Portsmouth chief: Football League’s controversial Shaun Harvey should be applauded

Outgoing Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey.

That’s the opinion of Mark Catlin, following the announcement Harvey will step down as chief executive at the season’s end.

Harvey has proven a controversial figure since his 2013 appointment.

He oversaw the introduction of under-21 sides into the Checkatrade Trophy, having been defeated by member clubs in a bid for Premier League B teams to instead be included.

Meanwhile, a recent £595m five-year broadcast agreement with Sky drew criticism from a number of Championship clubs.

Catlin has often been an outspoken critic of Harvey.

Yet Pompey’s chief executive also believes credit is due.

He said: ‘Overall, like every chief executive, chairman or football manager, you are going to take a variety of decisions, some are going to be popular, some aren’t.

‘Shaun has taken some unpopular decisions, but has also done a lot of good things behind the scenes, such as streamlining the EFL, making it more of a professional and commercial entity.

‘So, for that, he should be applauded.

‘Generally, he has brought a greater level of professionalism and taken some tough decisions, specifically the Checkatrade Trophy, but football is evolving and people tend to not like change sometimes.

‘In regards of TV deals, there are different things to take into account, but it’s not easy because you can’t please everyone. A deal which may be great for the Championship might not be great for League One and League Two, and vise versa.

‘Overall he has done okay. There are decisions I haven’t agreed with but he is someone who has taken the entity forward as a whole – and I think he needs to be commended.’

Meanwhile, Pompey are just one match away from a Wembley Checkatrade Trophy final.

Catlin added: ‘The Checkatrade Trophy was a big one for us, but you have to move on.

‘I now don’t believe this to be opening the door for getting B teams into the Football League, which was one of the suspicions.

‘It has evolved, Shaun has listened. While at the start we were against it, it is now an okay competition.’