English football reform being led by Liverpool and Man Utd

[BCFC101]

Premier League clubs reject Project Big Picture at emergency meeting

The Premier League clubs have kicked Project Big Picture into the long grass and agreed instead to hold an urgent strategy review involving all 20 members, as well as making a new bail-out offer to the EFL.

An emergency meeting of the 20 clubs called after last weekend’s announcement of the Project’s aims to revolutionise English football — put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United and backed by the EFL chairman Rick Parry — has effectively killed off the plan at birth.

It would have handed all voting powers to the top teams in the Premier League and hugely increased their financial income but ran up against opposition from a large majority of the top-flight clubs.

It is understood that the meeting instead decided to commission a strategy review that would involve all 20 clubs rather than just the elite to plan for the future, with the understanding that it would take place promptly.

There was also an agreement to put together a rescue package for the EFL, with the offer including an option for the bail-out funding only to go to the League One and League Two clubs. That, however, could still be vetoed by the Championship clubs. As reported by The Times last week, the EFL had rejected an offer of a grant of less than £50 million and a £100 million loan — all with conditions attached.

It had been expected that there would be some fiery exchanges aimed at the Liverpool and Manchester United representatives but according to one club executive in the meeting it was “civilised”. However, there was irritation about the role of Parry in Project Big Picture, with some clubs suggesting he had attempted to destabilise the Premier League.

The project had won some EFL clubs’ support by promising 25 per cent of Premier League TV revenue with the three lower divisions. At least 14 of the 20 top-flight clubs were opposed, however, possibly some of the ‘big six’ clubs too, according to Premier League insiders.

The fans’ trusts of the big six clubs had also united to object to the Project’s plans, stating they were “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”.

The FA chairman Greg Clarke had also spoken out, warning Liverpool and Manchester United that the governing body would use its special powers to prevent a breakaway league and stop them playing in the Champions League.

Clarke said the FA would use its “special share” in the Premier League to protect “the best interests of the game” and pointed out the FA nominates which leagues and clubs qualify for European competition. He confirmed that the threat of a breakaway league — understood to have been suggested for the big six Premier League clubs to join the EFL — had been raised in discussions between the two clubs and Parry.

Project Big Picture has been driven by Liverpool’s owner John Henry and president Mike Gordon, along with Manchester United’s co-owner Joel Glazer, but none of the trio faced the music at the Premier League meeting, which was held by video conference. Instead, Liverpool’s chairman Tom Werner and chief executive Billy Hogan took part, along with United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Clarke confirmed yesterday in a statement that he had taken part in early talks with the group around fixture congestion, with the knowledge of senior FA board members and the chief executive.

He said: “However, in late spring, when the principal aim of these discussions became the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few clubs with a breakaway league mooted as a threat, I of course, discontinued my involvement and counselled a more consensus-based approach involving all Premier League clubs and its chair and CEO. Our game needs to continually seek to improve but benefits need to be shared.

“We, the FA Board and Council, have to ensure that any changes would be to the long-term benefit of the whole of football and we have substantial controls to help ensure that the best interests of the game are served by any new proposals.

“In addition, to the Special Share in the Premier League, which prevents certain changes being made to the constitution without the FA’s consent, it is also the FA’s responsibility to sanction competitions in England — including any proposed new competition — as well as being responsible for licensing clubs, through Uefa, to play in Europe. Additionally, Uefa look to us to nominate the league, and therefore the clubs, that will play in their competitions.”

In a thinly veiled warning against Liverpool, United and Parry, Clarke added: “Let’s continue to work together to determine what is best for English football, with full dialogue between all key stakeholders. However, there is more to our game than economics. Change must benefit clubs, fans and players; not just selective balance sheets. In these difficult times unity, transparency and common purpose must override the interests of the few.”

The Times has seen the full project proposals and the documents outline the incredible extent of the power and money that would be given to the top sides.

Premier League clubs would be allowed to show Saturday 3pm matches to British viewers on their own TV channels and digital platforms if the broadcast blackout is lifted permanently, in what would be another significant money-making opportunity for the big clubs.

The big six clubs would not only dominate the voting rights in the Premier League — their powers would also extend to setting a salary cap in the Championship and wielding a veto over the fixture calendar in the second tier of English football.

[Davefevs]

Ta for sharing.  Greg Clarke

[Scare_Man]

ALL 20 PL clubs rejected the proposal - that is somewhat surprising.  Where do we go from here though?

[Lrrr]

1 minute ago, Scare_Man said:

ALL 20 PL clubs rejected the proposal - that is somewhat surprising.  Where do we go from here though?

L1 and L2 getting £50m in no interest loans and grants on top of already advanced money so £77m in total, championship to be negotiated. 

[Clevedon Red]

9 minutes ago, Scare_Man said:

ALL 20 PL clubs rejected the proposal - that is somewhat surprising.  Where do we go from here though?

So Liverpool and Man U rejected there own suggestion?

53 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Ta for sharing.  Greg Clarke

Don’t think he likes Parry. 

[Scare_Man]

I guess they haven't rejected their own proposal, it was a leaked document still in development I think, instead they have 'unanimously agreed to work together as a 20-club collective on a strategic plan for the future structures and financing of English football.'

[James54De]

7 minutes ago, Scare_Man said:

I guess they haven't rejected their own proposal, it was a leaked document still in development I think, instead they have 'unanimously agreed to work together as a 20-club collective on a strategic plan for the future structures and financing of English football.'

No, project big picture was voted down in favour of continued discussion. 

[Scare_Man]

A collective approach is favourable of course - going to take a while for it to be agreeable by all.

Hopefully the short term fix of the £50m for L1 and L2 will keep the wolves from the door for those clubs in trouble (in the short term at least). 

[Nibor]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54545053

I'd view that as "staved off for the moment" rather than dead.

We'll be talking about it every couple of years until the billionaires get their way.

[TonyTonyTony]

Love him or not this is brilliant and bang on the money

[BritAbroad]

2 hours ago, Scare_Man said:

ALL 20 PL clubs rejected the proposal - that is somewhat surprising.  Where do we go from here though?

I think once the clubs behind it saw how big the backlash was, how they were being vilified, and that they would lose out on European football, they quickly back-tracked.

[Davefevs]

16 minutes ago, TonyTonyTony said:

Love him or not this is brilliant and bang on the money

Triple-Tony - worth reading his autobiography if you haven’t already.  I always thought he was a knob-head until I read that, then he started appearing on TS.

He gets the money side of football.

[TonyTonyTony]

28 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Triple-Tony - worth reading his autobiography if you haven’t already.  I always thought he was a knob-head until I read that, then he started appearing on TS.

He gets the money side of football.

Yes. If you can take his pomposity he is often shrewd. In this case the observation the PL top 6 will bend the lower leagues over forever after is correct.

it shows you how desperate the lower leagues clubs are that they (majority) accepted the proposal

[wayne allisons tongues]

Fleetwood chairman on 5 live last night, discussing the new deal. L1 and L2 get £50m between them. £20m grant, £30m loan. Wasn’t asked if loan had to be repayed but was confident by Xmas 12 clubs would be in administration.

Did say PL clubs have gone back on an agreement they agreed with the government That they could play behind closed doors if they help lower league clubs and 6 months later still no financial package which he wasn’t happy about. Could be why the government came out against PBP.

[JoeAman08]

On 14/10/2020 at 08:26, MC RISK77 said:

Unfortunately I think this will eventually go through- I saw something on social media yesterday that said Bristol City have already indicated that they agree with it.

for me it will no longer be the game I grew up to love... the premier league will only ever be won by 6 teams, no more fairytale stories like Leicester winning it a few years back, or the likes of Wimbledon making it all the way to the top tier... pretty much 6 teams winning everything while the rest of us carry on existing but with what kind of dream?

Money talks though so I think they will push this through

This will go through imo. The “bigger” clubs across Europe will force their way to a European Super League or they will use that threat to get what they want in their leagues. Parity will basically be gone in the league. I don’t think this will take that long either.
 

Don’t think it was coincidence this came out when it did. This was strategically released to get it in the minds of people and to try and take advantage of the covid situation. Also, it was made so outlandishly bad so that when they actually negotiate what they initially wanted will be in mind. 
 

Imo there is too much money in the game from people who don’t care for the game. Too many American and Chinese owners who never had an interest before they bought clubs. Idk where it goes from here but it will change for the worst in the next 3-5 years. Hopefully it still means clubs like Bristol City or even Bristol Rovers have some relevance in the game but you can see the greed wanting these types of clubs phased out. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Rejected unanimously then- I'm a few days late with this.

Where do we go from here, if Project Big Picture rejected and the £50m bailout offer also rejected? I suppose it gets clubs etc talking about the big issues which is positive but what now.

There was a lot to like in Project Big Picture I thought, in terms of better Governance, regulation, enforcement- as well as better redistribution.

Oh- and no Parachute Payments!

On a side note, some on Owlstalk still don't get it, I'm reading their thread on this subject. They're blaming P&S saying that owners won't be able to invest to keep clubs solvent when in fact Covid losses are excluded from the calculations for this and last season- so owners can if they choose easily cover those losses!  

[Mr Popodopolous]

Parry says it's still alive- not that I agree with his assessment...

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-parry-project-big-picture-22934184