Kaizero Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/04/18/no-headline-115875-21288238/ Plans for a Premier League second division that would revolutionise English football have been drawn up. Bolton’s Phil Gartside, one of the longest-serving chairmen in the top flight and an influential member of the Football Association’s board, has put together a blueprint that is being circulated among key figures within the game. They include the current Premier League chairman Dave Richards, who sees merit in the proposals. Sunday Mirror Sport has been given a full briefing on the document, which is being backed by at least seven Premier League clubs as well as key Football League clubs who are keen to be part of the new breakaway. A prominent Championship chairman, whose club have been in the Premier League, said: “Given the severe financial restraints in the Football League it would be madness not to consider the proposals. “The considerable wealth of Premier League clubs shows no sign of subsiding. “The Football League clubs are poor by comparison.” Gartside’s blueprint proposes two Premier League divisions, each of 18 teams. There would be promotion and relegation of two clubs between the divisions. There would also be one club relegated from Premier League 2 to be replaced by a club from the Football League. Perhaps most controversial of all is the idea of inviting two Scottish clubs to join Premier League 2. The clubs are not named but would be Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic. In the past, both Scottish clubs have expressed a wish to join the English Premier League bandwagon. With the top flight reduced from 20 clubs, there’s also a proposal for a winter break. And in a move that will alarm the FA and Football League - who have their own knock-out competitions – there would be the introduction of a new Premier League knock-out cup. Gartside would like the 36 clubs to review wage control policies. This is an area that concerns smaller clubs such as Bolton, but is much less of an issue to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. Gartside has been working on the project, and sounding out key associates, for almost four months. He has attempted to fine-tune his proposal before it is formally discussed at a Premier League shareholders meeting by the 20 current clubs. However, Gartside and his supporters will have to overcome a number of key issues to see the revolutionary plan come to fruition. Fourteen Premier League clubs will have to vote in favour of the proposal to get the project up and running. The FA, who backed the formation of the original Premier League, would then have to support it. More importantly, the Football League, who could demand massive compensation, would have to relinquish their rights to oppose the project. The top four Premier League clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are likely to vote against such the change. That’s why the Gartside blueprint states that there will be no change to the current distribution of funds. But the big four would need three other rivals to back them to ensure the plan is vetoed. And the financial security on offer to the clubs who are never going to break into the exclusive top level of the Premier League will be attractive. Asked to comment on our revelations last night, a Premier League spokesman would only say: “We haven’t seen any proposal and therefore are unable to comment.” The arrival of Rangers and Celtic, allied to a new TV deal, would undoubtedly increase revenue for the English clubs. Presently the Premier League make parachute payments to relegated clubs of £11.5m a season for two seasons if they fail to bounce back in those seasons. This season the PL is paying £69m in parachute payments. That figure would be drastically reduced under the new scheme. A reduced payment would be made to the single club heading into the Football League. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
QBG Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Been saying this could be a good idea for a while. Teams like Leeds and Forest do not deserve to be in the Championship. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LucaAltieri Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 It would be good for anyone in those divisions. Kiss of death to everyone else, mind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JH Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Might as well just rename the Championship 'Premier League 2' tbh. Stupid idea IMO. There's no way that half the Premier League clubs would agree to what is effectively dropping down a division. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
80 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Fuck that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlito Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Gartside is a cunt. No thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Albert Square Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Why would we want Celtic and Rangers in the Premier League? I prefer the league without sectarianism thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J7 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Been saying this could be a good idea for a while. Teams like Leeds and Forest do not deserve to be in the Championship. Erm, no they don't. They are where they are because they are shit and deserve to be there. The idea sounds awful and is just like the SPL2 proposal in Scotland. Self preservation at its most disgusting. Heres an idea Phil you fat fuck, how about we just get rid our your shitty little club and replace them with someone else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pav Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 As if they haven't ruined the game enough ffs. What a steaming pile of shite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Albert Square Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 May aswell make a league of 38 teams that play each other once. Shit idea, the only teams this would benefit would be the 2 that arnt even English. The teams in this Premier League 2 are essentially still in the Championship. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 As if they haven't ruined the game enough ffs. What a steaming pile of shite. I haven't even read the article, but this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sicsfingeredmong Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 On the subject of including Celtic & Rangers in English top-flight football, and with it exposing them to a higher standard of football on a week-to-week basis. In essence giving Scottish footbal a leg-up on the whole, by fast tracking their better players' development. IMO it would herald their reemergence on the international stage in the mid-long term, and therefore it compromises our qualification paths to major tournaments in the future - under the proviso of qualification groupings. For this reason only i've always been against this idea, and always will be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gggg Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Loada shite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Been saying this could be a good idea for a while. Teams like Leeds and Forest do not deserve to be in the Championship. Why? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toontownman Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 If they really need to have the Scottish Clubs involved I'd much rather they just merged the Carling Cup with the English and Scottish teams and had the winner qualify for Europe or something. The Carling cup is useless and has been meaningless for nearly ten years now, would at least spice it up a little. If they are really hell bent on having the Scottish teams involved test it out with that and make them earn it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 If they really need to have the Scottish Clubs involved I'd much rather they just merged the Carling Cup with the English and Scottish teams and had the winner qualify for Europe or something. The Carling cup is useless and has been meaningless for nearly ten years now, would at least spice it up a little. If they are really hell bent on having the Scottish teams involved test it out with that and make them earn it. been saying this for years, rejuvenate the CC and give the euro spot to the winner from either country merge at the QF stage it'd be mint Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bovineblue Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Doesn't premier mean the first or most important? How can you have two premier leagues? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
womblemaster Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 SO what is the diff between the PL and championship? AM guessing its the way the tv deal is structured. NOt sure of the exact details. If this keeps more english clubs solvent then its might be a good plan. However gartside seems like a greedy twat, so its probably all designed to be big pay day ! It does seem tru that there are a number of clubs that are hovering between pl quality and champ struggleers, ie the bouncing clubs, like nufc ! DOnt think we are in position to scorn an idea like this atmo!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brummiemag Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Its a sickening, selfish idea based on money and self preservation. As far as I'm concerned the Premier League is the worst thing thats ever happened to English football. Increasing it to 2 divisions, to the exclusion of the rest would kill the game at a lower level, and make it even more boring and predictable at the top level, for fuck sake its bad enough already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gggg Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Were Bolton ever one of the clubs up for re-election in the old days? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J7 Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 If they really need to have the Scottish Clubs involved I'd much rather they just merged the Carling Cup with the English and Scottish teams and had the winner qualify for Europe or something. The Carling cup is useless and has been meaningless for nearly ten years now, would at least spice it up a little. If they are really hell bent on having the Scottish teams involved test it out with that and make them earn it. If they're desperate to have Scottish clubs involved then they have to merge the whole league system. Two or three national British leagues then regionalised 3 or 4 ways below them (North, middle and south). Rangers and Celtic would obviously stablise themselves in the Premiership and you would get Hearts, Aberdeen and Hibs able to compete in the Championship with the increased TV and sponsorship money they would make. Hearts for example have had 30k+ crowds in Europe at Murrayfield. A mishmash of some Scottish teams in one league and some in another would just be a farce. The FA wouldn't stand for the above anyway as it would damage the chances of keeping the national teams seperate. FIFA would push for a British national team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 What a load of complete and utter shit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aoliversaknob Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Gartside- nothing more than self preservation on the gravy train from that fooker. 1 up and 1 down.......where the competiviness in that? What a tosser. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 http://i43.tinypic.com/10z8v2a.jpg Look at that face and tell me he's doing it for the "benefit of the league". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Would the premier league 2 not just be the championship with yet another name? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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