The Football League wants the Premiership to increase its handouts to lower division clubs in proportion to wage rises at the top level. The League would like to receive a yearly income based on a percentage of Premiership clubs’ total wages bill as part of the ‘solidarity’ payment that the top tier already contributes for youth and community development and as parachute payments to relegated clubs. Last season those were worth £31.8m.
The Football League wants the Premiership to increase its handouts to lower division clubs in proportion to wage rises at the top level. The League would like to receive a yearly income based on a percentage of Premiership clubs’ total wages bill as part of the ‘solidarity’ payment that the top tier already contributes for youth and community development and as parachute payments to relegated clubs. Last season those were worth £31.8m. The idea forms part of the League’s response to seven questions put to the football authorities by Andy Burnham, the Everton supporter who is Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Another concept floated by the Football League is that the League could bundle the sale of its television rights together with the Premier League when the next deals are due for renewal in about three years. In fact the Premiership offered the Football League such a deal 14 years ago, but it somewhat unwisely decided to go it alone.
The Football League would also like pressure to be put on Fifa to scrap the transfer windows for domestic moves. Since windows were introduced, League teams have taken a financial hit because Premiership clubs are buying fewer lower league players and clubs in need of a cash injection cannot sell players whenever they like. However, transfer windows were introduced as a part of a deal to give football exemption from EU competition law.
After another season in which several Football League clubs went into administration and suffered points deductions, clubs are expected to approve a proposal to tighten insolvency rules by placing a transfer embargo on those who fall behind in their tax payments to Revenue and Customs. The League also wants more information about clubs’ tax liabilities so that it can provide an early warning system. League chairman Lord Mawhinney wanted to introduce a wage cap scheme that would constitute a fixed amount per division, with three players in each club exempt to allow better off clubs to splash out on big names, but the Championship clubs blocked the proposal.
In a statement Supporters Direct said that the League’s response was the product of a lot of thought and many of their solutions were creative and deserved to be seriously considered. In particular, the supporters trusts organisation welcomed the proposals to control club spending by linking up with HMRC and the beefing up of the fit and proper person test.
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