The two biggest clubs in the country want to concentrate even more power at the top
Manchester United and Liverpool are leading plans to reshape the Premier League, documents uncovered by the Daily Telegraph have revealed.
The Telegraph’s world exclusive alleges that United and Liverpool, traditionally huge rivals, have been working together on a set of proposals dubbed ‘Project Bigger Picture’, which would propose condensing the Premier League down to 18 teams and doing away with the EFL Cup.
To compensate the restructuring of the rules that have governed the game since 1992, there would be a £250 million relief package handed to EFL teams, as well as a one off “gift” of £100 million to sustain the EFL through its current covid-induced crisis.
In possibly the most significant change proposed in the documents, the ‘one club, one vote’ rule and the threshold of 14 clubs voting the same way in order to enact change would no longer apply.
Instead, they intend to hand more power to the traditional big six and Everton, West Ham and Southampton, the next three longest serving clubs in the division. Those nine clubs would be handed “long-term shareholder” status and only six of them would have to vote in favour of a change for it to pass – they could reportedly even veto a new owner taking over a rival club.
Other proposals include:
- Binning the League Cup, or at least excluding the teams that are playing in European competition from it, and scrapping the Community Shield.
- Creating a relegation play-off, with two Championship teams gaining automatic promotion and the third, fourth and fifth placed teams competing in the play-offs with the 16th placed Premier League side.
The Telegraph report that the proposals are supported by EFL chairman Rick Parry, who has been in talks with Liverpool’s owners as well as the Glazer family who own Manchester United.
There would also be changes made to discourage Championship teams from gambling everything on promotion to the Premier League, replacing parachute payments with the a 25% share of Premier League revenue, being divided more evenly among EFL clubs.
The intention behind this proposal is supposedly to eliminate the huge gap in earnings between Premier League and EFL clubs in exchange for greater control being put in the hands of a select few Premier League clubs.
The full list of proposals is set out in the Telegraph’s article here.
The Premier League have downplayed these reports.
“We have seen media reports today regarding a plan to restructure football in this country,” read an official Premier League statement.
“English football is the world’s most watched, and has a vibrant, dynamic and competitive league structure that drives interest around the globe. To maintain this position, it is important that we all work together. Both the Premier League and The FA support a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the game, including its competition structures, calendar and overall financing particularly in light of the effects of COVID-19.
“Football has many stakeholders, therefore this work should be carried out through the proper channels enabling all clubs and stakeholders the opportunity to contribute.
“In the Premier League’s view, a number of the individual proposals in the plan published today could have a damaging impact on the whole game and we are disappointed to see that Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, has given his on-the-record support.
“The Premier League has been working in good faith with its clubs and the EFL to seek a resolution to the requirement for COVID-19 rescue funding. This work will continue.”
