Exclusive: Ellis Short responds to comments from Bob Murray about his stance on the Super League

Last week, former Sunderland owner Bob Murray appeared on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Totalsport show, discussing everything from the club’s current situation to the way things were run by those who followed him after his exit in 2006.

In the show - which you can listen to in full here - Murray noted that he felt Ellis Short would have been in full support of the European Super League proposals.

Murray said:

[Ellis] Short would’ve taken the gold, there’s no doubt about it.

He didn’t get anything about the North-East or its people or its legacy or the game.

He didn’t understand one thing.

Following on from that show, Short reached out to Roker Report in an attempt to clarify his own stance on the ESL, and how he would have approached it had he still been in charge of the club.

He said:

When asked about the recent European Super League attempt, Bob Murray speculated that I would have been in favor of it by saying:

“Short would’ve taken the gold, there’s no doubt about it.”

I normally don’t respond to criticism, especially criticism of a position that someone else only speculated I would take, but this criticism is completely wrong.

I’m adamantly opposed to a Super League. It would not be in the best interests of the Club and the fans and as an owner, I would have fought against it vigorously.

Roker Report offered to speak on the record with Mr Short about his spell as owner of the football club, but he politely declined at this time, insisting that he’d prefer the focus was on giving the new owner the best possible chance to succeed.