SCALLY: £50M PREM BAILOUT OFFER TO EFL IS ‘DISGUSTING’
EFL bosses are set to reject the Premier League’s “disgusting” £50million bailout offer.
Gillingham chairman Paul Scally says every League One club was against the latest offer.
EFL clubs met yesterday to discuss the Premier League plan and it is expected to be formally rejected. The offer was met with anger and recriminations, while Scally has also called for FA chairman Greg Clarke to quit after it was alleged he “initiated” talks over Project Big Picture.
On top of the cash offer, the Premier League also made the undertaking they would step in to stop any League One or League Two club going bust. However, EFL chairman Rick Parry believes the
Premier League should instead deliver a £250m rescue package.
Scally (above) said: “I’m stunned, shocked and disgusted by it. They are a disgrace coming forward with an offer like that.
“I was on the League One meeting and not a single person from the 24 people spoke up for it. The reality is it comes down to about £20m because the rest is a grant. £20m? Really, it’s shocking.
“I can’t believe even fans of Premier League clubs will be comfortable with them spending £1.2billion while other clubs go out of business. The Premier League will have to be careful because fans will get fed up of their greed.”
That blast comes on top of an explosive document in which under-fire Parry claims Clarke
“produced” proposals earlier this year which included the formation of Premier League 2 and B teams.
Clarke has insisted he left talks over Project Big Picture over the threat of a breakaway league.
But Scally said: “I’m probably the wrong person to ask if Greg Clarke should resign as he should never have got the job in the first place. He was working at the EFL while applying for a job at the FA.
“I don’t have a problem with him initiating talks but he then denied it and tried to hang Rick out to dry when all Rick is doing is trying to save the EFL and the EFL clubs.”
The Premier League insist the offer will remain on the table, and they have also pledged to talk to any club from the EFL in financial difficulty about potential bailouts.