£50M EFL BAILOUT REJECTED BY CLUBS

EFL clubs have rejected the Premier League’s proposed £50million rescue package for League One and League Two teams.

At a shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday, the Premier League agreed to offer a loans and grants package to clubs in the bottom two divisions of the EFL struggling without matchday income because of coronavirus.

That money is on top of £27.2m already advanced in solidarity payments. However, the EFL announced last night the bailout is insufficient while insisting Championship clubs should be included as part of any offer.

An EFL statement said: ‘The need for continued unity across the membership base was fundamental to discussions across all three divisions, and therefore there was a strong consensus that any rescue package must meet the requirements of all 72 clubs before it can be considered in full.

‘The League has been very clear in its discussions of the financial requirements needed to address lost gate receipts in 2019/20 and 2020/21, and while EFL clubs are appreciative that a formal proposal has now been put forward, the conditional offer of £50m falls some way short of this.

‘The EFL is keen to continue discussions with the Premier League to reach an agreeable solution that will address the short-term financial needs of all of our clubs and allow us the ability to consider the longer-term economic issues.’

Meanwhile, former England defender and Salford City co-owner Gary Neville, ex-Football Association chairman David Bernstein and retired Olympic champion Denise Lewis have called for the independent regulation of English football.

The trio are part of a group who have issued a manifesto for change called ‘Saving Our Beautiful Game’ and Neville told Sky: ‘The principle is we don’t trust that football can govern itself and create the fairest deal for all, whether that’s the Premier League, EFL, non-league clubs or fans.

‘It has been proven over this past six months that football has struggled to bring everyone together and proven to be incapable over a 25-30 year period of transforming the money in the game into something that works for everybody.

‘I want the best Premier League in the world but I want sustainable football clubs.’