Premier League Makes Its Move

[Metalmicky]

And Boris has released a statement as well....

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman has released a statement, urging a re-think of the current plans.

The statement reads:

“It’s clear that the proposal does not command support through PL and it is exactly this type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football’s governance.

“In terms of support for clubs, we have been given assurances by PL and EFL that they have no intention to let any EFL club go bust due to COVID and we know they have the means to prevent that from happening within existing mechanisms.

“We strongly urge PL and EFL to continue to work constructively to come up with a deal that comes up with a package of support for the whole football family.”

[selby]

  How ironic of the EFL turning down an offer for mega bucks at short notice ( not saying they should not have, without consulting the member clubs, just the point that a decision was made at short notice) and take months to make a decision on a cancelled fixture,and letting a so called independent committee make the decision.
 

[Alan Southstand]

So, where are all the alternatives to this ‘flawed’ solution, or do we have another 6 months of ‘discussions’ to look forward to?

[silent majority]

  How ironic of the EFL turning down an offer for mega bucks at short notice ( not saying they should not have, without consulting the member clubs, just the point that a decision was made at short notice) and take months to make a decision on a cancelled fixture,and letting a so called independent committee make the decision.
 

I can't see the point you're making here selby, since when have the EFL turned down this offer? They haven't, not yet anyway. The deal is to be put to the member clubs today, so doing exactly they are supposed to in terms of consultation.

[selby]

  SM, I bow to your superior Knowledge, it was reported as being turned down on the Radio with some clubs not knowing about the offer.

[River Don]

It's pretty clear the big six are attempting to wrest control of English football, using the EFL and the covid crisis to give them the leverage they need.

These big businesses aren't going to be doing this for the good of the game.

[idler]

They are using big business tactics to take advantage of the situation.
They aren’t bothered about anyone else at all.
They aren’t coming out of this with any credit at all from most football fans.
I hope that the fans of Man City, Wolves, Brighton, Leeds and Sheffield Unt. remember their days in the lower leagues not so long ago.
Circumstances and timing are the only things stopping them from potentially being on the outside looking in.

[selby]

  SM, have they advised the offer be accepted?

[wilts rover]

  How ironic of the EFL turning down an offer for mega bucks at short notice ( not saying they should not have, without consulting the member clubs, just the point that a decision was made at short notice) and take months to make a decision on a cancelled fixture,and letting a so called independent committee make the decision.
 

Do you know what is was the American Investment Firm wanted for their £375 million? As clearly this would impact whether or not it was something the EFL thought worth considering.

Personally I don't think anything involving foreign investment funds is worth considering. They are in it to make returns for their investors - not 72 financially struggling English football clubs.

[silent majority]

  SM, have they advised the offer be accepted?

I'll know later today. There are 3 separate meetings today.

Edit. The FA Council meet is this Thursday, as far as I'm aware the FA are against it.

[Chris the Rover]

Rotherscum’s chairman thinks it’s a great idea!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It's not just 'it' though is it!?

There's a raft of proposals within this. Some we welcome, some we have concerns about and some we maybe totally against.

At least it's now in the public domain and may force heads to be knocked together and come up with something that is more acceptable to all. Given the state if where we are at the mo, time is of the essence!

[Janso]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/12103269/pl-club-board-member-rick-parry-should-resign-over-project-big-picture-plans

Interesting.

[RoversAlias]

The EFL clubs are reportedly strongly in favour of the plans, and Parry.

Right joke.

[tyke1962]

The EFL clubs are reportedly strongly in favour of the plans, and Parry.

Right joke.

Well they would be wouldn't they seen as they are tasked with keeping their clubs running on fresh air with no end in sight .

Something with respect that seems to escape a number of posters on this thread .

This isn't a bail out , its actually much more than that and secures the future of the pyramid system which is in great jeopardy to say the least .

Without an injection of cash and pretty soon at that a good number of clubs will go to the wall , this will happen .

The lesser lights in the PL may want to have a word with themselves too .

If they think for one minute the tv revenue they receive is for the games broadcast between themselves then they are deluded , a season of Burnley v Brighton games etc etc ain't even worth much more than the tv revenue the championship clubs receive .

The big bucks come in because of Liverpool , United , City , Chelsea , Arsenal and Spurs .

Who pays the piper calls the tune .

Your killing the dream say the traditionalists , oh really , if you haven't made the top flight or even cemented yourselves at that level in a hundred years then perhaps , it's just a hunch mind , it won't happen .

Sorry to be the non dreamer , fact facing realistic tyke but there you are .

[Chris the Rover]

It would be interesting to know the views of those who matter (supporters apart) within DRFC. Whether we agree with it or not, I would still like a club to support in the future.

[RoversAlias]

Tyke - there is nothing saying that the Big 6 must be given a bigger share of the pie in order to get money into the lower leagues. Some of the financial elements of the proposals are great for the EFL but the fact they can't be offered without all these other things which will completely ruin the sporting integrity of the league and ultimately mean more money (on top of the millions and millions) those elite few clubs already have says it all. Those big clubs don't give a shit about Barnsley, Doncaster or anyone who doesn't suit their image.

These proposals in their current form will, either directly or indirectly, completely ruin the English game.

[silent majority]

Joint statement from supporters of the 'big six';

 Joint Statement: Project Big Picture

AST joins fans of Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United to oppose Project Big Picture

The fans we represent are fortunate to support clubs that regularly secure the largest financial revenues in the Premier League. But all of us understand that football doesn’t work in isolation. It’s a family. It requires a fair share of resources to ensure that the Premier League is competitive to watch and that the lower leagues flourish as part of our national game.

While the six clubs we support are widely reported to be the instigators of Project Big Picture, it is important we state very clearly that we do not support the proposals in their current form.

The Premier League has rightly said that all stakeholders should be involved in discussions about the future of the game. And yet supporters have not had the courtesy of any communication or consultation about these plans before they were published last Sunday, despite allegedly being three years in the making.

By floating this latest plan, those behind it are acknowledging football needs to be reformed. It’s something we have been saying for many years. There are some suggestions in this plan that have merit. But we are totally opposed to concentrating power in the hands of six billionaire owners and departing from the one club, one vote and collective ethos of the Premier League. This part of the proposal must be dropped immediately if other elements are to be given serious consideration.

We welcome the Government reiterating its plan for a supporter-led review into football governance. This needs to happen as a matter of urgency and supporter groups must be consulted on the terms of reference. These terms must include how fans are to be given a greater say in the running of their clubs and a chance to be involved in ownership structures.

We call on the Government and football authorities to now work urgently to secure a sustainable future for all clubs, many of which face serious threats to their existence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also expect both parties to make a genuine commitment to reform and to listen to our members. Fans are the lifeblood of the game. We need to be heard as soon as possible.

Arsenal Supporters’ Trust

Chelsea Supporters’ Trust

Spirit of Shankly (Liverpool Supporters’ Union)

Manchester City FC Supporters Club (The OSC)

Manchester United Supporters’ Trust

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust

[silent majority]

Our thoughts;


Football is in crisis, many clubs desperately need financial support to help them survive, and the game’s wealth has to be shared more fairly - but the ‘Project Big Picture’ plans are not the answer and they would be an absolute disaster for our game.
 
The insatiable greed of a small handful of billionaire owners cannot be allowed to determine the structure of football in this country.
 
Their desire to stitch things up behind closed doors, without even speaking to their fellow clubs, let alone fans, makes crystal clear the urgent need for the Government’s promised fan-led review of football governance.
 
We are not defending the status quo but ‘Project Big Picture’ is not the answer.
 
Supporters are open to new ideas to improve football’s governance but we don’t remember any fans making the argument that what football really needs, is for more money and power to be handed to the billionaire owners of our biggest clubs. That trend is already built into the system, and we need to stop it, not accelerate it further.
 
Within the proposals there are individual ideas which many fans would back - but in this form it is impossible to disentangle them from outcomes which would be a disaster for the game.

The EFL Impact
 
For EFL clubs the impact could be even more drastic. While Project Big Picture dangles an alleged £250m “rescue fund” in front of clubs to cover lost revenues during the 2019-20 season they might actually be a sugar coated cyanide pill.
 
Apparently “money will be advanced to the EFL from increased future revenues”. Is there a guarantee that the money will even materialise? The entire package is based on projected revenues which are, in turn, based on the current media deal. Where is the guarantee that will happen?
 
Under the proposals top-flight clubs retain eight games per season which they can sell directly via their own platforms, rather than broadcasting in the traditional manner. Would broadcasters pay more money for fewer games? It seems unlikely. Especially if the clubs chose to keep the rights for the games which are deemed most attractive to a global audience.
EFL clubs would also lose all League Cup revenue as that competition will be nuked, which in turn will see their own media revenues collapse, as broadcasters will not pay nearly as much for EFL rights, if the League Cup is no longer part of the package. Although maybe that wouldn’t matter as “the EFL irrevocably grants its broadcast rights to the EPL”!
 
Since six billionaire club owners can change the rules of the game at any time they like, and would control almost all of the revenue, there is no guarantee that they won’t pull up the drawbridge and cut funding entirely to the EFL, as it signed its own death warrant.
 
The billionaire owners have created a set of rules they can change at any time. It’s a one way street and there is no way back for domestic football once that power is handed over.
 
Premier League impact
 
The Premier League would be reduced in size from 20 teams to 18 and more money would be directed towards the most successful teams, who in turn would hoover up even more of the best players, reducing competition throughout the entire league.
 
League rules would be controlled by as few as six clubs who would gobble up a bigger share of the pie than they already do while abolishing the League Cup and Community Shield.
 
The ruling clubs would be Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham, as determined by their length of service in the Premier League. Media reports suggest the plans are being driven by the owners at Liverpool and Manchester United.
 
A vote by two-thirds of those clubs would dictate the rules for the rest, meaning half of the top-flight’s clubs would compete in a league which they had no say in running.
 
The named clubs would also control the “distribution rights of the sponsorship, commercial and broadcasting rights sold” and would be allowed to “alter in a material way the nature of the competition” which opens the door again to Game 39 or even madder schemes.
 
As six clubs can set the rules, who could stop them ending relegation from the Premier League and creating a franchise system like they have in US sports? No one. Who could stop them from rewriting the rules in a few years so that the top six keep all the media money? No one. Who could stop them cutting funding entirely to the EFL or grassroots football? No one.
 
Supporters cannot let the greed of a few billionaire owners destroy our league system.
 
The FSA
We wouldn’t reject all the ideas - a £20 away cap on top-flight tickets and subsidised travel, guaranteed away allocations, and safe standing areas are all things we back - but the reality is that the overall package is not acceptable to supporters.
 
A rescue package for EFL and National League clubs is needed alongside better distribution of football's wealth across the game to close the gap between the Premier League and the rest of the pyramid.
 
As an organisation we’re more than happy to consider changes to football’s structure but the place for that is the Government’s proposed fan-led review and it has to include all interested parties - fans, clubs, leagues, players, match officials, the FA, and so on.
 
It is not acceptable for billionaire club owners to hatch a plan in secret and then try and use the fallout from a global pandemic to buy compliance from financially crippled clubs.

We will be making that case in the strongest possible terms to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and all the football authorities, including the FA Council which meets on Thursday.

The Premier League and Government have to step up and deliver an alternative financial package urgently for the EFL and National League. It should cover lost gate receipts and matchday income. And urgently means details in hours, not days or weeks. Days or weeks means clubs going bust. Days or weeks means EFL clubs being tempted by the sugar-coated cyanide pill offered up by billionaire owners who do not understand or care about our football culture.

It’s now or never.

[River Don]

I hadn't realised Arsenal are still considered members of the big six. Of course this sort of action is meant to ensure they remain so.

Ironic really, what keeps English football compelling is that things can and do change over time. It still isn't quite dominated by one single or pair of big clubs.

In the end they will kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Edit: interesting also that Leicester City aren't in the list of proposed ruling clubs, given there are wealthy owners there and they look set to be a fixture fighting for European places for the foreseeable future.

[selby]

The problem with the proposal is that the money will not be distributed equally to the EFL clubs and will bring about even more division, In an interview with the Rotherham Chairman on Radio Dee Dah it was stated it would make £15 million a season difference to championship sides.
  That is because they want to share it out exactly the same with the biggest percentage share going to Championship clubs, and the scraps to the others,and the threat of an even bigger divide lower down the pyramid mirroring the divide with the premiership.
 Of course the Rotherham chairman is all for it.

[River Don]

Rotherham don't have any right to think of themselves an established Championship club. They are as myopic as The likes of Burnley and Brighton.

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

Ian Holloway's interview after Grimsby's win at Cheltenham is worth a listen.

[albie]

Not sure that all have understood that this pact with the devil is a pre-payment of finance that would have been due later on;
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1316267977495457792/photo/1
Read through to the second page to see the important bit.

The idea of giving absolute voting control to the self appointed elite is a suicide note for the game as we know it.

[Bristol Red Rover]

This is just normal corporate capitalist opportunism in times of crisis that is happening across the board in this country and the world right now - feed crumbs and take the pie. Interesting how "socialist" Liverpool is king vulture here. Their fans need to be speaking up LOUD.

[donnyguy]

Idea thrown out after premier league clubs vote against it

[Alan Southstand]

So now there’s likely to be many more weeks of ‘discussions’. Please, for everyone’s sakes, put a deadline to it.

We could still be here in 12 months time, if not.

[selby]

  I have just listened to the Chairman of Burton Albion who said that about 97% of the EFL were in favour of it, although if the premier league sides have rejected it as donnyguy has said it is to no avail.
  He intimated that they would seek talks about the terms and conditions and that the share of the Championship sides would drop from 80% to 75% with the div 1 clubs getting 15% and the div2 sides getting 12% instead of 12% and 8% with parachute payments being stopped.
  The government need to step in, as Alan says the rats will be fighting over this when some clubs will have gone to the wall.
  The Lower Premiership sides will have to get their player contracts right with parachute payments disappearing.

[silent majority]

The big news, at the moment anyway, is that there is £50m being made available for LG1 and 2 clubs by way of grants and loans.

That should stop the likelihood of administration for some.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Forgive me but hasn't the government got its hands full right now!? Other than the issue of Safe Standing which needs government approval, why does this need government intervention?