Liverpool and Manchester United have unveiled proposals that would represent the biggest overhaul of English football since the formation of the Premier League in 1992.
While the EFL’s chairman Rick Parry has backed the radical changes, the Premier League itself have said the plans would have a “damaging impact” on the game in this country. So what has actually been proposed? ‘Project Big Picture’ as it has been termed, lays out seven key proposals including:
- Reducing the number of teams in the Premier League from 20 to 18.
- Only two teams would be relegated automatically with the 16th place side being included in the Championship playoffs.
- Parachute payments would be scrapped to stop relegated teams getting an unfair advantage on others.
- £250m will be made available to EFL teams straight away, as well as 25% of all future TV revenue.
- Another £100m would be paid to the FA to help support it through the current global health crisis.
- Nine clubs will be handed “special voting rights” with those teams decided by their success in the Premier League. This would effectively end the one vote for one club system which has been in place since 1992.
- The League Cup and The Community Shield would be scrapped to reduce fixture congestion.
Proposal number six is the most contentious with many clubs suggesting this is a power grab from Liverpool and the rest of the ‘big six’. Whether these plans will be approved, we shall have to wait and see.
