The Hereford FC Chairman Andrew Graham has voiced his concerns regarding the ‘Big 6’ proposals for the restructure of the football pyramid.
Speaking to the official Hereford FC website he said: “Irrespective of whatever it morphs into, you can’t help but feel, immediately on the back of their pay per view announcement, that this latest convenient restructure, where the FA would also receive £100m as a gift, will be accompanied by a restructured broadcasting deal, which will see the rich get richer!
“In 2019, the 20 Premiership clubs shared £2.5 Billion between them. The £250 million they intend to share between the 72 EFL Clubs seems somewhat derisory when averaged out.
Graham wonders whether the proposal has been put forward during the pandemic merely to strengthen the grip of major clubs to the detriment of the rest of football.
“I wouldn’t want to be too cynical but probably won’t be too far off by suggesting that this pandemic has provided them with the perfect opportunity for ‘buying out’ support, as desperate Clubs look to scamper for the scraps swept off the Premiership table!
“As FIFA’s Code of Ethics looks to promote ethical behaviour throughout the entire football world, I would hope that they will have something to say about the £100 million ‘gift’ and be transparent as to how this came about?
“Football at our level, is a long way from being budgeted with the number of zeros attributed to just one Premiership player’s annual salary – perhaps at a time when Clubs are laying staff off, players and fans are losing their livelihoods and we are experiencing more restrictions on normality week by week, this was an opportunity for a cohesive, fully representative approach, rather than an elite push for the ‘super’ league the disproportionately wealthy clubs have long desired?
“All in this together? No evidence of that as yet!”