premier League provides a real-life working example.

Our report sets out that the estimate of the direct and indirect economic contribution of the Premier League to UK Gross Value Added (GVA) is £7.6bn, a 50 per cent increase since our previous analysis in 2013/14.

And the League and its clubs support around 100,000 jobs in the UK, a huge increase on the 11,300 jobs supported in 1998/99.

In two decades, the Premier League’s economic impact in cash terms has grown by approximately 800 per cent, or 13 per cent annually on a compound growth basis.

This growth has been good news for the Exchequer: the Premier League’s economic activity generates £3.3bn per year of tax revenues, including £1.1bn in player contributions.

We estimate that 680,000 foreign visitors were attracted to attend matches in 2016/17 (according to the latest available information), spending £555m in the UK economy. There is also significant local impact, including £2bn of GVA and 20,000 jobs in the north west region alone.

At a time of increased concern among policymakers about the economic prospects of the UK’s towns and smaller cities, the importance of the local football club cannot be

underestimated.

Moreover, the Premier League contributes to communities in many ways beyond the economic benefit. The League supports more than 150 professional clubs to deliver initiatives aimed at improving sports participation, health, education and community cohesion.

The reach is impressive: clubs support 16,000 schools through the Premier League Primary Stars programme, and hundreds of community football facilities across England and Wales benefit from significant investment.

I am continually told by people working to deliver improved economic and social outcomes how important football is as a force for good. With over 2,150 community staff employed by clubs in 2016, up from 440 in 2007, the League is making a major contribution across the country.

Attendances and viewing figures demonstrate how popular the Premier League is in the UK and beyond, but it is important that the competition remains accessible.

Despite some having concerns about prices, our research into ticketing shows that the average ticket price is £31, with junior prices averaging at £12. It’s evident that clubs try to ensure that the game remains available to a wide range of people.

Over the past four years, we have conducted regional and national studies on the impact of the Premier League, and one thing is clear: there is a growing body of evidence that continues to show how this strong and successful competition brings significant economic benefit to Britain.

It creates one of the UK’s best cultural exports and promotes a positive image of Britain on a global stage. Game on.