Hurray! The Premier League is going to save English football! But be warned - there are strings attached...

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54499998

The owners of Liverpool and Manchester United have tabled a proposal, with the Orwellian name "Project Big Picture", according to which the PL will hand over 250 million quid to the Football League, plus 25% of its TV revenue every year. Great. But coming from American billionaires, this amazing offer has strings attached:

Only nine Premier League clubs will have "special status" and thus voting rights - Liverpool, Man United and City, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham and Southampton (it's interesting here that Aston Villa (25 PL seasons) and Newcastle (21) have been ommitted in favour of Man City (18) and Southampton (16)). If six of these clubs vote for a proposal, it will be deemed passed. As the PL will essentially be holding the Football League's purse strings and will therefore have FL clubs by the goolies, this narrow PL cartel will essentially have complete control of English football. The rest of the Premier League won't have a voice, never mind the other pro clubs.

Hence, six big clubs would have the power to force their B teams into the Football League, bring Rangers and Celtic into the English league system or basically anything else they want without the risk of being outvoted. They will also have the power to prevent their rivals from being taken over. They can run the show.

The more I think about it the angrier I get. These clubs are exploiting a crisis and greasing the palms of Football League clubs in a thinly veiled attempt to entrench their position at the top of the game. Man City and Southampton should be particularly ashamed of themselves - it's just an accident of timing that they're in the PL and not in League One.

I hope this plan gets squashed.

I read about it the other day, I think @KB1862 mentioned it.

It sounds daft, I hate all these changes which are being suggested. The only one I've agreed with is VAR, which has been poorly implemented. People suggest the issue is at fault with the system, but it's the people who are controlling/issuing the rulings.

Dropping the Premier League to 18, what difference does it make?

I see no real benefit for doing it, except for making it shorter and, easier for the bigger clubs.

How about we counter it with protesting that the league should be increased to 24? Then the Football League can get rid of the Championship, creating a north and south division like the National League. ????

Then League One, National League becomes League Two.

It just gets silly, however, people try to interfere with football.

im not bothered about the premier league, i hope notts can get to the championship but i would worry if we became a premier league club. having 18 teams in a division sounds odd, especially when the rest have 24 in them.

All members of the league should have a say on matters, no elite club should be able to govern what may happen. How this could be possibly deemed as the best interest for Premier League, I don't know.

Its more of a bribe to see past them gaining further hold of the league.

I don't want the Premier League to change.

I would like to see two teams go up automatically via the National League, then the playoffs. Meaning 3 teams go down from League Two, but that's all.

It's 1992 all over again, money talks and the Premier League can afford to buy whatever they want.

Those big 7 teams might one day regret it.

From the report I read, it's not the Premier League but instead it's Liverpool, Manchester United and Co. 

It's all to do with power. It will damage the football system in England all to protect the 'elite' top 6 in English football.

Yes the EFL will get funded but you can guarantee that they will not be able to utilise the money given because they will bring harder restrictions to the point clubs will struggle to gain any head way.

This is one of the reasons Newcastle failed in their takeover because Liverpool and Manchester City complained and the Premier League listened. 

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1315620732236230658?s=19

 

The Henry Winter take is absolutely bang on.