Many football fans have been up in arms after the so called Project Big Picture was revealed, here we give you the full details of the plan, there are some good things in it, but for most it is a step too far.
Ex Daily Echo reporter Jeremy Wilson has laid out the details on the plan in an article in the telegraph.
In truth the plan offers many concessions that supporter groups have been fighting for over a number of years, it also contains provision to ensure that the pyramid system survives, but there are other things in that for many will be unacceptable.
The proposals seem to offer a lot of little concessions in order to disguise the fact that under them all are several bigger ones that will effectively hand control to a number of clubs at the top of the pyramid.
On the face of it, it most look good idea, but the reality is that it will allow the big clubs to get bigger and the Premier league will be virtually a closed shop with a dozen clubs allowed in to be cannon fodder.
Also tucked in is the proposal that each club would be able to sell and take the money from 8 home fixtures, doesn't sound much, but it would impact greatly on the rest of the league who rely on some revenue from being selected for a TV match away to a big club.
With the removal of the League cup that will take away the best hope of many clubs of a little glory and with that European competition entry, that place will be thrown back into the Premier League to ensure that if the Big Six slip up in the EFL Cup then they won't lose out and have to watch a small club take part.
The reduction in numbers is fine for those who play all these Champions League games, but for the majority of the Premier League clubs a 38 game league season is not too much and with the removal of the League cup the season will get even shorter.
I find it distasteful that in a period of World Crisis that is impacting on clubs at all levels of football, that the Big Six are offering a rescue package, but at a big cost, one that under normal circumstances would be rejected out of hand.
Personally I think that it is time for the Big Six to go their own way and enter a European Super league, I have thought that for a long time now, a look back at the last 30 years does not make good reading, it is dominated by those with money, cut them adrift and reform English football with the rest of us, it will once again be competitive and that is what most football fans want.
OK we won't see the top names play initially, but then again how many people actually get the chance to see them in action in person anyway, usually only once a season when a Big Six club rolls into town or if you follow your team to the away fixture.
The problem for them is that a European Super League would see only 1 or 2 maybe 3 of them involved and that would mean those not selected would be cut adrift, that league would want Liverpool and Manchester United for sure, Man City would get in because they have the money, but after that Chelsea, Spurs & Arsenal might struggle as by the time the other big European teams have been added their might not be too many places left.
Football is due a revolution, but it may not be what the BIg Six have thought it would be, nor would they like it.
The Key Proposals are :
Rescue Fund
An immediate rescue fund of £350,000,000 to the English Football League and Football Association for lost revenues of 2019/20 and 2020/21...
For the EFL:
£50,000,000 to cover 2019/20 EFL matchday losses;
Up to £200,000,000 available to cover 2020/21 EFL matchday losses;
Money will be advanced to the EFL from increased future revenues.
For the FA:
£100,000,000 in grants, made up of £55,000,000 to cover operational losses, £25,000,000 for clubs below the EFL, £10,000,000 for the Women’s Super League and Championship, £10,000,000 for grassroots
Funds to be made available by the Premier League through loans guaranteed by the clubs.
Infrastructure Plan
Infrastructure funding of 6% of Premier League gross revenues to be distributed annually to the top four divisions.
Each club will receive £100 per seat annually.
Infrastructure funding can only be used for stadia and fan experiences.
Fan Charter
A cap of £20 on Premier League away ticketing (adjusted every 3 years for inflation)
Subsidised Premier League away travel
Safe-standing sections at the discretion of each club, subject to government permission.
Away sections must provide at least 3,000 or 8% of capacity, whichever is higher.
Annual Good Causes
An increase of 66% in annual contributions to good causes in England.
A total of 5% of Premier League gross income to be contributed annually to good causes and grassroots football, to include focus on combatting racism and discrimination.
Redistribution of Media & Sponsorship Revenues (three possible options)
Option A: 50% equal, 25% current-year merit, 25% previous 3-year merit
A greater emphasis will be placed on merit in both the Premier League and the Championship with half of payments reflecting positions over the past four years.
Option B: Current Premier League distribution scheme (50% equal, 25% by merit and 25% by facility fees) but newly promoted clubs must holdback £25m of first two years in the Premier League to mitigate risk of relegation.
Option C: Current Premier League distribution scheme, but newly promoted clubs receive 25% of their allocated Facility Fees for first 3 years in league.
For all above options:
Excluding parachute payments and including new infrastructure payments, solidarity from the Premier League to the English Football League would increase from 4% to 25%.
Premier League and English Football League domestic and international media rights will be collectively sold by the Premier League.
Compensation payments to The EFL and FA, infrastructure monies and related borrowings are deducted prior to determination of distributable revenues.
Pyramid structure
The Premier League, originally formed to house 18 clubs,would be reduced from 20 to 18 clubs.
This would free up the calendar and, with fewer teams and an end to parachute payments, provide additional resources to the EFL.
Reduction from 38 to 34 rounds of matches will also aid the national team.
Championships, League One and League Two to all be made up of 24 clubs
Promotion and relegation
Premier League relegation. At least 2 clubs automatically relegated annually
Championship promotion: 1st and 2nd automatically promoted.
Club finishing 16th in the Premier League joins four team Championship play-off tournament with teams who finish 3rd, 4th and 5th. Semi-finals would be 16th place PL team vs 5th place Championships team nad 3rd place Championship team against 4th place Championship team.
Championship relegation — 3 clubs
Leagues One and Two: promotion of 3 clubs. Relegation of 4 clubs
Club media
All Premier League clubs have the exclusive rights to sell eight live matches a season directly to fans via their own digital platforms in all international territories.
All Premier League and Championship clubs allowed to show limited in-match highlights on their own digital platforms.
No more than 27 games per club will be shown live in UK per season
Saturday 3pm broadcast blackouts remain to help protect EFL attendance
Other competitions
League Cup and Community Shield discontinued;
Establishment of a new independent league for the Women’s professional game, not to be owned by the Premier League or The Football Association;
FA Cup replays retained but there will be no replays in the winter break;
Premier League begins later in August and pre-season friendlies extended;
No more than two weeks between the end of the Premier League and the Champions League final;
Premier League clubs must participate at least once every five years in the Premier League summer tournament.
Other structural changes
Elite Player Performance Plan funding is included in the revenue received by EFL clubs;
Clubs in League One and below are no longer required to have an academy;
Clubs permitted to have up to 15 players out on loan domestically at any time, including up to four in a single English club. Introduction of one month loans for players under 23, an ability to recall loanees in the event of managerial change, incentivise loanee clubs through payments based on future performance or sale of loaned players;
Remove the scholarship clause permitting players to terminate at any stage.
Cost Controls & Related Party Income
Financial Fair Play rules that align with Uefa to ensure English clubs are not at a disadvantage in Europe;
A £50 million cap per annum on all related party transactions and a more stringent ‘related party’ definition;
Premier League executive provided with full access to clubs accounting information to investigate cost control
A joint Premier League and Championship body will monitor cost controls.
The English Football League will introduce hard salary caps.
Governance
All material matters relating to the business of the Premier League will require shareholder approval, except that the Board will decide whether to approve a new owner;
All votes will require more than two-thirds majority to be approved;
All other votes for the operation of the Premier League will be one-club, one-vote except those provided for under ‘Special Voting Rights’
Special Voting Rights
Each of the nine clubs who, at any time of determination, have been members of the Premier League continuously for more seasons than other clubs will be considered a ‘Long-Term Shareholder’.
Two-thirds of the long-term shareholders can cause to be adopted without approval from the other clubs:
i) the election or removal of the CEO and/or a member of the board;
ii) amendments to cost control rules and regulations;
iii) contracts for the sale of league broadcasting and media rights
Two-thirds of the long-term shareholders can prevent from being adopted resolutions to:
i) change the distribution rights of the sponsorship, commercial and broadcasting rights sold
centrally;
ii) change the distribution to clubs from other PL centralised rights or assets
c) alter in a material way the nature of the competition
Two-thirds of the long-term shareholders can veto the Premier League board’s approval of a proposed new owner