Dyke criticises Premier League

LONDON (Reuters) - Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke said on Sunday the Premier League was turning into a farce because of the growing foreign influence in the game.

Dyke, who headed the Independent Television bid which was outbid by Sky Television for the rights to the new Premier League in 1992, criticised the takeover of Manchester City last week by an Abu Dhabi-based company.

"I think what's happened to Manchester City in the last couple of weeks is farcical. In the end the fans will walk away," he told BBC London radio.

"I'm one of the people who was there when the Premier League was set up so I have some degree of guilt.

"Premier League football is increasingly owned by people outside this country, managed by people outside this country and played by people from outside this country."

Dyke, who is chairman of League Two (Division Three) Brentford, said he got more pleasure now from watching lower division football.

"I think we (Brentford) are much more like what football used to be," he said. "I was on the board at Manchester United for a few years when we won the treble and that sort of thing but I honestly say I prefer going to Brentford now."

(Writing by Mike Collett; Editing by John Mehaffey)